Yellowstone National Park 2024 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
30 September through 03 October 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
~ September 2024 ~
September 30th - Monday
52 degrees in Idaho Falls this morning but 28 degrees this morning in Hayden Valley warming up to 61 degrees in Lamar Valley this afternoon. I read the Yellowstone Reports yesterday and they have wolf and bear activity on a bison carcass at Elk Antler Pullout in Hayden Valley. I got up in Idaho Falls at 3:15 a.m. and was on the road before 4:00 a.m. arriving in Hayden Valley just after first light at 7:15 a.m. At 7:15 a.m. a large grizzly was on a major part of the bison carcass. I learned from Julie A that the grizzly was number 881. Around the grizzly eating on parts of the carcass and moving around were fourteen wolves of the Wapiti Lake wolf pack. They currently number fifteen adults and twelve puppies for a total of twenty-seven wolves. I only saw fourteen of the pack. At 8:15 a.m. I arrived at Lake Butte east of Fishing Bridge were Bill W said the sub adult grizzly named Jam was digging on the lake side of the road. He also said that the grizzly sow with one cub of the year named Raspberry and Hayden were between the Lake Butte Road and the main highway. All were digging and they looked good. At 9:20 a.m. I found a dark grizzly west in Alum Creek digging away near the telephone poles. At 4:10 p.m. we had a small black bear just off the road west of Floating Island Lake. At 6:30 p.m. my last sighting for the day was a small grizzly north of the Soda Butte East Pullout moving to the west. I had a THREE DOG DAY (coyote, fox, and wolves) today.
~ October 2024 ~
October 1st - Tuesday
21 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to 75 degrees out in the park. At 7:10 a.m. four black and one gray wolf of the Junction Butte wolfpack were visible near the Marge Simpson Tree in Slough Creek. They soon moved north disappearing over Junction Pass.
October 2nd - Wednesday
21 degrees in Silver Gate this morning warming up to 75 degrees out in the park. At 7:10 a.m. four black and one gray wolf of the Junction Butte wolfpack were visible near the Marge Simpson Tree in Slough Creek. They soon moved north disappearing over Junction Pass. Wednesday October 2nd. 32 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to 75 degrees out in the park. At 7:10 a.m. I found a dark grizzly northeast of the mixed conifer aspen forest in Slough Creek walking in sagebrush to the west. It was not in sight too long moving up and over Junction Pass and out of sight. At 7:20 a.m. Kate J, Silver Gate Guides, found a large grizzly on the other side of Slough Creek moving west. About this time others had found the alpha male and 907F, the alpha female of the Junction Butte pack, bedded near the Marge Simpson Tree. Soon the grizzly arrived to visit the two wolves. The grizzly checked out 907F who moved off slowly. The grizzly continued south passing by the southern round tree, then reversed direction and moved towards the mixed conifer aspen forest. Good viewing of the grizzly for thirty minutes and the two wolves even longer. I had a THREE DOG DAY today and four additional foxes. All five of the foxes were between Soda Butte Picnic Area and Silver Gate well after dark this evening.
October 3rd - Thursday
24 degrees this morning in Silver Gate warming up to a nice 63 degrees with a cool wind this afternoon out in the park. I had a great horned owl on the side of the road this morning in the dark near Pebble Creek. At 7:20 a.m. after Michael and Deb O had heard howling near the mixed conifer aspen forest at 6:32 a.m. the wolf watchers found the alpha male of the Junction's below the Horizontal Forest howling. I moved on in search of bears and to warm up from being on Dave's Hill, as the wolf moved off to the east. Around 11:30 a.m. 907F was seen in Slough Creek moving east. When I arrived, she was traveling east towards the yellow grass meadow. Then she turned around and headed back to the west disappearing west of the Slough Creek den. We did not notice any howling, but she was definitely searching for the other members of the pack. 907F is the oldest wolf in Yellowstone and she moved slowly today.
People Seen
Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Taylor R, Carolyn G, Melba C, Rick M, Dan and Laurie L, Jeremy S, and Jeff A (recently of Canada). From Utah: Julia A. From Colorado: Bob P. From New York: Rick and Maureen B. From Mississippi: Chuck and Wynelle M. From Washington: David and Stephanie O. From Kansas: Calvin and Lynette H. And from Oregon: Michael and Deb O. Bear Watchers seen this report: From Wyoming: Tom H, Gene B, and Jim G. From Illinois: Wayne K. From Tennessee: Mike and Donna F. And from Washington: Hank L. Others seen this report: From Montana: Quinn H, Michael S, Bob L, Andrea B, Grant J, Jim H, Cara M, Kate J, Hunter G, and Mike S. From Vermont: John K.
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
Yellowstone National Park
Lamar Valley Map - Yellowstone National Park
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