Friday, November 14, 2003
Welcome to my Yellowstone Journal! Once a month I will be posting an entry of my recent observations and other news from Yellowstone National Park. Check my website's photo gallery for photos of some of these observations.
Spring Grizzly Sighting--Norris Geyser Basin
On April 18 the park roads reopened to vehicles after the winter season. This is a great time to watch for spring wildlife activity. A friend and I set out to look for bears as they searched for winter-killed carcasses, ravenously hungry after burning off their fat reserves in their winter dens. There was still a foot or so of snow on the ground in some sections and only a coyote was visible until we came to the overlook of Norris Geyser Basin. Here several hundred yards away, a big grizzly, snout to the ground, was loping along the basin. He was a handsome specimen to watch. Eventually he disappeared into a stand of trees and we headed for the Norris thermal features where we were to witness an amazing scene.
It was lunchtime so we picnicked overlooking Porcelain Basin thermal area. We were completely alone as all other visitors this afternoon were waiting for an eruption over at Echinus geyser. Soon after we sat down, a bull elk, sprouting new velvety antler buds, came out of the trees below and wandered off to our right out of sight. About 10 minutes later we were startled when he came running out of the trees with a young grizzly bear chasing him. They ran along the boardwalk in the middle of the basin, slowed a bit by wet, heavy soil. When the elk ran around the end of the boardwalk--which has a three-sided railing to keep people from stepping off the end--the grizzly jumped onto it. We thought when he ran up against the railing he would stop. Instead, he sailed right over the top and pursued the elk around a small hill that comes down to the basin. Now they were both out of sight.
After getting over the shock and excitement at what we'd just witnessed, we decided to climb the hill and try to see where the elk and grizzly had gone. We were very watchful in case the bear had brought the elk down nearby. I carried bear spray but we moved slowly and kept talking to announce our presence in the area. We found tracks on the other side of the hill but no sign of either animal.
We decided to walk up the next hill which would allow us to look out with binoculars onto the next open plain. Nothing. We were ready to turn back when maybe half a mile away, I spotted the grizzly standing alone at the edge of a small lake. No sign of the elk. I scanned across the lake and in the middle of the water the elk was submerged, just his head and neck showing. He was watching the grizzly who now lowered himself into the water and swam out toward the elk. Not until the bear reached the middle of the lake did the elk start swimming away. Unable to attack the elk in the water, the grizzly stopped following and got out on the bank. He watched the elk make its way across the lake, putting the most water possible between himself and the bear. What a great strategy the elk used in this encounter!
The bear stood on the bank, silhouetted against the water for a long while. He'd probably had quite a workout since we first spotted him chasing the elk back by the boardwalk.
Eventually the elk left the water and went into dense forest. The bear sauntered away in the opposite direction and we headed back to the boardwalk. We wondered if this young grizzly was practicing his hunting skills and had just learned that he was unlikely to be successful if an elk went into water. In any case, we knew we had just witnessed a most amazing scene of wildlife behavior in Yellowstone.
Spring Grizzly Sighting--Norris Geyser Basin
On April 18 the park roads reopened to vehicles after the winter season. This is a great time to watch for spring wildlife activity. A friend and I set out to look for bears as they searched for winter-killed carcasses, ravenously hungry after burning off their fat reserves in their winter dens. There was still a foot or so of snow on the ground in some sections and only a coyote was visible until we came to the overlook of Norris Geyser Basin. Here several hundred yards away, a big grizzly, snout to the ground, was loping along the basin. He was a handsome specimen to watch. Eventually he disappeared into a stand of trees and we headed for the Norris thermal features where we were to witness an amazing scene.
It was lunchtime so we picnicked overlooking Porcelain Basin thermal area. We were completely alone as all other visitors this afternoon were waiting for an eruption over at Echinus geyser. Soon after we sat down, a bull elk, sprouting new velvety antler buds, came out of the trees below and wandered off to our right out of sight. About 10 minutes later we were startled when he came running out of the trees with a young grizzly bear chasing him. They ran along the boardwalk in the middle of the basin, slowed a bit by wet, heavy soil. When the elk ran around the end of the boardwalk--which has a three-sided railing to keep people from stepping off the end--the grizzly jumped onto it. We thought when he ran up against the railing he would stop. Instead, he sailed right over the top and pursued the elk around a small hill that comes down to the basin. Now they were both out of sight.
After getting over the shock and excitement at what we'd just witnessed, we decided to climb the hill and try to see where the elk and grizzly had gone. We were very watchful in case the bear had brought the elk down nearby. I carried bear spray but we moved slowly and kept talking to announce our presence in the area. We found tracks on the other side of the hill but no sign of either animal.
We decided to walk up the next hill which would allow us to look out with binoculars onto the next open plain. Nothing. We were ready to turn back when maybe half a mile away, I spotted the grizzly standing alone at the edge of a small lake. No sign of the elk. I scanned across the lake and in the middle of the water the elk was submerged, just his head and neck showing. He was watching the grizzly who now lowered himself into the water and swam out toward the elk. Not until the bear reached the middle of the lake did the elk start swimming away. Unable to attack the elk in the water, the grizzly stopped following and got out on the bank. He watched the elk make its way across the lake, putting the most water possible between himself and the bear. What a great strategy the elk used in this encounter!
The bear stood on the bank, silhouetted against the water for a long while. He'd probably had quite a workout since we first spotted him chasing the elk back by the boardwalk.
Eventually the elk left the water and went into dense forest. The bear sauntered away in the opposite direction and we headed back to the boardwalk. We wondered if this young grizzly was practicing his hunting skills and had just learned that he was unlikely to be successful if an elk went into water. In any case, we knew we had just witnessed a most amazing scene of wildlife behavior in Yellowstone.
