Traveling with the Lamar Canyons
Yesterday was a cougar day, today a wolf day. Updates on both days.
Sorry to report that there was no Big T with the Lamars.
No cougar today! We were all gathered in great anticipation but she was a no show. I lucked out and quickly learned that our kitty was seen passing by a nearby trail cam at 5 this morning, heading east. According to Dan Stahler, he felt like the kitty cat was a three year old sub-adult female.
We were so fortunate yesterday to watch that cougar for the better part of more than six hours and it was fascinating to see the difference in her behavior, as compared to the wolves. Cats move slow, methodical, easy going. She chased coyotes off just like the wolves do but one thing that was really cool was the way she watched all of the birds. She went up and down the hill, towards the carcass and away, many times. A couple of times she found little hiding places where we could barely see her, or could just see the black tip of her very long tail. Her tail moves like a snake!
The opportunity to just glimpse a cougar in Yellowstone is rare but yesterday, hundreds of people got to come out and see this one. Many of the folks in Mammoth came streaming out to take a look. Time after time I heard people saying that they had been in Gardiner for 20, 30 years and this was their first cat. I have been lucky enough to see cougars three other times in Yellowstone, very fleeting, and once in North Cascades where I was stalked by one in the night near my trailer. This was the first time to have time for photos, though she was very, very far away. I took them anyway, for the memories. Have a few video clips that are fun – not close but interesting to watch her move.
I will never forget my day with the cougar. And, I so appreciated how nice everyone was to Bernie and Barb, letting them look through scopes and even take pictures. People were happy and smiling!
Now, onto a memorable day with the wolves.
We got word that the Lamar Canyons were heading east, from the far west and so everyone was looking. They were flat out moving because the crew thought they were still far to the west when the plane found them several miles east. They were way out and I nearly did not stay out but I really wanted to see the pack and so stayed.
The plane let Rick know that they had seen 5 wolves and so we weren’t expecting any surprises. It was just a matter of laying eyes on them ourselves.
I got extremely lucky when my scope landed on a huge group of bull elk, about 50 of them, moving quickly east. I let Kathie know and we kept watching. Suddenly, the elk whirled around and headed west a short ways, on the run, where they bunched up and watched something to the east. Experience of watching wildlife interaction has taught me the behaviors of elk when wolves are nearby and while I often see that going on, very seldom can find the wolves. Well, today I lucked upon the elk and then worked real hard, reading the elk, to find the wolves. They were moving rapidly, through trees when I finally glimpsed one, then two, then three and finally all five. I shouted, “WOLVES, I got the wolves.” My excitement was equal to that of a young kid at Christmas. It was a great find for me. Don’t mean to brag at all, it is just that I have worked so hard to hone my observation skills and today was one of those when all of the elements finally came together.
After spotting them, we had a hard time keeping up with the wolves because they were traveling so fast and going through trees most of the time. But, we managed, until they stopped for a few minutes at an old carcass. We were watching from Cottonwood Hill, a steep grade we have to hike up to. So, I went to Lower Hell Roaring where watching them would have been much easier.
Well, exit the Lamar Canyons for awhile, enter the Prospect Peak pack. Kirsty spotted the Prospects and so we all began watching them. Ahead of the wolves was a number of deer and as they moved along I noticed that they were fanning out and trying to circle behind the deer for a hunt. When they began chasing the deer, about 30 or so mule deer just exploded from the area. I had known there were several there but not that many. Wolves and deer went everywhere. I did not notice the black wolf that continued after one deer and got it down. It seemed as though the wolves had failed with the deer easily out running them. But, one did not get away. The wolves disappeared and so we went up to Hell Roaring where we could see them on their carcass. It was all so fast – the hunt, kill and eating.
In no time at all two grays and a black were chasing something that we could not see and the rest of the pack followed. Then they stopped to rest. And then they began chasing something again. It was a gray pup that we think has been missing from the Junctions! Mama Prospect is much nicer than Mama Junction because she let the Junction pup go – or they all did. I don’t think that the pup was ever in any real danger from them and the wolves turned and went uphill, away from the youngster. The pup laid there watching them for awhile and then got up and began heading east.
At this time we had all three northern range wolf packs within 2 miles of each other. The Junctions were bedded out of sight, the Lamars were probably below them and the Prospects below them. Pretty amazing when you think about it all.
The crew eventually found Lamars again, traveling east. They were going home and had well surpassed the other two packs and were in the clear. Time for me to go home and get some rest after a couple of very exciting days in the park. No photo ops at all but this was premium watching time. And, the first time in a long while I have watched the Prospects. 763 was not with them today.
Hope you enjoyed today’s story.
Deby
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