FISH CATCHING TRAVEL

“SAVE OUR WATERS”

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The Wade Right Fishing Belt

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Since we began what has turned into a passion a few years ago it has been a great time.  We love the west, fly fishing, mountains, and most of all, the wildlife.  And we have been lucky enough to see much of the big game in the US and this trip was no different.  It is hard to put the park and the experience into words but here goes.

Yellowstone

The North Entrance to our greatest National Park

While a day of fishing was on the schedule the park was the reason for the trip and in 4 forays we saw wolves along with most everything else.  But with the wolves being the main reason we headed to the area where we saw them when there with Yellowstone Wolf Tracker.  This year in the park there was a big bunch of pups and finally on the last morning we got to see 8 join up with three adult wolves and basically act like puppies, which now they are not.

Collared yearling.  Without the 600mm lens this would not have been possible.

Here she came.  Such cool animals and this was close as you can hope for.

On the second morning we could see a grizzly way off and got to watch him a few minutes before he ambled off.  And while watching 3 black wolves all of a sudden a antelope ran out of a draw about 60 yards away and here came the collared wolf.  If I had not had the good camera there is no way I could have taken these, got lucky.  She ran the ridge letting us watch her and then disappeared.  What a moment and everyone there freaked out.

Worth Getting Up For

So we started to move and saw her again a couple time  running a ridge.  Timing is everything there.  As we headed down the road we stopped and watched one harass a bison bull, who had a broken leg.  Nose to nose, apparently he was still to much work to eat so she gave up.  We also saw a couple of wolves on a bison kill, but it only took them 2 days to completely eat the carcass and not return.

We were on the den site before daylight twice and saw wolves each time along with a grizzly and then the pups.  And let me tell you it is awesome as daylight broke and the wolves howled. Understand that these sightings are way the heck out there.  We have real quality binos and could see the same stuff but a spotting scope is needed to see the whites of their eyes at a 1000 yards.  And you can video with your phone with the attachment.  If you go there is a company that rents spotting scopes which I highly recommend for serious wolf or grizzly viewing.  And remember these animals have legs – here today gone tomorrow, it is work to score, but worth every second no matter the weather.   And we were so hoping to run into Taylor who guided us last year and saw her twice in the park.  She let us look in her scope and downloaded a couple of videos for us.

Sorry to break up the story but I have to put in a good, no great, word for Wolf Tracker and Taylor in particular.  She is an awesome woman with extensive knowledge of wolves, along with most else in the park,  you could not find a better person to spend the day with.   Watching her put her Wolf Tracker customers on wolves is a thing of beauty, and she also works with the Wolf Project, so she knows her stuff as does the rest of the crew. Trust me, first class folks and it was great to see her again.  If you want to see the park up close and personal with the best chance of seeing the good stuff give them a call.  Now back to the trip.

https://www.wolftracker.com/index.php

Majestic.

Before I go on to simplify things here is a list of wildlife we saw:  Antelope, bear, wolf, bison, mule deer, whitetail, eagle. osprey, sandhill cranes, mountain goat, big horn, elk, coyotes, hawks, eagle, ducks, and a few other things I might have forgotten.  We saw 3 coyotes one morning, had a full curl bighorn run across the road in front of us, and watched an osprey which was carrying some small rodent fly full blast and dunk him in the river shooting a rooster tail.  My favorite was the mountain goats.  Way up on a rock bluff we saw 5 one time, and 3 another, along with a mom and baby.  And one time there were also some Bighorns down the bluff.  Trust me a spotting scope would have helped but do not go out there without good optics, it made the trip. We love the great outdoors.

Looking for a girlfriend.  Nothing says Yellowstone like Bison.

As usual the bison were around.  They caused assorted traffic jams, one we were caught in a huge heard headed down from high up to the flats in the Lamar Valley by going right down the road.  There was lots of that this trip, right by the car stinking and grunting, it was something.  They have the right of way and seem to know it.  But when you are 8′ at the shoulder and can weigh almost a ton you deserve it.

And the bulls were in the rut and some of them were higher than 8′ at the shoulder, massive as they made wallows, butted heads, and rolled around on the ground making a dust storm.  I should have spent more time for photos, but so much wildlife, so little time.  They seem so serious, calm, and in no hurry.

Yes we see you.

The big boys were still in the high timber, but the rut is on the way and they will be chasing these girls soon.

There were some elk around, in the main area of the park, downtown Gardiner, our motel, the river, just here and there with lots of calves.  We only saw a couple of small bulls with horns, the real big boys are still up in the dark timber.  That is about  to change as the rut is coming.  Still one of my bucketlist trips – to hear the bulls bugle.  As a side note we might hit that just right in Colorado in late September.  Along with bison they are a main staple in the park and on the bear and wolf diet.

Many more antelope than I would have thought.  

There were a few antelope around and we saw them every time out.  I can only imagine what speed does for them.  Lots of stuff out there to eat them, but in a flat out race they survive.  They are a cool looking animal.  And that is the advantage of the park, you can spend time watching lots of stuff if you will take the time.  If you are driving fast through the park you are seeing very little.

A big mule deer in velvet.

These were a bachelor group.  All good until the rut starts.

We saw these guys along the road on the way to fishing.  Still in velvet they are feeding up for the rut and then winter.  Every where you look there was stuff to see.  We had a rental car this time so stuck to the highway, that will change next trip so we can really explore the nearby National Forest lands.

The Beartooth Highway.  10,900 feet of grizzly country.

As you traverse the northern Yellowstone at 6000 feet you keep going right out of the park until you hit Cooke City on Highway 212.  You are now on the Beartooth Highway which goes to 10.900 feet at Beartooth Pass.  It is an awesome drive into Wyoming for what they call “the most scenic drive in America”.  High switch backs to the top of the world.  It is way the heck up there, a little snow left, great high mountain lakes, goats, and along the way serious grizzly country.  Which is just plain cool, unless he is chasing you!  So if you have the time on your trip make the drive, definitely worth it.

These guys were here and there but unsure what they are.  Tried to get the Boss to try one but she was not having that.

One of the many streams in the park that you can fish.  The Lamar, Slough Creek, and the Gardiner to name a few.  A fly fishing mecca.  Just look out for the grizzlies!

And to share it with my best friend makes it the best thing ever.  

I did not take any of the precious time to fish in the park this trip, but will be back.  Funny we have not seen Old Faithful, or any of the other attractions, for us it is the wolves.  From the brink of extinction they have been brought back and helped restore the health of the park which suffered from serious over grazing.  And even with over a 100 in the park they still have to eliminate bison every year.   (Though we heard from a little bird there might be 2 new packs introduced to the world this year.)

While there is some conflict outside the park with the ranchers, here is an important statistic:  A couple of hundred domestic animals are killed each year by wolves, over 2,000 are killed by coyotes and dogs.  The wolves were here first, while we can not ever go back to the way things were, they belong here, as does the other apex predators like the grizzly.  They need wide open spaces.  Our public lands in all forms need to be protected and proposals to sell any of it are short sighted.  There is no more “land” being made and we need to reserve it for the wildlife and our children so they can enjoy the great outdoors.

This trip was an A+  Fishing the Yellowstone out of a drift boat, catching a few on the fly rod, woloves, seeing lots of other four legged and feathered friends, watching elk hold up traffic in town, this trip had it all.  We are getting closer and closer to making the move to that part of the world and I can not wait to get back next month.  So keep stopping in and thanks for reading my stuff.

Good Luck and Tight Lines