Tips and Tracks to Great Wildlife Sightings
When planning a trip to Yellowstone, the one thing that is hard to schedule is the wildlife. I am not an expert and this article is not meant to be anything other than a compilation of tips and tricks from rangers and other experts. We had such an amazing experience seeing animals in their natural habitat and hope others have that same experience.
Does Time of Year Matter?
Obviously the less crowded the park, the more the animals feel free to roam. I am not here to convince anyone to visit Yellowstone in the winter. Too cold and most of the roads are closed. Bears are said to be more active in March and April, but even then some of the roads may not be open yet. We travelled purposely in May when the park roads were guaranteed to be open. Our plan was to avoid the crowds, but our timing also enhanced our wildlife sightings. Others we know visiting Yellowstone in the heat of summer and saw very few animals. We were lucky to see a large variety of mammals during our visit.
Does Time of Day Matter?
Absolutely. This is one of the most important factors. The best time to see wildlife is dawn and dusk. Driving right as the sun comes up is your best bet. It is cooler than midday and the animals are on the move. It is also a great time in that the crowds have not overwhelmed the park yet. We drove around at dusk a lot as well and were able to spot some elk, but we did not have as much luck with bears and other predators at that time.
Where in the Park is the Best?
Your best bet is where the crowds aren’t. It is a slim chance of seeing animals next to Old Faithful. Many of the articles will tell you the best place to see animals is Hayden and Lamar Valley. These are large open areas where lots of bison gather. Predators tend to gather where their prey gathers. It is not as simple as driving to these areas. You have to be patient and willing to explore. Our best luck was in the North of the park near Mammoth Hot Springs. In fact we saw elk and pronghorn gathering at the entrance one day. We stayed in Gardiner, MT which is the Northeast entrance. We found many in this area and usually right near the tree line.
Have you Asked the Experts?
The rangers know where the wolf has made a den and where the bears were sighted last. When you see a ranger who is not busy, ask them for advice. They will also tell you any park rules you need to know. When we were there, a wolf den was very near the road and there was a new litter. The rangers told us where it was but made it clear this was a no stopping area to allow the wolves to not have human interaction.
What is a Wildlife Jam?
One thing that you learn very quickly is that the road can be empty and there there is 50-100 cars clumped together forming a traffic jam. That means that wildlife has been sighted. The larger the crowd the more rare the animal. While stopping at these will give you a chance of a sighting, please remember the rangers rule. You can pull off on areas not marked as no parking. Your wheels must be off the road. You must not block traffic or drive slowly while trying to get a picture. You can ask someone who is nearby for what the crowd is gathered for to determine if it is worth parking and fighting the crowd. Part of the problem is the animals that garner the biggest crowds are the fastest movers, mostly the bear and wolf.
What can I do to plan ahead?
Schedule slow-time
The short answer is to not over plan your days. Plan half or 3/4 days doing the highlights then leave plenty of time to get away from the crowds. Some people go on longer hikes, some will pack a picnic and just pull off the road and wait. For us, we gave plenty of opportunity early and late in the day to just drive around the less well-trafficked area and observe. And when I mean drive, I mean drive slowly and by observe I mean have one person focused on the tree lives for anything moving or different.
Practice
Our favorite sighting was driving to Grand Tetons from Yellowstone early in the morning. We were in the wooded area and was truly alone on the road. I was doing my usual scan when I saw movement. I screamed BEAR!!!! My husband came to an abrupt stop (Not recommended if other cars on the road with you) and a bear standing in the woods looked at us and decided to cross the road ahead of us. It was an amazing experience. Practice during hikes and outdoor times. Scan for movements and you will be surprised what you can see.
Talk to others
You can easily identify the people who take wildlife sightings seriously. Ask them for advice and where they have been successful
Don’t focus just on predators
So many want to see a wolf that they don’t marvel at an elk or moose. Enjoy what nature gives you.
For those who are truly focused on wildlife, a tour may be a good option. There are many tours available. Here are a couple of examples that I have heard great things about.
Animal Safety
The park has lots of notices to say 25 yards away from animals and 100 yards away from bears and wolves. There is always a few incidents where someone gets hurt. Often at no fault of their own, but some people are so anxious to get that picture that they are putting themselves at risk. Bison look like slow animals, but they can move fast and can hurt you if you are not respectful of their space. Also, if you are going to do a lot of hiking, you may want to purchase or rent bear deterrent. We were told to always talk and make noise while hiking as the animals will avoid you where possible.
Mammals of Yellowstone
Bison
People get excited when they see their first bison, but trust me. It won’t be your last. There are estimated to be over 4,000 bison in Yellowstone National Park. There are actually two herds that are very distinct. One in the North often in Lamar near Gardiner, Montana and one that makes its home in Hayden valley and surrounding areas.
Pronghorns
We did not research our animals before going and didn’t quite know what they were. They were the size of deers, but were obviously not. If you remember the song Home on the Range, you remember the line “where the deer and the antelope play”. So I started my research on antelope. While they are often called American antelope, they are not a true antelope. Instead they are the only animals in a unique family of animals. They are usually easy to spot, but they are really fun to watch. Take some time to admire the herd.
Elk
These are often very easy to spot in a herd, but often in hot weather and crowded conditions, they can be a little elusive. They are the most abundant large mammal in Yellowstone. They are also popular to photo because of their large racks.
Moose
For the animal spotter they may first appear to be an elk. The population has decrease to an estimate of around 200. We were lucky enough to see 2 of them and both were in wooded areas. Their antlers are very distinct and beautiful to get a picture of.
Bighorn Sheep and Deer
Bighorn Sheep are somewhat elusive in much of the park. They are migratory and usually are located in the northeast and northwest of the park. During the warm times of the year, they typically settle in the higher altitude areas. There are two kinds of deer in Yellowstone, the white-tailed deer and mule deer
Don’t forget to look for the smaller mammals. Beavers, chipmunks and marmots are also fun to discover and watch in their natural habitats.
Read on the Yellowstone National Park site for an overview of all of the mammals in the park.
Another great article that was helpful to me
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