Today the emphases was to focus on wolf management and that is exactly what we did….however we did not see any wolves. The day started with the dark of morning (6:00 am). The trip to the infamous Lamar Valley was a quiet and dark one and we did get ready to see wolves but it didn’t happen. However , Yellowstone never disappoints it allows you to focus on other wildlife and to just take in the scenery. Wildlife of the day included the tracks of a badger and the attempt at digging several holes, a coyote jumping in midair head first into the snow to catch a rodent, a look at the herds and subherds of the mighty bison resulting in a contribution to citizen science , tracks of a wolf (could it be the Lamar Pack?), sighting of mountain sheep by the students, Dalton finding a mountain goat on a snowy white mountain (Baronette Peak) amazing, hiking to see the past kill of wolves and how it all connects to the ecosystem and finally seeing an acclimation pen where the reintroduction of wolves all started in 1995. The acclimation pen hike is one that has a gradual incline of 500-600 ft but with spectacular views of the Lamar Valley. I have to admit it took a little huffing and puffing (result of being a flatlander) but wouldn’t have missed it for anything. Ending the day with Nathan Varley, wolf tracker and his commitment to his work at Yellowstone National Park.
Finally ending the evening with pizza topped with elk and bison meat. Yes, Yellowstone does not disappoint.
The pictures taken from the acclimation pens where the wolves were reintroduced back into the Yellowstone ecosystem and the other picture is the view from the acclimation pen trail.
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It is wonderful to read everyone’s stories and relive the experience myself, it is still one of the best experiences I was able to have the pleasure partaking in. I wish you all beautiful hikes, good food, good sleeps & most of all, good wolf watching!
Angela, it is so good to hear from you. I hope everything is going well. Today was an exciting day we were in Lamar and everyone was scoping for the Junctions. The 11 of them had taken down a bison and were massively ripping it apart…of course all this sounds a bit bloody but to see a pack work together to fill their stomachs was exciting. I am sure by the end of the day they will all be meat drunk with swollen bellies and resting not to far away. Oh yes, the Ravens were moving in as close as they could get for a few morsels. It was a great day. Tomorrow we venture down to the geothermal parts of the park. We need to get caught up on everything. Thank you for being a part of one of the classes to Yellowstone. Oh yes, we saw Pika today…they are such cute little critters. Take care. Thanks for the wishes.
Dr. K
How does the cold affect the wolf activity in Yellowstone?
Rebecca, Thanks for blogging. The wolves are tough and love playing in the snow. When things get really tough they will find a warm place to bed down. Their fur is warm. Interestingly enough is that when they construct dens they usually face south to get the sunrays (not in all cases). Their feet are webbed like to better travel on snow. This becomes a problem for elk as they will break through the snow and can not move as fast as the wolf which can end in food for the wolves.
Are the acclimation pens pretty big? How many wolves would they put in a pen? I think it would be so cool to see the acclimation pens.
Miranda, Thanks for reading my posts. The picture with the group in the detention pen is for wolves that have to be separated from others in the acclimation pen. The total size of the pen is of fairly good size with some actual trees included. The pen originally started with three wolves when introduced. They were 07, 09, 10. 10 was brought in from another holding pen. Wolf 07 and 09 were females and of course they needed to have a male to complete the pack. Wolf 09 and 10 have a tragic and happy story. Wolf 09 gave birth to one of the most granddaddy of wolves Wolf 21 and alpha male of the Druids. Someday if you have time I can visit with you about their incredible story. Thanks for blogging.
Dr. K