The cougar, or American mountain lion, is one of the most beautiful and yet difficult animals to see in the wild, even though they are not particularly rare in the American West. They are simply illusive. Their beauty, their power and their ghost-like stealth have granted them legendary status through mythical fascination throughout time and across cultures. For many, this stunning cat represents the powerful, raw, unknown beauty of the Wild.
Yellowstone Wild is offering the unique opportunity to actually track wild cougars and wolves in the winter wonderland of Yellowstone National Park. This type of opportunity has never been offered before, and we are proud to offer single and multi-day intensive carnivore tracking program in the heart of Yellowstone’s famed Northern Range with expert tracker and cougar/wolf biologist Emil McCain, M.S.
Snow tracking, using traditional techniques, gives us the ability to see into the world of these mystical creatures, literally walking in their footsteps over uncharted paths. Join us on a snow tracking adventure as we step into the rugged territory of Yellowstone’s top carnivores. We will traverse difficult terrain in search of tracks and sign as we read their dramatic life stories, written as tracks in the snow. On these adventures, we discover where these animals have recently been and see the events that shape their lives here in the wilds of Yellowstone. We will learn about how they travel across the vast expanses and how they communicate with each other over long distances. We will investigate their predation habits and retrace the sequence of events that unfolded during the hunt as we examine the factors that led to the prey animal’s demise.
If the tracks and sign ever indicate that the animals we are tracking are close, we will quietly back away so as not to disturb them and their natural behaviors. Their lives out in the wilds of winter are not easy, and the last thing we want to do is disturb them in any way. Depending on the situation, we may try to observe the animals from a safe distance where our presence will not disturb them.
Interested parties should contact us directly for more information. Thank you.