The Running of the Bulls It is not Pamplona, Spain but the bulls (and cows and calves) do run in Yellowstone. On a number of occasions we have seen large numbers of Bison run and, no, there is nothing chasing them. In this video, a large herd of maybe 500-700 Bison run from a high meadow down and through the Lamar Valley after crossing the Lamar River whose swift current can carry a little calf away. The last time we witnessed this event, the Bison were coming over a hill along side a little lake, then up another hill and down the other side. They could not see where the other Bison before...

Please click below the "read more" to see the full post and video. In the last post we saw female wolf 907 (they get numbers from their collars) and two pack members attempt to get an Elk calf for the Junction Butte Pack puppies. After their failure, they did not skulk away in defeat. Instead, it was time for play. Rick McIntyre, author of the new book "The Rise of Wolf 8," notes that he has observed over 10 different games wolves play. They play hide and seek, chase me, and a role-reversal where the dominant wolf plays like he or she is the victim while the underling gets to play the dominant...

Note: Please click "read more" for the whole article and video. Having a bundle of puppies is a lot of work for the pack. We find wolves so interesting because they have social structures very like mankind. The alpha pack leaders rule the pack and the big boss is the alpha female. The alpha male is the chief warrior but the alpha female makes all the decisions. The females make relationships with the males to get them to bring her and the pups food. The mother cannot leave the pups in the den because the little ones can not regulate their temperature. She must be there to keep them warm....

Note: Be sure to click on read more at the end to see pictures and videos Colter Campground opens to a new season. Dealing with COVID-19 will present some challenges this year but we are dedicated to a safe and enjoyable season for all our visitors. We think it is very important that folks have the opportunity to escape the pressures of COVID and enjoy the fresh air and mountains. Our primary interest in selecting and applying to host with the US Forest Service was the proximity to the Lamar Valley which has some of the best wolf watching in the world. Folks arrive at day break each morning...

It goes so fast. Barb and I both love the Bison, the little "Red Dogs" that now are turning into mini-Bison with the brown color instead of Red. I will remember "Legend" the 1 year pup that the guides think will become a legend because of his independent willingness to put his "paws" in the fan sometimes. The bears both black and grizzly and their cubs. and the landscape. High up in the Beartooth Mountains of Montana and Wyoming. Sunset in the Lamar Valley We hope all our critter friends will survive the harsh winter.

I got an image of an unusual fox the other day. Unlike the other foxes in this area I have gotten pictures of, which are basic red with black feet and ears and have short hair, this fox had long grey hair and a silvery face with a little red on his legs. I did some research and found an article about Patrick Cross of the US Forest Service who is studying these foxes he has found in the Beartooth Mountains. They are not related by DNA to the common red fox in Yellowstone National Park. He believes these are remnants of an Asia fox that travel here during an ice age. Either way they are beautiful.

Am I getting old? Did you ever search for Waldo? English illustrator Martin Handford created two page puzzle illustrations containing many people doing many things and you were challenged to find Wally. Finding wildlife is often like that. A complex landscape with a grey wolf somewhere. So give it a try. Can you find waldo? (not her real name) || || || \/ There she is....

‌Spring came late to Yellowstone & the Beartooths this year with snow storms occurring into June. Then snow changed to rain. Since we arrived in late June we've had more rain than last summer. Nonetheless, the mornings are more often than not cloudless. Clouds build up in the afternoon, often followed by a brief thunderstorm and, sometimes, rain lasting into the evening as successive storm clouds blow through. The extra rain has kept the risk of forest fires low and brought a provusion of wildflowers and green grasses into mid-August. By the end of July last year, most of the wildflowers...

August is the RUT for Bison Bison Bison. The females have a very short window in which they can conceive. So the Bulls have an organ in the roof of their mouth that can "smell" the pheromones that the females emit and can tell the Bulls when the females are ready. The Bulls pick a female and "guard" her checking her constantly. During this time he will not let her near any other Bison, even her calf. If another Bull gets too close they will have "words". Most of the time a little bluff and bluster settles the issue but with two large stubborn Bulls they can get into combat. This rarely happens...

The term "Wolfers" was originally applied to those who would kill wolves at any opportunity. There are plenty of people with an irrational hatred of wolves. In the Park the folks that come here to watch wolves have taken the term "wolfer" and used it for people who love wolves and go to great effort to see them. The wolfers in the park just want to see wolves and if the subjects are two miles away that is ok. Wildlife photographers, on the other hand, are not so enthused about seeing wolves two miles away. With a typical 600mm lens and a 2x teleconverter, yielding 1200mm you might get a usable...