Yellowstone National Park 2024 Trip Reports
Trip Report ~ Bear & Wolf Sightings ~ by Bill Hamblin
16 through 19 May 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
~ May 2024 ~
May 16th - Thursday
Thursday May 16th. 31 degrees in Silver Gate the morning warming up to 72 degrees out in the park. John G showed me a moose in a high clearing northwest of the den with a herd of elk. I also had a moose at Elk Creek today. And a cow moose with last year's calf sighted at Warm Creek this evening. I had a TAHREE DOG DAY (coyote, fox, and wolf) today. At 5:45 a.m. John G showed me a grizzly near the skyline northwest of the Slough Den which turned out to be a courting pair of grizzlies. Later they moved in front of the mixed conifer aspen forest for a better view. At 6:00 a.m. Susan called to say she had a grizzly family in view above the den. It turned out to be the grizzly sow with three two-year-old cubs. Great viewing and in view for a long time. At 6:30 a.m. Gary G had a black bear sow and two black yearling cubs on Prospect Peak from Slough Creek, a very long spot. At 6:50 a.m. Bruce P had a grizzly chasing a bison cow with her calf, when I arrived some of the bison herd came to the rescue and the grizzly was running from the bison. At 7:15 a.m. I found a black wolf in the old Druid rendezvous area. The Mollies wolf pack was in the valley this morning and the wolf watchers counted ten wolves this morning, after they killed a bison calf. At 7:30 a.m. we had a large black bear in the tree line on Amethyst Bench. At 7:40 a.m. Doug M (bear watcher) spotted the grizzly sow with one yearling on the # 3 finger on Norris. At 7:50 a.m. I found another black wolf of the Mollies viewed from Footbridge Pullout. At 8:05 a.m. Kevin M found a small colorful grizzly on the # 2 finger on Norris. At 8:10 a.m. Randi M found a black bear southwest of the Confluence in the aspens. At 8:25 a.m. Kevin M found a grizzly sow with three cubs of the year high behind #6 finger on Norris. Not in view a long time. I found them this evening for another fifteen-minute view. It was a great spot by Kevin and our first cubs of the year in the Northern Range. At 9:05 a.m. Josh A called with a grizzly in the Bowl. When I arrived, it was moving south crossing two snowbanks on its way to the ridge line and out of sight. A 9:20 a.m. I found a large grizzly on the skyline way south and east of the Institute. In view for a long time walking slowly on the skyline to the east. At 2:20 p.m. I stopped at Trashcan Pullout to look for the Mollies Wolf pack. I had for grays and one black in sight before they moved into the tree line to bed. At 4:00 p.m. we had a medium sized grizzly 100 yards from the Tower Ranger Station. This grizzly was digging but often laid down, this grizzly had been seen for the last day or two spending most of the day close to the road. At 6:30 p.m. Gary G called with a grizzly coming to the mixed conifer aspen forest in Slough Creek from the north. I went to Aspen Pullout to see if this was the boar and sow, courting pair, that we had seen in the morning. It was not and after I arrived it started to dig before I left. At 7:15 p.m. I found a large grizzly walking the skyline northwest of Coyote Overlook viewed from Lamar Canyon East Pullout. At 8:00 p.m. I found a black bear sow with one cinnamon yearling cub on K Meadow.
May 17th - Friday
Friday May 17th. 33 degrees in Silver Gate but a warmer 47 degrees in Lamar Valley warming up to a nice 63 degrees out in the park. At 6:00 a.m. John G made another great spot finding the grizzly sow with three two-year-old cubs on the skyline above the mixed conifer aspen forest. I don't even glass that high. At 6:15 a.m. John G and I hiked out to the rocks at Lamar Canyon east. I found a large grizzly within one minute of going over the top. I pulled a tick off me when I returned to the car, and took one off my stomach tonight, ticks are bad this year. At 7:00 a.m. Dean D found the two sub adult grizzlies in a clearing behind Bear Meadow. This was a very tough spot as the distance is over 2.5 miles and they were in sagebrush, plus the fact that these are really small grizzlies. At 7:20 a.m. we had two black bears in the tree line south of Picnic Pullout. At 7:50 a.m. we watched a large black bear with a little cinnamon color in the tree line southwest of Chalcedony. At 8:00 a.m. I found the grizzly sow with one large yearling on the #3 finger on Norris but disappeared than reappeared on the #4 finger on Norris. At 11:00 a.m. the 3 1/2-year-old female sub adult was seen on Junction Butte. At 11:10 a.m. a gray wolf was spotted in the Slough Creek den area. At 8:15 p.m. we had a large black bear in the tree line southwest of the Soda Butte Cone. At 8:20 p.m. we watched a colorful grizzly digging on the high clearing #3 finger on Norris.
May 18th - Saturday
28 degrees this morning in Silver Gate with wind all day warming up to 63 degrees out in the park. I had a THREE DOG DAY today. One black pup seen at the Slough den this morning. I had a moose just off the road at Soda Butte Picnic today. At 6:00 a.m. a large black bear walked 100 yards in front of us bear watchers at the Slough Creek restroom. At 6:40 a.m. Randi M found a grizzly digging in the Bowl. It was a small grizzly who left the area later because of the sub adults. I was at Footbridge Pullout, but Gabriel M found that grizzly to show me. At 7:00 a.m. a black bear in the old Druid rendezvous area. At 7:15 a.m. Michael S found a colorful grizzly on the # 3 finger on Norris. At 7:40 a.m. we had a large black bear southeast of the cone in the river corridor. At 8:30 a.m. Gary G found the two sub adult grizzlies in the Bowl. At 9:40 a.m. we spotted a large colorful grizzly found digging in the ravine to the east of the Slough den. In view most of the day and I saw him at 3:30 p.m. and was still in view at 8:00 p.m. tonight. At 12:00 noon I found the grizzly sow with one yearling back on the # 3 finger on Norris. At 3:00 p.m. I found a large grizzly on the east flank of Middle Ridge from Lamar Canyon West. A brief view as he was heading west on a large snowbank. At 3:20 p.m. we had a large black bear cross the road north to south near Long Pullout in Little America. At 7:10 p.m. 907F came up to the 890 tree in Slough Creek for my only wolf of the day. At 7:25 p.m. Gary G found a dark grizzly grazing in the large burnt out clearing to the east of yellow grass meadow. At 8:15 p.m. Kevin M showed Gary G and I the grizzly sow with three cubs of the year in a clearing on the #6 finger on Norris.
May 19th - Sunday
38 degrees this morning with light rain in Silver Gate warming up to around 50 degrees out in the park. Rain showers in the park this afternoon but snowing in Silver Gate but not sticking. I had a cow moose just off the road coming back to Silver Gate this evening. Then a cow and last years calf ran across the road in downtown Silver Gate. At 5:35 a.m. Frank H called as 907F the alpha female was seen going for a drink of water near the goal post tree. At 5:40 a.m. John G made a great spot near the skyline above the yellow grass meadow. It turned out to be the courting pair of grizzlies and later they came down into the yellow grass meadow for a closer view. At 6:05 a.m. Karol B found a colorful grizzly digging above the Slough den. At 6:10 a.m. Kim C found a grizzly running in the yellow grass meadow, this was before the courting pair arrived, and latter this smaller grizzly did a lot of digging. At 6:35 a.m. Gary G had a dark grizzly digging in the Southern Divide Ridge. At 6:45 a.m. Kim C found a grizzly digging in Secret Passage, basically north of Fisherman's Pullout. It was in view for a long time. At 6:50 a.m. I finally got the view the two sub adult grizzlies that Gary G had earlier in the Bowl. They were still there digging before going over the hill and out of sight. At 6:55 a.m. Jeri D found two black bears in the tree line on Amethyst Bench. At 7:10 a.m. a dark grizzly was seen moving south on the # 2 finger on Norris. At 7:15 a.m. Joyce C spotted a grizzly on the # 3 finger on Norris, soon after the yearling came into view (it was the grizzly sow with one yearling). At 9:00 a.m. Kim C found a large grizzly from Long Pullout that was north of Fisherman's Pullout in Lamar Valley. At 10:00 a.m. I found two gray wolves on the skyline south of Straight-away Pullout, others had a black and a gray wolf in the area before this. At 12:45 p.m. I found a black bear sow nursing cubs near # 9's old den to the south of Little America. I had to wait until they finished to determine it was a black bear sow with two black yearling cubs. At 1:25 p.m. the medium grizzly was again digging 100 yards from the Tower Ranger Station. At 5:50 p.m. I found a grizzly northeast of the Institute hunting elk calves, going back and forth with nose to the ground. At 7:30 p.m. Gary G had a grizzly messing with bison north of Picnic Pullout. It looked like the grizzly was not doing any good and was heading up hill when I left.
People Seen
Wolf Watchers: From Montana: Rick M, Doug M, Josh A, Joe K, Kriztina and Cory G, and Leo L. From Missouri: Frank H. From Vermont: Don P. From Pennsylvania: Jack. From Colorado: Mark and Carol R and Roch, Karol B, Tom and Lisa K, and Bob P. From Michigan: Susan and Dan W. From South Dakoka: Sam and Ginny G. From Utah Charlie M. From New York: Rick and Maureen B. From California: Joe M. And From Texas: Carl L, and Carol S. Bear Watchers seen this report: From Montana: Doug and JoAnn M, Linda K, Jack G, Mike and Kathy W, and Sarah W and Aunt and Mom. From Washington: Randi M and John G. From Utah: Dean and Jeri D, Scott and JoAnn M, Larry M, Chris B, and Hayden and Doug G. From Mississippi: Gary G. From Tennessee: Mike and Donna F. From Wyoming: Rita R and Kevin M. From South Carolina: Margaret P and friend Marci. From Idaho: Kim and Joyce C, Blake M, and Blake and eagle eye Stacie R. From Iowa: the four grizzly watchers. From Arizona: Gene. From Colorado: Tanner H and girlfriend Joey, and Tom and Lisa K. From Oklahoma: Paul S. From Virginia: Big John B, and Gabriel M. From Louisiana: Bruce P. From Missouri: Fred and Linda, and Don and Carol L. From California: Daniel G. And from the Midwest: Bob A and Steve S. Others seen this report: From Montana: Quinn H, Michael S, Mike S, Kate J and Scott B. From Florida: Mark L. From Vermont: John K. From Washington: Aaron M. From Wyoming: Ross G. From Idaho: Scott B. From the Netherlands: Jort V. And From Colorado: Jim F.
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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