Yellowstone Wildlife

wiked03 wrote in post #8446574
I was in yellowstone years ago and we saw nothing but bison the whole time.

Yeah, it used to be like that . . . Bison and Elk, with perhaps a slim chance at a Black Bear. I remember back in '95 being there an entire week and only seeing one bear - a Black Bear. Same in '97 - whole week, only one bear. We'd hear so many people complaining that all they wanted to see was a bear, and that they hadn't seen one the whole week they were there.

Not like that anymore! In my experience, bears are now much more commonly seen, with the Grizzlies being seen just as frequently as the blacks. Coyotes are more often seen (at least the habituated ones that let you get close). Bighorn Sheep also seem to be more regularly seen at close range. And now we have the wolves, too.

The only thing that seems to be harder to see are elk. The huge trophy class bulls that used to live along the roadsides back in the 90's just aren't seen anymore. Sure, if you drive around enough you can see some mature 6x6 bulls, but they're nothing like the enormous 400" trophy bulls that used to hang around and let you get close.

Overall, the park is simply a better place to see wildlife than it was 10 or 20 years ago.

Did you get that coyote on the drive out to West Yellowstone? I have a similar, (not anywhere near as near, or good), back in July in that area. Just across river from road.
Great shots!

love the bear pictures!

BillwYellowstone wrote in post #8538384
Did you get that coyote on the drive out to West Yellowstone? I have a similar, (not anywhere near as near, or good), back in July in that area. Just across river from road.
Great shots!

It was right at the intersection of the West Entrance Rd and the Grand Loop Road On July 3rd. Wouldn't it be funny if it was the same one (on the same day even!)?

John

Tom Reichner wrote in post #8455372
Yeah, it used to be like that . . . Bison and Elk, with perhaps a slim chance at a Black Bear. I remember back in '95 being there an entire week and only seeing one bear - a Black Bear. Same in '97 - whole week, only one bear. We'd hear so many people complaining that all they wanted to see was a bear, and that they hadn't seen one the whole week they were there

I think the main problem is most people visit in Mid-July through August. This has to be the worst time to see wildlife.

When we were in the park during the month of June, it was hard to drive anywhere and not see wildlife around every corner.

By mid-July when the temperatures were getting warm, we could drive the park for days straight and only see a few lone bison.

Starting last week, it was like someone opened up a gate and let the animals back out.

It also frosted up a few days last week and the temperatures have been getting pretty cold during the nights which brings the animals back down out of the elevations.

I'd recommend if you're visiting the park for wildlife photos, plan you visit as early or as late as possible. This gives you the best opportunity to get outstanding shots like Palmor did.

I mean these are all Magazine quality shots but ones you wouldnt have been able to get during the main visiting season when 90% of the tourists come to see the animals???

Tom Reichner wrote in post #8455372
Yeah, it used to be like that . . . Bison and Elk, with perhaps a slim chance at a Black Bear. I remember back in '95 being there an entire week and only seeing one bear - a Black Bear. Same in '97 - whole week, only one bear. We'd hear so many people complaining that all they wanted to see was a bear, and that they hadn't seen one the whole week they were there.

Not like that anymore! In my experience, bears are now much more commonly seen, with the Grizzlies being seen just as frequently as the blacks. Coyotes are more often seen (at least the habituated ones that let you get close). Bighorn Sheep also seem to be more regularly seen at close range. And now we have the wolves, too.

In 1968, Yellowstone decided to close down the garbage dumps where grizzly and black bears were allowed to feed. Against the advice of grizzly research pioneers the Craigheads, the Park Service closed the dumps immediately rather than tapering off. The dumps were closed in part as a fast reaction to the famous Glacier NP grizzly deaths of 1967(which were also bears that ate garbage). There were liability concerns.

By 1975, there were around 150 grizzly bears in Yellowstone. Closing the dumps essentially cut off a source of food and the population crashed. At this point, the feds intervened and placed the grizzly bear as threatened under the very new endangered species act. This protection essentially allowed the bears to recover over the next 35 years. How did they recover? Well ,the designation banned ranchers from shooting them on sight. It made timber and oil companies have to jump through several hurdles on bordering national forest land. Grazing allotments were phased out around the park to give the bears room to roam. This essentially alowed the bears to not only repopulate Yellowstone park, but the very rich grizzly habitat which surrounds the park in national forest land (the Shoshone, Gallatin, Bridger-Teton). A 6 month jail sentence and 25,000 fine for killing a grizz didn't hurt either.

That is why you see more now than you did twenty years ago. Currently there are around 500-700 grizzly bears in the Yellowstone ecosystem, which is a far cry from 150 or so in 1975. If it wasn't for the Endangered Species Act we wouldn't be talking about Yellowstone grizzlies today. Fortunately the population crash of the 70's did not harm genetic diversity too badly.

palmor wrote in post #8394872

I've seen that grizz. He loves Dunraven. Nice job.

palmor wrote in post #8541594
It was right at the intersection of the West Entrance Rd and the Grand Loop Road On July 3rd. Wouldn't it be funny if it was the same one (on the same day even!)?


John

Mine was July 9th, just west of where you got him. I would post the picture but it wasn't from a Canon. Same color coyote. Likely same one.

BillwYellowstone wrote in post #8543460
Mine was July 9th, just west of where you got him. I would post the picture but it wasn't from a Canon. Same color coyote. Likely same one.

Post away! I doesn't matter if it wasn't shot from a Canon. I have an entire thread of "Yellowstone Weather" that was shot with my Pentax: https://photography-on-the.net/forum/showthre​ad.php?t=733191.

scrawford wrote in post #8540328
love the bear pictures!

Thanks!

EveryMilesAMemory wrote in post #8541965
I think the main problem is most people visit in Mid-July through August. This has to be the worst time to see wildlife.

When we were in the park during the month of June, it was hard to drive anywhere and not see wildlife around every corner.

By mid-July when the temperatures were getting warm, we could drive the park for days straight and only see a few lone bison.

Starting last week, it was like someone opened up a gate and let the animals back out.

It also frosted up a few days last week and the temperatures have been getting pretty cold during the nights which brings the animals back down out of the elevations.

I'd recommend if you're visiting the park for wildlife photos, plan you visit as early or as late as possible. This gives you the best opportunity to get outstanding shots like Palmor did.

I mean these are all Magazine quality shots but ones you wouldnt have been able to get during the main visiting season when 90% of the tourists come to see the animals???

Thanks! I think part of our luck was that I guess it was a cold July.. night temps getting down into the 30s. We also would wake up at sunset and stay out past sun down. Another thing is that we always talked to people and asked what they had been seeing (visitors, workers, rangers ect).

Mike55 wrote in post #8542771
I've seen that grizz. He loves Dunraven. Nice job.

Thanks Mike, and also nice history lesson there with regards to the bears. That was something I didn't know!

Wow, I also live the shot of the grizzly on the hill. It seems to get the real stellar shots you gotta have a 400mm lens. I was shooting with a 200 and didn't stand a chance to get the shots you've gotten here. Awesome stuff.

Post away! I doesn't matter if it wasn't shot from a Canon.

Thought it was outside the rules. I'll get it and move it in. If nothing else it will further our resolve to get good equipment.

Stunning captures!

i was there for one day and did not see any grizzlies, i am very jealous.

One day. we have a saying in the visitor center when asked what a visitor should do with one day. Point out a bench, tell him to sit there and cry, because he only has one day.