Yellowstone National Park 2024 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
9 through 12 June 2024
Yellowstone National Park
Beautiful Mountain Lion ~ Lamar Valley ~ April 10th, 2023 ~ Photo by Linda Rudge Carney © All Rights Reserved
Mountain Lion ~ also known as the Cougar, Puma, Panther, or Catamount ~ Puma concolor
~ June 2024 ~
June 9th - Sunday
Sunday June 9th. 44 degrees in Silver Gate warming up to 73 degrees out in the park with afternoon rainstorms. Five pups seen at the coyote den south of Dorothy's now. Four coyote puppies seen at the coyote den on Dead Puppy Hill. At 5:20 a.m. Gary G found the grizzly sow with two cubs of the year low on Middle Ridge viewed from Coyote Overlook. At 5:40 a.m. Randi M found the grizzly sow with three cubs of the year in the Bowl viewed from the Institute. At 6:20 a.m. Blake M found a colorful grizzly digging in the Bowl. At 7:10 a.m. I found the Ski Slope grizzly sow with one cub of the year under the snow cornices southwest of Footbridge Pullout. At 9:15 a.m. I found a colorful grizzly digging high in the meadow east of the Slough Den. At 9:20 a.m. we had 907F the alpha female wolf was around the Slough Creek den with both puppies, one gray and one black. At 10:25 a.m. we watched a black bear with one black yearling cub in the tree line south of Straight-away Pullout. At 12:15 p.m. a black bear sow with one cinnamon and one black cub of the year was near Tower. At 6:05 p.m. Gary G found a black bear on K-2 Meadow viewed from Footbridge Pullout. At 6:55 p.m. my last sighting of the day was a black bear in view from Footbridge Pullout in a clearing below K Meadow.
June 10th - Monday
45 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to 71 degrees out in the park. The lost cub of the year was seen today near Trout Lake. It has been since May 29th that this cub of the year has been separated from the grizzly sow and its two other cubs of the year. At 5:05 a.m. I found a grizzly trying to walk through two small herds of bison, which did not happen, and the bison chased it twice where the grizzly did run into the tree line. At 5:25 a.m. I found the grizzly sow with three cubs of the year again on Middle Ridge. About the same time, we heard wolves howling to the south. Randi M found what turned out to be six gray and three black wolves of the Mollies wolf pack. They were in sight moving to the east until a severe rainstorm blocked out all wolf watching. They were later found after the storm and remained bedding until near 7:30 p.m. when they moved east and hunted for bison calves. At 6:10 a.m. I found the grizzly sow with two cubs of the year this morning on the Divide Ridge, later in the day they moved to No Bear Meadow. At 7:30 a.m. Evan S found a large grizzly hunting on Ski Slope. At 3:00 p.m. we had a black bear in view at Elk Creek. At 4:30 p.m. a small colorful grizzly digging in the Bowl, we were watching from the Barn. At 7:00 p.m. I found the grizzly with two cubs of the year north of Coyote (not sure if this is a new family to the grizzly sow who lost one cub of the year and now only has two cubs of the year).
June 11th - Tuesday
42 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to 75 degrees out in the park. We found a moose in the large meadow behind the eastern end of Jasper Bench and later moved through A-Z Meadow. A new coyote den for me this morning as at least four coyote pups were at Ranger Rock, the big red rock northwest of the Lamar Ranger Station. We watched as a badger came into the den area and went into the den area. The female coyote attacked and bit the badger several times, later we saw the adults and at least four pups around the den so the badger did no damage. I had a THREE DOG DAY (coyote, fox, wolf) today. At 5:35 a.m. Gary G found two grizzlies north of Coyote Overlook. It appeared to be a grizzly sow with one yearling cub. The problem is that we do not know of any grizzly sow with one yearling cub in this area. Later we saw the family again and it was the regular grizzly sow with three yearlings that we have been watching on and off for a few weeks. Two of the three cubs were just out of sight viewed from Coyote Pullout this morning. At 5:40 a.m. Gary G found the grizzly sow with three cubs of the year again on Middle Ridge. Again, we were watching from Coyote Pullout where you can see the top of the east side of Middle Ridge. At 6:10 a.m. Doug M (bear watcher) found the two 3 1/2-year-old sub adults in the Bowl. It had been several days since we watched them, but they looked good. At 7:20 a.m. I found the grizzly sow with two cubs of the year on K-3 Meadow. At 8:15 a.m. a larger grizzly was seen zigzagging in the Bowl. We found that this grizzly was following the grizzly sow with two cubs who we had not seen yet today. We at first only saw the two cubs of the year on the skyline. Soon an adult grizzly approached the two cubs of the year who ran away. But it was the grizzly sow returning to the two cubs of the year after ensuring the other grizzly left the area. At 10:00 a.m. I found a grizzly family with one sow and three yearling cubs northeast of the Institute. They appeared afraid and soon we spotted another grizzly below the family. It was a smaller grizzly who was just digging its way slowly past the grizzly yearling family. The family climbed a large boulder to watch the other grizzly move on its way. Later the sow nursed the cubs before returning to dig. At noon we had a cinnamon black bear on the #1 finger on Norris. At 12:50 p.m. a courting pair of black bears, both black, were seen in the Slough Bowl. At 5:00 p.m. 907F the alpha female of the Junction Butte wolfpack came into view with both the gray and black pup and nursed them near the den. At 6:10 p.m. Gary G found a black bear low on the # 1 finger on Norris with three small black cubs of the year.
June 12th - Wednesday
43 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to a nice 78 degrees with a strong wind this afternoon. Both coyote dens, the one from Dorothy's Pullout and the one on Dead Puppy Hill, have moved their pups to another den, which I have no idea of the new location. This is not unusual for coyote females to move the pups one or several times each denning season. The coyote den at Ranger Rock had good action this morning with at least four puppies seen. Three male harlequin ducks are still hanging in the Soda Butte Creek at Footbridge Pullout. I had a large bull moose at Soda Butte Picnic area tonight. At 5:15 a.m. Randi M found the grizzly sow with two cubs of the year, high on Middle Ridge viewed from Coyote Pullout. At 5:25 a.m. I found the grizzly sow with three cubs of the year a little lower on Middle Ridge. The families could not have been one half mile apart this morning. But these two sows have often been seen at the same time in the same meadow; they must know each other. At 5:35 a.m. I found a black bear in the meadow south of Trashcan Pullout. At 6:00 a.m. Kim H found a colorful grizzly moving around on Ski Slope viewed from the Institute. At 6:25 a.m. Jim and Amber H told me that the lone cub of the year (separated since May 29th from the sow and two other cubs of the year) was in view in the Soda Butte Valley. They even followed me to that area and pointed out the small cub grazing/digging and getting something to eat. Looks really good for being on its own for that long. At 6:30 a.m. I found at the same time as Kim H and Randi M a grizzly on the #1 finger on Norris. A brief sighting as the sun came over the mountain making seeing anything in the east direction impossible. At 7:35 a.m. I found a larger grizzly digging in K-2 Meadow viewed from Footbridge Pullout. At 7:40 a.m. I found the grizzly sow with one yearling on Penny Lane. Today they were moving quickly but we watched them from the Confluence on Norris digging away later. At 8:20 a.m. Gary G found a dark grizzly digging in the Bowl near two huge bison. At 9:00 a.m. Randi M found the grizzly sow with three yearlings northwest of the Institute, about the same clearing as they were in yesterday. Backlit from the sun they glowed in the sun. She again nursed the three cubs before resuming digging for breakfast. At 9:45 a.m. I had a black bear on the # 2 finger on Norris, the sun had risen enough to see the fingers again. At 9:50 a.m. I found a sow sized colorful grizzly under the snow cornices southwest of Footbridge. I did not see a cub. This time of year, with the heat, watching grizzlies is only a few hours in the morning and a few at night. So, I decided to wait and see if this grizzly on the snow cornices would reappear. At 12:15 p.m. the colorful grizzly reappeared with one cub of the year (the Ski Slope Grizzly Family). In view for quite a while. Around 12: 25 p.m. we watched a sight I have rarely seen. The grizzly sow with one cub of the year were chasing another grizzly up and over the mountain. Not sure where the grizzly had come from, but the sow chased it up and out of sight. The sow and cub of the year resumed their afternoon digging out in the meadow for good viewing. Viewing the snow cornice area is a very long look; however, with the sun behind us the light was great looking to the west. At 6:00 p.m. Gary G showed me a large dark grizzly on the top of Norris viewed from Trashcan Pullout.
People Seen
Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Doug M, Taylor R, Jeremy S, Kristina and Cory G, and Carolyn G and brother Tim. From Utah: Paul H and Charlie M. From Idaho: Ray L and Kathy. And From Illinois: Sandy and Ken H. Bear Watchers seen this report: From Washington: Randi M. From Mississippi: Gary G. From New Mexico: Bob W. From Idaho: Blake M and Carma and Jennings S. From Wyoming: Tyler B and Jessica H. From Colorado: Rick and Tanner H. From Utah: Gail and Julie, and Gayle and Brett. From California: Jim and Amber H. And from Montana: Doug M. Others seen this report: From Montana: Hunter G, Cliff B, Scott B, Quinn H, Mike S, Michael S, MacNeil L, Kate J, Alexander M and Bob L, From Vermont: John K. From Idaho: Ray T. And From New Mexico: Lorie U.
Beautiful Mountain Lion ~ Lamar Valley ~ April 10th, 2023 ~ Photo by Linda Rudge Carney © All Rights Reserved
Mountain Lion ~ also known as the Cougar, Puma, Panther, or Catamount ~ Puma concolor
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Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park
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