Hesson Travels: September 29 - 30, Hayden Valley, Lower Falls on Yellowstone River

As you may have guessed, we did not actually see the bears and wolf pictured!---but we did see a grizzly and wolves today---just too far off to get a good picture!!
We got up early again today and went to Hayden Valley in search of wildlife and we were much more successful today.

We noticed a crowd forming at one of the pull outs along Hayden Valley so we decided to stop and happened onto a very interesting story. As most of you have read this summer, there have been two hikers killed by a grizzly bear in the park. Apparently, the rangers are able to gather the DNA of the bear off of the bodies of the people and then they either are able to match it to DNA information they have on bears that have been collared, or they can try to determine which bears are in the area and dart them with tranquilizers and them gather DNA and collar them. When they have determined which bear (or bears) are responsible for what they consider to be aggressive attacks they take what action they think necessary.

Sooooo....all of the people were at this spot with their long range telescopes because the forest service thought the 'bad' bear was in the area and they had placed a bison carcass out in a meadow to hopefully draw out the bear. There were people there from the forest service that were associated with the wolf project because they knew the carcass would also attract the wolves....so there was lots of first hand information about what was going on, and many generous people who would let those of us without big telescopes look at what was unfolding in the meadow. When the fog lifted, there was a grizzly bear feeding on the carcass and wolves circling around-----it was really fascinating to watch. Many of these people are seasoned wolf watchers and could recognize which wolf they were watching! Since wolves have been reintroduced into the park there are 11 active packs.

They determined that the bear was not the one they were trying to capture, so after a couple of hours we took a break and drove on down the road----seeing lots of bison! On our return trip we learned that they finally spotted the correct bear and her cubs at the edge of the woods and they had successfully darted her and taken her in a trap (suspended from a cable on a helicopter) to verify her DNA. If it turned out to be the bear they suspected with aggressive behavior, they would 'put her down'. We never heard the 'end of the story'......but it was fun to be there and see all the activity.

Tomorrow we leave for Dubois, Wyoming and the Grand Tetons...resting in West Yellowstone.......
Debbie and John