Wolves, Pygmy Owls, & Blizzards: An Adventure To Remember
TRIP REPORT: 6-Day Winter Wolf Watching Package Feb 2-7, 2025 Our adventure together began and ended with some epic winter weather. After picking up the group from the hotel in Bozeman and maneuvering the van through semi-plowed streets, we began our journey—driving with minimal visibility— south towards Yellowstone National Park. Our hopes were high;…
February 23, 2025
The Ultimate Yellowstone Experienced: A Week of Unforgettable Wildlife Encounters
TRIP REPORT: Wolves & Winter Wonders January 2025 Day 1: The guests arrived in Bozeman, where they had what I can only imagine was an exciting and memorable evening. I didn’t know this absolutely as I didn’t join the adventure until Day 2, but Bozeman is a great town, and the guests were about…
February 9, 2025
Coyote: The Unsung Hero of Yellowstone
Featured image (mobile) courtesy of Evan Watts There is an unsung and oft-overlooked hero of Yellowstone National Park, and its name is Coyote (Canis latrans). Being widespread across the United States, many visitors overlook them in their frantic pursuit of a wolf sighting. However, by observing coyotes going “about their business,” you will see that…
October 24, 2024
An Epic Start to a Week in Yellowstone
One thing I like about guiding in Yellowstone National Park is that every day is different. There are some days where we have to work hard to find wildlife, and there are other days where Yellowstone smiles upon us and decides to share her bounty at every bend in the road. This was one of…
February 29, 2024
A Race for Calories in Autumn – Grizzly Bears, Pine Nuts, Migrating Moths, and Where to Find Them
The grizzly bear, (Ursus arctos horribilis), has become an icon of Yellowstone National Park and of the wilderness in general. For a large portion of Yellowstone visitors, a grizzly bear sighting ranks right up toward the top of the bucket list, alongside witnessing such famous attractions as Old Faithful Geyser, the Grand Canyon of the…
September 17, 2023
It’s 6am in Lamar Valley.
It’s 6am in Lamar Valley. I wonder what we will see. You’re probably asking why there are already 100 vehicles lining the roadsides near the Lamar Buffalo Ranch, and whether the hundreds of visitors pointing spotting scopes out into the distance are seeing something. As it usually turns out, those people are watching–looking for or…
September 8, 2023
Just Like That
And just like that, our summery, late-August days recede, and Yellowstone’s natural calendar tells us autumn is fast approaching. Willows, cottonwoods, and aspen trees crisp yellow at their leafy edges with this shift at high elevations our first intimation of the change of seasons. Grasses and wildflowers wave brown, white headed, and weather beaten, testifying…
August 28, 2023
A Standoff Between Predator Species: Another Great Day in Yellowstone’s Northern Range!
Photo courtesy of Yellowstone Wild Guide Evan Watts / Watts Wildlife Photography. Sparse clouds caught the orange glow of the rising sun as we drove east. It was a cool, damp morning in mid-July, and as we made our way into the Lamar Valley, the sun rose just enough to reveal the gentle, rolling slopes…
August 13, 2023
Photographing Baby Wildlife: Guide Tips for Safety and Respect
“Any glimpse into the life of an animal quickens our own and makes it so much the larger and better in every way,” John Muir. As a naturalist guide in Yellowstone, one of the lessons I try to impart upon my guests is the best way to view baby wildlife in Yellowstone ethically and responsibly…
July 31, 2023
Salmonflies: The Biggest of the Little Guys
One day in early to mid-July you might find yourself driving through Yellowstone National Park taking in the amazing scenery all around you. You turn a corner and the beauty of one of the many creeks, streams, and rivers in the park reveals itself. Suddenly, that beauty is interrupted by what looks like a flock…
July 23, 2023