Yellowstone National Park 2014 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
05 thru 14 May 2014
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~ May 2014 ~
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Monday - 05 May
38 degrees this morning. I had a vulture in Crystal Drainage this morning. The red tailed hawk is in the nest near the Specimen Ridge Trail head - west near Yellowstone Picnic Area. At 6:20 a.m. I spotted a dark grizzly digging in the Lion Meadow viewed from Slough Creek. At 6:45 a.m. we had the 889F wolf was north of Hubbard Hill. At 7:25 a.m. Scarface was digging north and west of Pebble Creek Campground. I left, but Scarface moved into the campground and went under one of the picnic tables for a little nap. At 8:30 a.m. a gray yearling female of the Junction Butte wolf pack was in the Slough Creek Bottoms. At 10:30 a.m. we had wolf 925M on a still born bison calf north of Coyote Overlook. At 4:45 p.m. we watched a black bear at the Petrified Tree. At 5:30 p.m. my last sighting of the day was a black bear near the Tornado Drainage from Hellroaring Overlook.
Tuesday - 06 May
It warmed up to 61 degrees today. We had five moose in Round Prairie this morning (the cow and two yearlings, and two others). Two moose at Floating Island Pond this evening. At 6:20 a.m. I found a grizzly on the bench south of the Institute. At 6:30 a.m. I spotted a grizzly in Secret Passage, north and west of Fisherman's Pullout. At 8:30 a.m. we had a grizzly sow with two yearlings (one really blond) south of Long Pullout in Little America. At 9:30 a.m. we watched a grizzly near the green reflector tower way north of Boulder Pullout. At 10:30 a.m. I spotted a dark grizzly north of Soda Butte East Pullout. At 12:00 noon we had a grizzly north of the curve pullout east of Footbridge Pullout. At 4:45 p.m. my first big horn sheep lamb of the year in the Gardiner Canyon near the North Entrance.
Wednesday - 07 May
32 degrees and snowing this morning, warming up to 37 degrees. At 6:30 a.m. we had a large grizzly in the Slough Creek Bottoms. At 7:30 a.m. I found a small grizzly in the mixed conifer/aspen forest. At 9:30 a.m. we had a grizzly south of the Soda Butte Cone. At 9:45 a.m. we watched a large brown grizzly north of the Confluence and later north of Trashcan Pullout. At 10:30 a.m. Ed A. found a grizzly following a small herd of bison north of Boulder Pullout. At 11:30 a.m. after hearing howling, I found a gray wolf in Buffalo Ford. At 2:15 p.m. I spotted a large grizzly south of Fisherman's Pullout. At 2:25 p.m. we watched another large grizzly south and west of Fisherman's Pullout (the two grizzlies met and passed by each other without incident). At 2:50 p.m. we had a grizzly south and east of Footbridge Pullout. At 3:15 p.m. I spotted a small grizzly on #2 finger of Norris. At 4:00 p.m. we watched a colorful grizzly eating grass low in the bowl north and east of Slough Creek.
Thursday - 08 May
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23 degrees this morning warming up to 55 degrees. We had six moose in Round Prairie this morning. There was a beaver in the pond below Bob's Knob at Slough Creek. We also had geese with goslings in the Gardiner River near the North Entrance. At 7:05 a.m. I found a large brown grizzly south of YES pullout this morning (been called the chocolate grizzly). At 8:00 a.m. we had a grizzly north and east of Bob's Knob in Slough Creek. At 9:30 a.m. we watched a grizzly low in the #1 finger of Norris. At 10:45 a.m. we had a grizzly sow with two yearling (one really blond) south of Dorothy's in the river corridor. At 12:00 noon a grizzly bedded in front of the mixed conifer/aspen forest viewed from Slough Creek. At 3:55 p.m. we had a grizzly south of Soda Butte Cone just above the river corridor. At 4:30 p.m. the 7:05 a.m. grizzly was 75 yards off the road north of YES Pullout. At 5:10 a.m. my last spot was a black bear in Elk Creek.
Friday - 09 May
37 degrees warming up to 42 degrees and raining. We had three moose in Round Prairie, peregrine falcon on the nest just south of Calcite, eared grebes in Floating Island Pond, road to Tower Store opens this morning, and the south entrance to the park opened today. We had the chocolate grizzly south of the Institute. At 7:45 a.m. I spotted a nice grizzly south of Hubbard Hill. At 8:45 a.m. the grizzly sow with two yearlings (one blond) was south of Curve Pullout in Little America. At 9:15 a.m. Scarface bedded just above the river viewed from Aspen Pullout. At 10:15 a.m. we had a cinnamon black bear near #9's old den. At 3:30 p.m. I found a grizzly sow with two Cubs of the Year (COY'S) high on Specimen Ridge viewed from Peregrine Pullout in Little America. At 5:15 p.m. we watched a large grizzly running on the skyline above the sow with 2 COY'S. It soon moved to the east and started feeding near the skyline. At 6:30 p.m. my last sighting was a large grizzly north of Aspen Pullout (as Scarface watched it go by from across the river in some sagebrush).
Saturday - 10 May
33 degrees this morning warming up to 40 degrees. We had a badger running around in Little America today. At 6:00 a.m. I found a grizzly low in Slough Creek (by 8:00 a.m. it had moved to the mixed conifer/aspen forest). At 6:30 a.m. I spotted a grizzly on the bench south of the Institute. At 7:45 a.m. we watched a grizzly in Crystal Drainage. At 8:30 a.m. we had a black bear in Crystal Drainage. At 9:15 a.m. I spotted a light brown grizzly north of Coyote Overlook. At 9:30 a.m. wolf 926F of the Lamar Canyon's was just north of 21's old crossing. At 9:45 a.m. I found a fox high in Penny Lane, making my day a THREE DOG DAY. At 12:00 noon a small grizzly finds a bison calf carcass on Specimen Ridge viewed from Long Pullout. At 12:45 p.m. I found a grizzly sow with two yearling cubs (one blond) south and west of the Institute. At 12:50 p.m. we had a grizzly in the river corridor south of Dorothy's Pullout. At 4:00 p.m. we watched a grizzly sow with two COY'S much lower on Specimen Ridge viewed from Peregrine Pullout. At 4:30 p.m. my last sighting was a cinnamon black bear south of Peregrine Pullout.
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Sunday - 11 May
26 degrees this morning. We had a beaver in the pond below Bob's Knob at Slough Creek. We had a harlequin duck in the Soda Butte Creek just east of the Soda Butte Picnic area. We had two moose at the confluence, and two moose bedded at Elk Creek. At 6:15 a.m. I spotted a grizzly in the Slough Creek Bottoms. At 7:15 a.m. we watched a grizzly sow with two yearlings (one blond) south and east of Coyote Overlook. At 7:30 a.m. we had a grizzly close to the road north and west of Coyote Overlook. At 10:00 a.m. we watched a grizzly back on the bison carcass on Specimen Ridge viewed from Long Pullout. At 11:45 a.m. we had a grizzly digging south of Fisherman's Pullout. At 11:45 a.m. Scarface walks west to east pass the digging grizzly. At 6:00 p.m. we had a second grizzly (not Scarface) south of the Institute. At 7:50 p.m. we watched a black bear at Phantom Lake.
Monday - 12 May
I went south this morning. I saw four blue herons in nests from Cascade Picnic Area. I also saw two swans swimming in the Yellowstone River. 23 degrees this morning warming to 42 degrees. At 6:30 a.m. I spotted a large grizzly bedded west of the pullout south of LaHardy Rapids. At 6:45 a.m. I found a large grizzly on a winter kill bison in the Yellowstone River. At 7:00 a.m. a third grizzly appeared and ran off the bedded grizzly. The grizzly actually ran down the road towards my pullout until the third grizzly moved into the trees. LaHardy Rapids has been good for the last couple of weeks, as several bison carcasses have been found in the Yellowstone River. At 9:00 a.m. I had a grizzly south of Mud Volcano. At 9:10 a.m. a grizzly 50 yards off the road at Mud Volcano eating grass. At 12:15 p.m. I watched a black bear sow with three COY'S at Rainy Lake. At 1:00 p.m. I spotted a grizzly high north of Dorothy's viewed from Coyote Overlook. At 1:10 p.m. the grizzly sow with two yearlings (one blond) was in the Square Meadow (the diamond) from of the Institute. At 1:30 p.m. I found a large grizzly in the cottonwoods south and east of the Institute. At 5:10 p.m. we watched a grizzly sow with one COY on the south side of Junction Butte (this sow looks lighter and different from the sow with two coy's seen a couple of days ago - but she did cross the road earlier from the south).
Tuesday - 13 May
23 degrees this morning warming up to 54 degrees. We had two moose near the Petrified Tree this morning. At 6:00 a.m. I spotted a small grizzly in the mixed aspen/conifer forest in Slough Creek. At 6:05 a.m. wolf 890M of the Junction Butte was on an old carcass in the aspens in front of the mixed aspen/conifer forest. The small grizzly did come over to the old carcass, ran the wolf off, but decided not much left of the carcass, so it fed off to the north. At 6:35 a.m. we had a grizzly north of Fisherman's Pullout. At 6:50 a.m. we found a grizzly north and east of Footbridge Pullout. At 7:10 a.m. I spotted a grizzly in the cottonwoods south of YES Pullout. At 7:45 a.m. I found a cinnamon black bear in the tree line south of Midpoint Pullout. At 9:00 a.m. I spotted a grizzly south of west of Peregrine, the small grizzly still eating on the bison calf from yesterday. At 9:15 a.m. we had a cinnamon black bear south of Peregrine Pullout. At 9:30 a.m. I spotted a grizzly far to the north across the Lamar River from Peregrine Pullout. At 10: 15 a.m. I found a large black bear near Roosevelt Junction. At 10:20 a.m. we had a nice sized cinnamon black bear west of Rainy Lake. At 10:30 a.m. the grizzly sow with one COY on Junction Butte viewed from Calcite Overlook. At 11:10 a.m. we watched a grizzly with one large yearling cub high south of Peregrine Pullout. At 2:35 p.m. we had a grizzly sow with two yearlings (one blond) south and east of the Institute. At 3:40 p.m. I spotted a lone grizzly far north of Long Pullout. At 3:45 p.m. we had a courting pair of grizzlies in the same clearing far north almost to the snow line. We think these three grizzlies where the ones hanging out in Slough Creek a week or week and a half ago. At 4:30 p.m. I found a lone grizzly high south and east of Boulder Pullout. At 4:40 p.m. we had a grizzly high above Coyote Overlook viewed from Boulder Pullout. At 4:45 p.m. we found another grizzly high above Coyote Overlook viewed from Boulder Pullout. About this time the grizzly with one large yearling reappeared high south of Boulder Pullout. At 5:40 p.m. we had a grizzly low south of east of Boulder Pullout. At 6:00 p.m. my last sighting for the day was a large black bear near the Tower Ranger Station.
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Wednesday - 14 May
25 degrees this morning warming to a nice 58 degrees. The peregrine nest just south of Calcite has three large eggs in the nest. All the osprey nests I know about in the Tower/Calcite area have nothing in them this year, must be because of all the noise from the road construction last year. At 6:00 a.m. I spotted a grizzly low in Slough Creek just west of the Lion Meadow. At 6:15 a.m. I found a grizzly low on Specimen Ridge. At 6:15 a.m. we had the courting pair of grizzlies high up in the large drainage north of Slough Creek that has aspens in it. At 6:30 a.m. we watched a grizzly south in a small clearing near Specimen Ridge. At 6:45 a.m. I found a grizzly low in the Slough Creek bottoms (we had watched a lot of nervous elk for about an hour, then it appeared in front of us at .25 mile). At 7:30 a.m. i found a grizzly on the bench south of the Institute. At 7:40 a.m. we had a grizzly south and west of the confluence. At 8:30 a.m. the grizzly sow with two yearlings were south and east of the Institute. At 8:35 a.m. I spotted a cinnamon black bear in the tree line south of the Institute. At 9:00 a.m. wolf 911M and a black wolf were on Jasper Bench and later on the Divide Ridge viewed from Slough Creek (note: 911M has rejoined the Junction Butte pack). At 9:45 a.m. I found a grizzly sow with one large yearling on the Divide Ridge south of Slough Creek. At 10:30 a.m. we had a cinnamon Black Bear south of Peregrine Pullout. At 12:30 p.m. wolf 890M the black alpha male of the Junction Butte pack on an old carcass in the Slough Creek bottoms (two grays were bedded, but I did not see them). At 1:30 p.m. the black bear sow with three COY'S just was north and east of Rainy Lake. At 3:30 p.m. we watched the grizzly sow with one COY on Junction Butte viewed from Elk Creek. At 3:45 p.m. my last sighting for this report was a black bear north and east of Elk Creek.
People Seen
Wolf Watchers: Rick M, Doug M, Dan and Laurie L, Peter M, Bob and Elizabeth, Iona P, Anne W from Colorado, Jim and Joellen from Iowa, Don from Vermont, Ellie from Germany, Marlene from Utah, Pam and Denny from Utah, and Kim and Joyce from Idaho. Bear Watchers: Ed A from Colorado, John and Randi from Washington, Jim and Twyla from Ohio, Doug M from Montana, Dean and Jeri from Utah, Alan J from Idaho, Luke and Mayleea from Utah. Others: Ray and Darlene from PA, Jeff and Terri from Indiana, Bob B from Utah, Kevin S from Montana, MacNeil L from Montana, Alan and Sue O from Montana, Jim and Judy W from Montana, Dale and Elva P from Oregon, Chuck and Lee from Montana, Paul from OK, George B from Montana, Bruce and Kelly from Oregon.
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