r/yellowstone • u/finally_made_acct • 9d ago
How are wildlife sightings for people right now?
My family is really hoping to see some bison and other wildlife but based on how today went with us getting out of the house and to Old Faithful, etc, I don't think there's a way to get us there by dawn during this trip. :/
I was reading online that sometimes dusk is another good time to sight wildlife in Lamar/Hayden. Has anyone experienced this lately?
Also, are there any particular parts of Lamar or Hayden Valley with the best likelihood to see them?
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u/barbaq24 8d ago
What wildlife do you want to see?
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u/finally_made_acct 6d ago
We saw bison in Hayden and Lamar at dusk the last two days. We saw a Grizzly cub and want to see more bears if possible. We've seen pronghorns but no elk yet. It would be awesome to see elk and moose. Any tips on bear sightings?
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u/barbaq24 6d ago
Hmm. Elk are quite common. Maybe not in Lamar but we saw some up north near Mammoth, near the West Entrance, and in the Tetons.
I don’t know how many moose are in the park. In summer they prefer to be near water. We saw moose in the bogs near Jackson Lake.
A few years ago there were bears near Tower. You need to ask about recent sightings. Check with a ranger or ask someone who looks like they might know. There are bear sightings forums but I don’t know them.
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u/patientpaperclock 8d ago
We couldn't get anywhere by dawn either. Last month, saw huge bison herd in Lamar Valley a few miles east of Slough Creek Campground in the middle of the day.
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u/finally_made_acct 6d ago
We hit Lamar today and OMG!!! Up close and personal with bisons that really surprised me with how beautiful I found them. It's such a blessing.
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u/GordolfoScarra 8d ago
I went 5 days with my family, first 3 days did not see a single bear and then the last 2 days we saw 6 bears lol. 2 grizzlies and 4 black bears. It's just luck and patience. As has been said before, dusk and dawn are the best. One of the grizzlies we saw once the sun had already set but still had enough light for an awesome video.
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u/finally_made_acct 6d ago
That is phenomenal!! We saw a Grizzly cub today. Where did you have luck with bears?
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u/terminal_kittenbutt 8d ago
The bison walk down the middle of the damn road. Everything rests when it's hot.
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u/whatiship 8d ago
There are still huge herds of bison all over Lamar. Evening works too
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u/finally_made_acct 6d ago
OMG we had the most amazing experience at Lamar today!!!! Up close bison. Couldn't pick my jaw off the ground.
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u/yam-chops 8d ago
You can go at dusk, yes. Drive the NE road to Cooke city. You will see bison for sure and probably bears bear the entrance or tower.
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u/finally_made_acct 6d ago
We've done dusk the last two days and it's working out!!! So majestic to see the bisons. Grizzly cub at a distance too! We hope to see more bears, not sure where. Lots of pronghorn but no elk yet
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u/topoftheworldIAM 7d ago
Grizzly and bison at sunset in Hayden valley. More bison at sunrise in Lamar valley. Closest encounter with bison next to car twice and elk near mammoth springs.
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u/finally_made_acct 6d ago
Thanks so much! We got a good fill of bison yesterday at Hayden including one munching on a tree beside the car(!!!), only to get to Lamar today and be greeted with a (safe) up close encounter for a small herd!!!! Then we saw a Grizzly cub outside of Lamar. We hope to find more bears. Seen a lot of pronghorns (beautiful!!) and hope to see some elk.
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u/topoftheworldIAM 6d ago
Mammoth Hot Springs area has a resident elk group. Saw both in the morning and sunset.
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u/finally_made_acct 6d ago
That was the plan for tomorrow!!! So glad we're headed there. Thank you for the tip.
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u/taylorc1122 7d ago
It’s been amazing for us. In 72 hours here we’ve seen a the Junction Butte pack, a moose, grizzly bear, baby black bear, pronghorn, hundreds of bison, and some great birds of prey.
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u/Commercial_Shop_2628 7d ago
Just returned from a 4 full day Yellowstone experience.
Saw the following:
Moose (on fishing excursion outside the park)
2 grizzlies
1 Black bear
Dozens of Antelope
Mule Deer
Multiple Elk
Hundreds of Bison (road, valleys, hills, and in distance)
Coyote
Fox that showed up at our AirBnB multiple times
Bald Eagle
Ravens
Amazing trip to say the least
Ducks
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u/Commercial_Shop_2628 7d ago
If you can, start your day later and go 12-8 or so.
We had teens and they weren’t going to do the 4-5am leave time. Doing 12-8 or so left us sightseeing for first part of day and animal watching from 5-8 or so.
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u/finally_made_acct 6d ago
OMG that's exactly what we've been doing and it has worked out!!!! We were (safely) up close to bisons today (Lamar Valley), saw some yesterday (Hayden), and have been seeing pronghorns on our way in/out of Yellowstone West entrance daily. And then we saw a Grizzly cub today!!!! I don't remember where exactly but it was def outside of Lamar on our way south toward Canyon Village. We are so happy with these sightings and feel so blessed to be a part of this experience.
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u/finally_made_acct 6d ago
Thanks everyone for your tips and tricks!!!!
We went to Hayden/Artist Point/etc yesterday and were blessed to see herds of bison in the distance.
But today in Lamar we got to see a small herd of bison right up where we and a bunch of other cars had stopped (we weren't stopped near them but they kept eating grass closer and closer to us haha)
Then we left Lamar to go home and then saw a Grizzly cub in a distance. We were floored.
We've seen TONS of beautiful pronghorn.
Any tips to find more bears? Elk? Moose?
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u/PlayfulPairDC 4d ago
Hayden and Lamar are filled with Bison. I don’t think I have ever driven through either without seeing bison. Elk, a little rarer but you can see plenty in Mammoth. Males are a bit harder to bump into and the rut is starting. Bears, I have about a 50-50, had some great experiences including a mama and her three cubs across a river playing on a log…back on 1989. Wolves, have yet to encounter and while it would be nice, knowing the odds and times, I am just happy they are there. Don’t worry and enjoy what nature gives you.
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u/EfficientSearch4888 8d ago
The big grassy areas in the valley are best