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Yellowstone National Park 2014 Trip Reports





Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin

23 April - 04 May 2014





Yellowstone Wolf ~ © Copyright All Rights Reserved Gerry Hogston

~ April 2014 ~





Yellowstone Grizzly Bear taken Spring 2012 ~ © Copyright Frank Smith All Rights Reserved

Wednesday - 23 April


28 degrees and snowing this morning warming up to 41 degrees. Three swans in Little America this morning. Road construction at the Soda Butte Creek and Lamar River confluence They are throwing in large rocks to help with the spring runoff. Lots of snow in the high country this year. At 6:20 a.m. I spotted a grizzly on the carcass at Elk Creek. At 6:25 a.m. a large black bear nears the carcass, but gets chased off by the grizzly. At 8:10 a.m. a small black bear beds in a clearing near the carcass. At 11:00 a.m. we had a grizzly on the carcass in the Slough Creek bottoms. At 12:30 p.m. 890M and an uncollared gray wolf of the Junction Butte pack spotted north of Boulder Pullout.


Thursday - 24 April


31 degrees this morning warming up to 42 degrees. At 6:15 a.m. we had three different grizzlies near the carcass at Elk Creek. Two large dark grizzlies and one lighter colored smaller grizzly. At 7:45 a.m. I spotted a large grizzly in the yellow grass meadow north of Slough Creek. At 11:45 a.m. we spotted an unidentified black wolf that is graying on the Hellroaring Slopes. At 11:50 a.m. I spotted a black bear on Garnett Hill. At 12:35 p.m. we had a large black bear on the carcass at Elk Creek.


Friday - 25 April


37 degrees this morning warming up to 46 degrees. At 6:30 a.m. I spotted a dark grizzly on the six day old (and unopened) carcass near Ricks Pullout. At 6:40 a.m. 755M visits the carcass at Elk Creek. At 6:50 a.m. a gray collared 911M and a black uncollared wolf on the Ricks Pullout carcass. At 7:15 a.m. we had a grizzly visits the Elk Creek carcass. At 8:10 a.m. a courting pair of grizzlies in the Lion Meadow viewed from Slough Creek (Ralph and I had assumed that these were a sow and a two year old cub, but found this pair mating later--really early for courting activity). At 8:30 a.m. we had a large grizzly east of the rendezvous area in Lamar Valley. At 10:15 a.m. I spotted a light faced grizzly in the yellow grass meadow north of Slough Creek. At 10:20 a.m. we watched a large grizzly this side of the Slough Creek near the gravel turnout. At 11:30 a.m. an uncollared gray wolf crosses the road from north to south near Floating Island Pond (probably 821F of 763's group). At noon we had a black bear off the road near Yellowstone River picnic area. At 1:00 p.m. we found an unknown black wolf on a new carcass in the Slough Creek bottoms. At 1:30 a.m. two gray wolves of the Junction Butte pack arrive at the carcass after the black wolf leaves. 890M arrived later (I missed it) and the three wolves chased the black out of the area. At 3:00 p.m. Sian from the UK called me saying an old friend had arrived on the Ricks Pullout bison carcass (yep, it was scarface, alive and looking pretty good for a 24 year old grizzly). Big thanks for Sian for finding scarface for me this year and last year too. At 3:30 p.m. after scarface left the carcass (he did not go far), 755M visited the carcass.


Yellowstone Coyote taken Spring 2012 ~ © Copyright Randal W. Horobik All Rights Reserved

Saturday - 26 April


36 degrees warming to 44 degrees today. I had three moose, a cow and two yearling calves, at Round Prairie this morning. Calvin and Lynette found a badger near Boulder Pullout. At 6:30 a.m. scarface was back on the carcass at Ricks Pullout. At 8:15 a.m. 925M of the Lamar Canyon wolf pack approached an old elk carcass north and east of Soda Butte Cone. At 9:30 a.m. we had the courting grizzly pair out again, this time higher north of Slough creek. At 10:30 a.m. Margaret L. found a grizzly much lower from the courting pair. At 2:30 p.m. we had a grizzly in Lion Meadow viewed to the north of Slough Creek. At 2:40 p.m. I spotted a grizzly east of the horizontal forest north of Slough Creek. At 4:00 p.m. we watched a grizzly this side of the Slough Creek near the gravel pullout.


Sunday - 27 April


32 degrees and snowing warming up to 49 degrees. New covering of snow this morning for good visibility and good roads. Road down to Bob's Knob opened today. Had a bunch of rangers and rescue personnel as four outside campers got stranded across the Lamar River near Boulder Pullout. At 8:15 a.m. I spotted a grizzly in the rocks low north of Slough Creek. At 10:15 a.m. we found an early courting pair of grizzlies high in the rocks north of Slough Creek. A lot of wrestling and sleep time for the grizzlies. At 3:30 p.m. we had a grizzly in the Yellow Grass Meadow from Slough Creek. At 5:00 p.m. we had scarface on the carcass near Rick's Pullout. At 5:30 p.m. I spotted a black bear north east of Hellroaring Overlook.


Monday - 28 April


27 degrees in the morning with another covering of snow for good viewing. Warmed up to 43 degrees today. It snowed in the night and we had grizzly tracks in the road from Phantom Lake to Lower Hellroaring this morning. At 7:30 a.m. scarface was on the carcass near Rick's Pullout. At 9:30 a.m. we had two black and two gray wolves of the Junction Butte wolf pack north of Boulder Pullout. At 9:45 a.m. Joellen B. found me a grizzly north of Boulder Pullout. At 11:00 a.m. while at Wrecker Pullout I saw the original four wolves and two additional gray wolves from the Junction Butte Pack. At 12:30 p.m. we had a grizzly in the Lion Meadow. At 1:40 p.m. 911M leaves the carcass near Rick's Pullout (scarface still in the area, but away from carcass). At 4:40 p.m. I spotted a grizzly in the Yellow Grass Meadow at Slough Creek.


Yellowstone Bison taken Spring 2012 ~ © Copyright Randal W. Horobik All Rights Reserved

Tuesday - 29 April


26 degrees this morning warming to 45 degrees. At 6:45 a.m. two black and five Junction Butte wolves chasing elk were viewed from the Hellroaring Overlook. At 7:15 a.m. scarface still on the carcass near Rick's Pullout. At 9:20 a.m. the early courting pair of grizzlies were low in Slough Creek. At 9:25 a.m. a really large grizzly disrupts the courting pair, running the courting boar off and following the sow. At 12:00 noon we watched an unidentified black wolf trying to get a bison calf from a small herd of bison. Unsuccessful, after an hour it moved over the hill. At 2:30 p.m. we had a grizzly digging south of the Institute. At 5:00 p.m. we had the wolves again and one additional gray with them tonight. They spend over an hour trying to get a bison calf from a small herd of bison cows.


Wednesday - 30 April


26 degrees this morning warming to 55 degrees. The park service put up the wolf closure signs by Footbridge and Hitching Post this morning. Closed to the north like usual, but closed between the pullouts down to the river only this year. At 6:20 a.m. I spotted a grizzly low in Hellroaring. At 6:30 a.m. I found another grizzly also low in Hellroaring, both moving to the west. At 7:30 a.m. we had a grizzly in Buffalo Ford viewed from Boulder Pullout. At 8:00 a.m. the early courting pair of grizzlies was back in Slough Creek. Also at 8:00 a.m. the same large boar grizzly following the courting pair, running off the courting boar and following the sow. At 8:30 a.m. we had a grizzly in the mixed aspen/conifer forest viewed from Aspen Pullout. At 2:10 p.m. I spotted a grizzly in K Meadow. K Meadow is still 90 percent snow covered but the grizzly was going from each bare patch to the next bare patch. At 4:30 p.m. scarface crossed the Slough Creek road between Bob's Knob and the lower pullout. At 5:00 p.m. we had a black bear just off the road at Geode Creek.


~ May 2014 ~


Thursday - 01 May


26 degrees warming to 65 degrees. The road down to Hellroaring Trail head opens this morning as well as the road to Petrified Tree. At 7:00 a.m. four gray and one black wolf of the Junction Butte wolves viewed from Boulder Pullout and then Slough Creek. At 7:15 a.m. we caught up with the wolves on a bison calf carcass in the Slough Creek bottoms joined by two grizzles (one with a white collar). We don't know who made the kill, I suspect the grizzlies. At 7:40 a.m. scarface is just south of Fisherman's Pullout. For the next four hours plus he proceeded to the east before going into the tree line south of Picnic Area. At 8:10 a.m. we had a grizzly north of Coyote Overlook. At 9:00 a.m. we had a second black wolf with this morning's group in Slough Creek.


Friday - 02 May


Yellowstone Antelope taken Spring 2012 ~ © Randal W. Horobik Copyright All Rights Reserved

31 degrees this morning warming to 69 degrees. We had a cow moose with two yearlings in Round Prairie this morning. A lot of heavy snow equipment heading for the Beartooth's, must be close to having the South Entrance clear. East gate also opens this morning. At 6:30 a.m. I spotted a grizzly near the Diagonal Forest viewed from Slough Creek. At 7:00 a.m. we had a colorful grizzly south of the Picnic Area. At 7:30 a.m. scarface was digging 300 yards off road north and east from Footbridge Pullout. At 9:30 a.m. I spotted a grizzly sow with one big two year old cub south of Straight-away in Little America. At 10:00 a.m. we had 890M, 907F, a black and a gray wolf south of Straight-away in Little America.


Saturday - 03 May


31 degrees warming to 72 degrees. I saw a rabbit on the way in this morning. We had two moose at Elk Creek this evening. Two vultures, a rare sighting in Yellowstone, in Crystal Creek area. The boiling river is closed because of high water. The Mammoth Campground filled today. At 7:30 a.m. I spotted a grizzly in the Lion Meadow. At 10:30 a.m. we had a small grizzly north of Midpoint in Lamar Valley. At 4:10 p.m. I spotted a black bear south of Specimen Pullout in Little America. At 5:30 p.m. we had a large chocolate grizzly at the Confluence. At 5:45 p.m. we watched a small colorful grizzly north of Picnic Area. At 7:50 p.m. my last sighting for the day was light gray wolf behind the Basalt Cliff in Hellroaring.


Sunday - 04 May


43 degrees this morning warming to 53 degrees. We had two moose in Round Prairie, the yearlings, I heard the cow was out of sight in the trees. At 7:15 a.m. I spotted a large grizzly south of Slough Creek viewed from Boulder Pullout. At 7:35 a.m. 925M caught a bison calf south of the Institute, in view until about 3:00 p.m. At 8:35 a.m. we had a grizzly south and west of Fisherman's Pullout. At 9:00 a.m. we watched a large grizzly north of Coyote Overlook. At 9:45 a.m. scarface was north and west of Soda Butte East Pullout. At 10:15 a.m. we had a small grizzly at the confluence in Lamar Valley. At 10:45 a.m. 755M bedded on Specimen Ridge viewed from Long Pullout. At 1:15 p.m. we had a grizzly south of Soda Butte East Pullout (not scarface, who reappeared north of the road later). At 4:00 p.m. My last sighting for the day and this report was a black bear at Phantom Lake.


Other News


All the rivers and creeks are muddy and high. Most clearings were greening up due to spring melt off. Lots of snow in Cooke City and the high country. Lots of bison calves everywhere now. More elk than the last few years. Lots of big horn sheep and antelope. Goats at Pebble Creek and higher. A red tailed hawk in the old owl nest at Lamar Canyon West.


People Seen


Wolf watchers: From Montana, Rick M, Doug M, Alan and Sue O, Peter M, Mike M, Dan and Laurie L, Amy, and Bob and Elizabeth. Calvin and Lynette from Kansas. Richard B. and Marlene from Utah, Anne W from Colorado, and Don from Colorado, Sian and Phil from the UK, Larry and Linda from Wyoming, Jim and Joellen from Iowa. Bear Watchers: Ralph N, the Sarah Wilson Family, Lance from Idaho, Doug M, Margaret L, Mike and Kathy W, Jack G, Tim R, and Jim and Twyla from Ohio. Others: MacNeil L, Linda T, Kevin S, Dale and Elva P, Nathan V, Dan, Cindy and Kelly H, Cliff B, Bob B, Ken T, Jim and Judy W, Jan (Bed and Buns), Nancy S. Special thanks for Ralph N and Ed A for use of laptop to put out this report.


Yellowstone Bighorn Ram ~ © Copyright All Rights Reserved Gerry Hogston Moose in Winter ~ © Copyright All Rights Reserved Gerry Hogston



Coyote mousing at Nature Trail ~ © Copyright All Rights Reserved Gerry Hogston Yellowstone Wolf and Buffalo ~ © Copyright All Rights Reserved Gerry Hogston
Yellowstone Wolves ~ © Copyright All Rights Reserved Gerry Hogston Yellowstone Sunset ~ © Copyright All Rights Reserved Gerry Hogston

Yellowstone Coyote taken Spring 2012 ~ © Copyright Randal W. Horobik All Rights Reserved



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