Trifter

Yellowstone is America’s oldest national park and one of the most beautiful.  As well as having an abundance of geysers, including Old Faithful, the park is teeming with wildlife.  Animals in YNP are very accustomed to human presence, making it easy to capture great photographs.  But remember, wildlife in the park are still wild!  Never approach or molest any creature, no matter how tame they may seem to be.

ELK: Finding elk in the park is as simple as driving down the road.  Elk are everywhere!  If you are entering the park from the west entrance, the town of West Yellowstone, Montana, elk are probably the first large animals that you will see.  Look for them on the right hand side of the road just before and after the Madison campground.  They usually graze by the river, but also will climb the hillsides and even walk down the road.  Herds of elk can be seen in most fields and valleys in the park.  Beware of the male elk: they can get a little cranky if you approach their herd too closely.

BUFFALO: Buffalo are another large animal that are easily found in the park.  Often there are Buffalo grazing around the hot springs and geysers near Old Faithful, which makes a very memorable photograph.  Single or pairs of buffalo can be spotted foraging amidst the pine trees along the side of the road.  These huge animals often walk directly on the road as well, so be sure to drive slowly and watch for them.  To view larger herds, be sure to visit the Lamar Valley in the north portion of the park.  There you can see hundreds of buffalo across the width of this large, open valley.  All buffalo are dangerous and can charge unexpectedly.  Please respect them and do not approach on foot.

COYOTE: These members of the dog family are quite comfortable around humans in the park but don’t mistake them for your family pet!  Coyotes are very bold and will venture very close to human settlements to get food.  Coyotes are most often seen around dawn and dusk, searching in areas of long grass for mice and other small creatures to gobble down.  They are mostly tan and rusty colored and blend well with the foliage, so keep your eyes sharp when trying to find them.

PRONGHORN: The only antelope in North America, the pronghorn looks like a small brown and white deer.  Males have short curved black antlers.  Pronghorns are visible in the northern portions of the park, especially near the north entrance, by the town of Gardiner.  Most often in herds of one male and many females, they are shy and stay further from the road.  Look off into the distant fields and sage brush to spot them. 

MULE DEER: These shy creatures are sometimes seen eating at the side of the road.  They aren’t as easy to spot as some other large game animals in the park as they tend to hide further from the traffic but watch for them as you drive since they do cross the road on occasion.  When picnicking, look for small herds of mule deer in the grassy areas near the trees.

GRIZZLY BEAR: Some people are excited to look for Grizzlies in the park and others hope to never cross their path.  Despite having a large population of Grizzlies, Yellowstone is a very safe park to travel in.  Grizzlies are not fond of humans and often hide higher in the mountain ranges or away from the road.  There is a Bear Management Area on the north side of Dunraven Pass where many of the Grizzlies live.  There is no hiking permitted here but you can often see the bears from the safety of your car when you’re driving this road.  Bear sightings are more common in the spring when the bears come out of hibernation and are eager to find food.  During the spring salmon run, multiple bears can be found in most rivers in the park.  Visit the Park Information Center or talk to a Park Ranger to learn about Grizzly habits, behavior and sightings in the park.  Hiking paths can be closed due to high bear activity, so be sure to check with a Park Ranger before embarking on a hike.

BLACK BEAR: The Black Bear is quite similiar to its larger cousin, the Grizzly.  Black Bears are more often considered nuisance bears as they tend to enjoy raiding garbage cans and tenting sites.  Although not seen very often, watch for these bears grazing on vegetation on the side of hills or fishing for trout in the rivers.  Black bears can be as dangerous as Grizzlies and are often more unpredictable.  Contact a Park Ranger or visit the Information Center for more details about black bears.

WOLVES: Elusive and mysterious, wolves are the quintessential animal of true wilderness.  A wolf sighting is a rare and wonderful thing.  There are several packs of wolves in Yellowstone, having been reintroduced to the park in 1995.  Wolves almost always travel in a group and each pack remains in its territory for the most part.  The best sighting time for wolves is before dawn and just after dusk.  Look for them in the distance at Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley.  Often, patient wolf-watchers will wait at the turn-outs with binoculars and scopes just for a chance to see one of these magnificent animals.  Talk to other park visitors to find out where the wolves have been sighted recently or visit the Park Information Center to learn about wolf habits and territories.

EAGLES AND OTHER BIRDS: In addition to mammals, Yellowstone National Park is home to many species of birds.  In fact, 318 species of birds have been documented in the park since its opening.  Watch the skies and treetops for Bald Eagles, Golden Eagles, Red-tailed Hawks and other birds of prey.  Look along the shores of rivers and lakes for Great Blue Herons, Sandhill Cranes and Egrets.  Watch further out in the lakes for an amazing variety of ducks and waterfowl, including Pelicans at Fishing Bridge during the fish spawning season. Keep an eye on the trees when hiking or picnicking for glimpses of Jays, Nutcrackers, Chickadees, Warblers, Sparrows, Woodpeckers, Nuthatches and other small songbirds.

Yellowstone National Park is a great place to view wildlife and photograph nature.  Visit their website at http://www.nps.gov/yell/index.htm for more information about the park fees, opening and closing dates and other valuable visitor information.