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It is also an excellent environment for wolf watching as there is an unobstructed view of the wide valley floor for at least a mile and steep slopes either side of the road. We suggest visiting in winter when the park’s Grizzly Bear population is hibernating, but the wolves and their prey are concentrated in a relatively small area. The thick snow cover allows you to track both the Wolves and other wildlife that inhabits this magnificent park. These include Bison, Elk, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Goat, Coyote, Mountain Fox, and the occasional Cougar and Bobcat.
In Yellowstone we work with people who have been associated either directly with the wolf re-introduction program, or have lived in the area and witnessed first hand this remarkable wildlife story. These people have intimate knowledge of the wolves and their behaviour, habitat, and prey, and to spend time with them learning about the resident wildlife is one of the main pleasures of this type of ‘tailored’ wildlife tour. Workshops can often be arranged with some of North America’s most renowned experts on animal tracking who conduct fascinating detective masterclasses that would put even the best TV crime scene investigator to shame. They can demonstrate how much more can be deduced from an animal’s tracks besides the species and direction of travel. To the educated eye they can also indicate how fast the animal was travelling, which direction it was looking, and in the case of wolf tracks, the wolf’s size, weight, and likely gender.
Other activities in Yellowstone included dog sledding, sightseeing and wildlife observation by snow coach, snowshoeing, cross country skiing, snowmobiling, and visits to ‘Old Faithful’ and the park’s numerous other geysers. Much of the park is contained within an ancient but still active volcanic crater or caldera, and it has the highest concentration of geothermal features anywhere in the world. It is possible to spend several hours wandering in awe from one feature to the next, and observing the numerous bison which graze beside them taking advantage of the heat they expend for comfort and easier access to the meagre grazing that would otherwise be buried under several feet of snow (bison normally use their large foreheads and massive shoulders like a snow plough to get to the scant vegetation beneath).
We hope that you will be inspired to follow in our footsteps next winter when we will offer tailor-made wolf watching and winter activities tours in Yellowstone. We can also organise trips in the summer focusing on both Grizzlies and Wolves and other resident wildlife. |
