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deby
Owner, publisher and photographer for The Yellowstone Daily. And, passionate about nature and wildlife
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They are hibernating in the den, all cozy from the cold that permeates the Yellowstone eco-system and the cubs are born. The sows will have anywhere from 1 to 3 cubs, rarely 4, depending on what kind of shape their bodies are in. When the bears mate, the sows don’t actually get pregnant until later and then only if they have enough fat stored to ensure some success for the cubs. We look forward to the first cubs of the year to appear with great anticipation.
Some time in mid to late January visitors to the interior of Yellowstone, along the Madison River, begin to see bobcats hunting on the river, around the area of the 7 Mile Bridge. Continuing on into February when they (1-3) are seen nearly every day until the interior closes for over snow travel in March. Occasionally a cat is seen during the first few days that the park is open for road travel in Spring but they disappear soon after the people and cars arrive.
No images now but maybe I will get lucky when myself, Sam, Dave Shumway and some others go to the Madison on February 16, 2015, in hopes of seeing and photographing the cats ourselves.
Rick McIntyre found the first grizzly of the 2015 season on the northern range today. The grizzly was at a carcass on Junction Lake. I was able to see its large bulk moving off from the carcass and heading west but visibility was difficult due to snow coming down.
The West Entrance opens on April 17th!
Sows with cubs of the year begin to show and eager photographers are ready to see the cuteness.
The bison rut begin in August, usually mid-August, and runs through September and beyond. Seems as though there is always rut activity with the bison and we have little red dogs nearly every month of the year.
The elk rut begins in September and runs through the month and some beyond. The best show in Yellowstone, for fun and laughs, is at Mammoth where the reigning bull of the year fights against the cars to keep his ladies. No one is safe in Mammoth this time of year and it is best to keep your distance.
They are hibernating in the den, all cozy from the cold that permeates the Yellowstone eco-system and the cubs are born. The sows will have anywhere from 1 to 3 cubs, rarely 4, depending on what kind of shape their bodies are in. When the bears mate, the sows don’t actually get pregnant until later and then only if they have enough fat stored to ensure some success for the cubs. We look forward to the first cubs of the year to appear with great anticipation.
The first grizzly boars generally appear on the scene in early March but because this is a warm winter season. And, if the Yellowstone rumor mill is correct, which pictures don’t lie, a couple of bears have already been out roaming around.
Black bear boars and females without cubs will start to emerge from their dens to forage for food. We like to find them playing in the snow.
One of my favorites of the year is when we begin to see shots of blue fly across the landscape. And the Mountain Bluebirds are here! I look for them on Old Yellowstone Trail fairly early but as soon as the caddisflies start hatching on the Lamar River we will see them in the valley. First we will see the brilliant blue of the males as they come to town and they will soon be followed by the drabber, although still gorgeous, females.
The male Sandhill cranes begin arriving on Blacktail Ponds about March 15 and instantly begin calling for their mates to join them. The sandhills mate for life but go their separate ways during the winter and meet up agin in the spring. We will have sandhills at Blacktail, Floating Island, Obsidian Cliff area and numerous other places around the park.
The first grizzly boars generally appear on the scene in early March but because this is a warm winter season. And, if the Yellowstone rumor mill is correct, which pictures don’t lie, a couple of bears have already been out roaming around.
In April we look forward to the cute little black bear cubs that will entertain us with their climbing antics for the next couple of months or so. In 2016, Rosie is due to have more cubs. Will she have three again? Rosie can be found in the Calcite area, just follow the crowds.
Roads open from Mammoth to Old Faithful and West Yellowstone. We will be out looking for bears and wolves!
We begin seeing elk calves around Mid-May and they keep on coming right through June. Elk are very protective of their calves and tend to stay hiding until the calf is old enough to run from danger. But, we do get lucky to see a few new ones around Mammoth.
Pronghorn fawns are born between May 25 and early June. Several pronghorns have twins each year, while most have a single fawn. The fawns are especially vulnerable to predators and the mothers often bed them down in nurseries while they go off to graze. It is not uncommon for a bear, wolf or coyote to find these nurseries. Coyotes are especially hard on the pronghorns fawns. Once they can run, the pronghorns can out distance any predators in Yellowstone.
