Yellowstone National Park 2022 Trip Reports

Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin

6th through 9th June 2022
Yellowstone National Park

~ June 2022 ~

Monday - June 6th

We lost a bear watching friend today. I am sad to report that Richard Rechtenback passed away this morning in a campsite near Cooke City.

41 degrees this morning this morning in Silver Gate warming up to 50 degrees with afternoon showers. I had two bull moose in the Pebble Creek Campground tonight on my way back to Silver Gate. I had a THREE DOG DAY today. At 5:20 a.m. Randi M found a small colorful grizzly digging in A-Z Meadow. At 5:45 a.m. Randi M found a courting pair of grizzlies in the Salad Bowl/or Divide Ridge viewed from Coyote Overlook. At 6:05 a.m. we had four black wolves south of the Buffalo Ranch hunting bison calves. At 6:10 a.m. Gary G found a large grizzly digging in the Bowl viewed from the Buffalo Ranch. At 6:15 a.m. Gary G found a grizzly hunting elk calves north of Trashcan Pullout. At 6:20 a.m. I found the Mount Norris grizzly sow with two two-year-old cubs on Calfee viewed from Trashcan Pullout. At 6:25 a.m. Randi M found a courting pair of grizzlies on Norris viewed from Trashcan Pullout. At 1:40 p.m. the Junction Butte grizzly sow with two either yearlings or two-year-old cubs were north of Long Pullout. Great viewing and a large bear jam. At 3:15 p.m. I watched the alpha female (a black) wolf and the remaining one black pup at the Slough Creek den. Note: all the other puppies have been moved first to the den in Crystal Creek and then near the split rock south of Fisherman's Pullout but best viewed from up the hill to the north from Coyote Overlook.

Tuesday - June 7th

33 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to 63 degrees. I had a badger today down the Slough Creek Campground Road. I had a yearling cow moose near the Soda Butte Picnic area today. At 5:45 a.m. John G found an interesting three grizzly bear combination. As near as we can figure out, a large boar grizzly accompanied by two sows. Unusual. One sow looked older and heavier and the second appeared younger and a lot of room beneath her belly and the ground. At 6:40 a.m. six black and three gray wolves were seen moving west south of Midpoint Pullout out hunting. A few minutes later they caught and killed an adult bison cow. At 6:45 a.m. we had a black bear in the tree line on Amethyst Bench. At 7:05 a.m. another black bear this one in the sagebrush hunting elk calves on Amethyst Bench. At 7:30 a.m. I found the Specimen Ridge grizzly sow with two yearlings hunting elk calves on Specimen Ridge. At 8:40 a.m. I spotted the alpha female with the remaining puppy near the Slough Creek den. At 9:05 a.m. I found the Specimen Ridge sow with only one cub of the year (coy) on Ski Slope. I had not seen her in a few days, but she has lost two of the three coys she had. At 9:30 a.m. Grant J found a small colorful grizzly just west of Amethyst Creek and right across the Lamar River. It looked like one of the two grizzly 3 1/2-year-old sub adults but was not sure as they usually hang out together. At 9:45 a.m. Gary G found a dark grizzly digging low in the Bowl viewed from the Buffalo Ranch. At 10:30 a.m. John G found a new grizzly family on Penny Lane. This grizzly sow had a bright collar whereas the Mount Norris grizzly sow with one coy has no collar. They later moved west to Norris. At 4:50 p.m. Mike G found a large slightly limping grizzly on Penny Lane. At 4:50 p.m. we had a small colorful grizzly on #2 finger on Norris viewed from Footbridge Pullout. For over 45 minutes we watched a grizzly sow with two yearlings on K-3 viewed from Footbridge Pullout that Gary G had found. The light was not good, and they were in a lot of deadfall but probably the K-2 sow who had two yearlings. At 6:40 p.m. we had a grizzly with a bright Yellowstone Strip around it walking east in Round Prairie.

Wednesday - June 8th

Wednesday June 8th. 30 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to 55 degrees. I had a moose near Soda Butte Picnic today. At 6:00 a.m. I found a small colorful grizzly on the #3 finger on Norris. At 6:30 a.m. Terri W found a grizzly digging in the Bowl viewed from the Buffalo Ranch. At 6:35 a.m. a courting pair of black bears, both black, on the east side of Square Meadow viewed from the Buffalo Ranch. At 6:35 a.m. a black wolf bedded near yesterday’s bison carcass south of Picnic Pullout. At 6:45 a.m. I watched five black and four gray wolves moving across the east end of Jasper Bench. They continued out of my sight but did kill an elk calf later south of the Confluence. At 6:50 a.m. John G found the big boar grizzly still with two sows on Ski Slope viewed from the Buffalo Ranch. Again, they were traveling together, and had crossed the road to the south sometime during the night. At 7:20 a.m. I found a large dark grizzly on Prospect Peak viewed from Boulder Pullout. My friends listened to my location of the grizzly and watched him from the Slough Creek restroom (a long view but the light looking to the west was great today). At 8:40 a.m. Terri W found the Mount Norris grizzly sow with her remaining one coy on Norris viewed from Coyote Overlook. It was better viewing when we traveled east and watched from Trashcan Pullout, while the Confluence was even better viewing. At 9:00 a.m. John G found the Specimen grizzly sow with her one remaining coy on Ski Slope. At 9:40 a.m. we were at Coyote Overlook watching. I found a pair of small grizzlies running all out on Middle Ridge and then on the hill between Middle Ridge and Specimen Ridge. We could not locate what they were running from. They continued to run fast and every once in a while, stopped to look back. John G then noticed a larger grizzly walking towards them, it turned out to be the Junction Butte sow and the cubs are either large yearling, but my guess small two-year-old cubs. Apparently, they were playing and chased each other for the fun of it. At 10:40 a.m. Alan C found a small colorful grizzly behind Square Meadow low on Ski Slope. Later a second grizzly was found in the area, it was the two 3 1/2-year-old sub adult grizzlies that we had not seen the last couple of days. At 10:45 a.m. John and Carolyn G found a new grizzly family. A grizzly sow with one coy on skyline north of the Buffalo Ranch. At 11:40 a.m. Alan C had watched a courting pair of grizzlies on Druid Peak from east of the Buffalo Ranch. Soon Randi M found the pair from where we were at the Buffalo Ranch. Later we had better viewing from Trashcan Pullout.

Thursday - June 9th

44 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to 73 degrees. I watched one badger baby at the badger den down the Slough Creek Campground Road today. Early this morning John G had a grizzly on the west shoulder of A-Z Meadow from Coyote Pullout and later Gary G had a grizzly low in the Bowl from the Buffalo Ranch. It turned out to be a courting pair of grizzlies best viewed from the Buffalo Ranch. At 6:20 a.m. Doug M (bear watcher) called with a family group on Middle Ridge viewed from Lamar Canyon West. It was the Junction Butte grizzly sow with two either large yearlings or my guess two small two-year-old cubs. At 6:40 a.m. Terri W found a courting pair of grizzlies on the east shoulder of Druid Peak best viewed from Trashcan Pullout. At 7:05 a.m. we had a small grizzly crossing Dead Puppy Hill from east to west. At 7:10 a.m. I watched a small light faced grizzly moving west just east of Dead Puppy Hill viewed from Footbridge Pullout. Later these two grizzlies got together and bedded under a tree in a low clearing on Norris best viewed from the Confluence. At 7:10 a.m. a small colorful grizzly was seen on the # 1 finger on Norris. At 7:45 a.m. Rick H found the grizzly sow with one coy on the skyline north of the Buffalo Ranch. Between 8:00 am and 8:30 a.m. we were watching a large grizzly on Druid Peak from the Buffalo Ranch. We at first thought that it was the boar from the courting pair seen on the east shoulder of Druid Peak. Finally, we traveled east to Trashcan Pullout and found the large grizzly below the courting pair of grizzlies. My guess is the third grizzly was a bore trying to replace the boar in the courting pair. Not sure what happened as all three disappeared from our sight. At 8:35 a.m. Terri W found two adult grizzlies digging on Calfee from Trashcan Pullout. The light was not good, but we assumed a courting pair (perhaps the Mount Norris sow has kicked out the two two-year-old cubs and found a mate -we had watched the family on Calfee several days this week, but they were not visible yesterday or today). At 10:05 a.m. the Mount Norris grizzly sow with one remaining coy was seen just across the river between Footbridge and Hitching Post pullouts. What a bear jam. Finally, at 11:30 a.m. the sow and coy crossed the road through the traffic to the north. This was the original Mount Norris sow without a collar who had lost one of the two coys. At 12:05 p.m. John G found a grizzly on the low part of Bear Meadow viewed from the Buffalo Ranch. Bear Meadow is a high meadow that is usually good for numerous grizzly sightings this time of year, but this was our first sighting on the meadow. Most of the high clearings have very little new grass or growth yet because of the cold spring and early summer. At 12:20 p.m. we had a large black bear seen on Amethyst Bench.

People Seen

Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Dan and Laurie L Taylor B, Jeremy S, Reve and Susan C, and Doug M. From California: Kathie L. From Colorado: Dale and Fay B. From New York: Rick and Maureen B. From Kansas: Calvin and Lynette J. From Mississippi: Chuck and Wynelle M. From Illinois: Ray and Lynn R. From Texas: Carl L and Carol S. And from Tennessee: Terry and Betty C. Bear Watchers seen this report. From Washington: John G and Randi M. From Mississippi: Gary and Bryan G. From Wyoming: Terri W. From Tennessee: Mike and Donna F. From Oklahoma: Shaun and Regina W From Colorado: Kim K, Rick and Tanner H, and Rick and Len H. From Idaho: Terry and Marsha J. From Montana: Doug M, Alan C, John and Carolyn G, and Joe and Jeanne L. From Illinois Mike G. From Georgia: Sandi R. And From Utah: Brent W. Others seen this report: From Montana: Michael S, Audra C, Shauna B, Carl S, Grant J, Emil M, Quinn H, MacNeil L, Cara M, Bob L, Cliff B, and Mike S. From Wyoming: Paul B. From Idaho: Adam B. From Arizona: David and Phyllis. And From Vermont: John K and Beth.

Yellowstone National Park

Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park