YELLOWSTONE'S WILD WORLD

Happy New Year everyone!

I just returned from spending 4 nights at the Buffalo Ranch in Lamar Valley and what a wonderful time it was.  We watched wildlife, hiked to the top of Junction Butte, listened to wonderful speakers, ate good food and had a great time on New Year’s Eve.

“Last night the moon was 3/4 full and big and bright, illuminating the white mountain tops as if it were daylight.  The stars twinkled amongst a few clouds.  The night was bone chilling and after a few busy days of the class, a New Years dinner and party, and driving my broken car to Bozeman for repairs, I lacked the energy to participate in the night.  And, so, after staring at the views, making sure they would never leave my memory, I went inside and crawled into my sleeping bag, beneath my down quilt and fell fast asleep.” [about New Year’s Eve, as written in my journal]

The park is full of visitors, mainly wolf watchers – I have not seen a crowd like this one in a good long time so the word of wolf sightings is definitely hitting the airwaves and filling the parking spaces in haphazardly ways.  The roads are icy and the cold is beyond cold at minus 35.  The air crackles under bright sunshine and heavy breaths.

The Lamar Canyons had a carcass right across from the Buffalo Ranch, which was quite convenient, except that it was a ways out, behind trees and some times covered in heavy fog.  The wolves got a good meal, which they were able to enjoy in relative peace.

The Prospect Peaks have been active in the Slough Creek area and we have seen them quite often.  Amazing how visible they are now, after being mostly invisible for so long.  They have made themselves right at home.

The Canyons are on the Blacktail and have apparently recovered their grey daughter – the yearling from last year and one of the only wolves in the park to be suffering from mange.

Moose are spread out from Baronette to Geode with the greatest concentration at Round Prairie.  Not sure what the count is this year.

The otters are still hanging around in Lamar Valley, mostly around the Picnic area.

Two otters – possibly the same two that were at Trout Lake, briefly, this year.

My bison bull died, finally.  His body rests not far from the road and while it is sad to see him dead, I am glad that his suffering has ended.

The bison bull in Blacktail has been partially consumed but the rest of him is beneath the ice and so it might be there until spring.  The Canyons were seen on the carcass today – so sorry I missed that one!

And, we have mystery wolves on the Blacktail.  One black had a collar but Rick tried all of the signals and could not figure out which wolf it was.  Possibly 890 with his malfunctioning collar, but the others made no sense with him.  Only time will tell – perhaps he will take over as alpha of the 8 Mile – if it was even him.

Nice update on the Lamar Canyons on the Facebook page, Wolf World – Yellowstone.  Check it out.

Here are a couple of scenics for you to enjoy.

And the brutality of winter on the wildlife:

Hoping for a wonderful New Year for all of you!