How to Spot Wolves in Yellowstone

Photo: ©Brad Orsted/ Horsefeathers Photography

1. Hang Out Where the Wolves Do

It’s all about location, location, location.

Wolves can be found almost anywhere in Yellowstone, but the big, open areas of the park like Hayden Valley, Lamar Valley, Swan Lake Flats, and Blacktail Plateau are going to be the most likely places for good viewing. Wolf travel patterns can be surprisingly consistent; get a handle on where specific wolf packs have been hanging out by seeking local knowledge. Ask about recent sightings at park visitor centers, or check social media and other online i n f o r m a t i o n s o u r c e s , s u c h a s Yellowstone Reports and Yellowstone National Park’s Wolves in Yellowstone.

Photo source: National Park Service, edited

2. GO EARLY AND STAY LATESet your alarm early - you’ll need to be out in wolf territory by sunrise, or in the last couple of hours before sunset. This means getting up and ready to go an hour before sunrise and coming back after it’s dark. Wolves are “crepuscular” - their activity is concentrated at the twilight periods near sunrise and sunset. While you may still see them during the day, your chances are greater near sunrise and sunset.

Photo: ©Jenny Golding

3. Stop! And Get Out of the Car

It’s so easy to get focused on “getting out there,” especially to where we think others may be seeing something good, that we miss more than you can possibly imagine. Even veteran wildlife watchers fall into the trap of driving up and down the road system, and hanging out where the crowds are.

Remember this: there is something going on everywhere, all the time. Find a pullout in one of the areas mentioned in #1. Park your car, turn off the engine, and get out. Take advantage of quiet time outside your vehicle and you will be surprised at what you’ll get to see. Plus, you’ll be surrounded by the magic of Yellowstone, regardless of whether or not you see wolves.Photos: National Park Service, Jenny Golding

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4. Use Your Eyes FirstStart without your binoculars or spotting scope. Scan back and forth across the landscape, as if your head is on a slow swivel; like an owl silently scanning for prey. Key-in on movement, and/or unusual patterns. It’s amazing how much we miss by going straight into “looking”.

Some things can be so close you don’t need magnification—SO DON’T MISS THEM! Pick out as many animals as you possibly can; sometimes other animals can clue you in to the presence of wolves (see #5). Identifying those elk intently staring in one direction may your first clue to finding the wolf that has yet to come out o f the sagebrush and into view for you.

Photos: National Park Service

5. Silence Your Voice and Open Your Ears

Unnatural sounds are your enemy when searching for wolves. First of all, wolves can hear human sounds from several miles away. Random noise also prevents you from hearing sounds - like howls - that might clue you in to a wolf’s location. Avoid loud clothing, talk in whispers, turn your car engine off and close the door with a push rather than a slam. Step away from the bustle of the roadside and attune your senses to what’s around you. When you hear a howl, close your eyes and try to pinpoint the source of howling with your ears alone; then open them and start scanning in that narrowed field.

Photo: ©Jenny Golding

6. Eavesdrop on Wild Conversations

Coyotes, bears, elk, bison, ravens, magpies, eagles, and other animals’ lives depend on knowing what the wolves are up to. Watch and listen to them. Because these creatures’ senses eclipse our own, they are some of your best guides

for keeping tabs on Canis lupus. For example, raven vocalizations that are longer or shorter than 3 to 4 notes can clue you in to a possible carcass - and perhaps wolves. Listen for wild inflections in tone—ravens can be quite

expressive in the use of their voices and muffled or high pitched calls can indicate something of great importance.

Photo: National Park Service

7. Respect the WildlifeFor your safety and to protect the animals, Yellowstone National Park regulations require that you stay 25 yards from most wildlife, and 100 yards from bears or wolves. Resist the temptation to get closer for a photograph - it’s not worth it. Even if you are adhering to park regulations, if your behavior makes an animal change theirs - you’re too close.

Photo: ©Jenny Golding

While there is certainly more to learn about wolves in Yellowstone, these are the methods we always return to to find them in the wild. These are also the techniques we use to find many other animals, like bears. Give them a try, exercise your patience and let us know what you see!

Happy Wolf Watching!

George Bumann & Jenny GoldingEmail: info@ayellowstonelife.com Web: www.ayellowstonelife.com

www.georgebumann.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/ayellowstonelife

Photo: ©Jenny Golding

©A Yellowstone Life/George Bumann Sculpture