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Montana angler kills grizzly bear north of Yellowstone

A Montana angler shot and killed a grizzly bear Wednesday north of Yellowstone National Park in an apparent case of self-defense.

A Montana angler shot and killed a protected grizzly bear Wednesday in an apparent case of self-defense.

According to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, two anglers surprised the adult male bear while hiking on private land along Tom Miner Creek north of Yellowstone National Park.

The bear charged both anglers in what Fish, Wildlife & Parks described as “defensive behavior” in close quarters. One angler shot and killed the bear.

The case is under investigation and further details were not provided.

The incident occurred four days after two hunters shot and killed a female grizzly bear in self-defense near the Montana town of Whitefish.

The men were scouting in advance of the fall hunting season for non-protected game when they surprised the bear. Both men opened fire and one was shot in the shoulder and required hospitalization.

The grizzly bear had a cub that ran off after the incident.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks stated in a news release that anyone venturing into bear country should make “localized noise” to alert bears and reduce the likelihood of surprise encounters.

–Generic grizzly bear image courtesy of ©Pete Thomas

Llama loose in Yellowstone after being spooked by bison

A llama that escaped during a commercial trekking expedition in Yellowstone National Park has been on the loose since Aug. 12.

A llama that escaped during a commercial pack trip in Yellowstone National Park has been on the loose since Aug. 12.

Susi Huelsmeyer-Sinay, owner of the Yellowstone Llamas, told FTW Outdoors that the llama was tethered with other llamas near a Lamar Valley trailhead when bison stampeded through the area.

“He was terrified when a group of bison thundered through camp and ran towards the trailhead and the trailer he knows,” Huelsmeyer-Sinay said, adding that the llama, Joaquin, broke his tether. “[Then] he was diverted again by a group of bison milling around the area.”

Buckrail reported that a Yellowstone Llamas guide waited at the trailhead overnight but Joaquin “did not come back.”

Trout Lake image courtesy of NPS/Dave Krueger

Huelsmeyer-Sinay said Joaquin was sighted near Trout Lake on Aug. 14. But he has not been seen since. The search effort has focused around Trout Lake, Buck Lake and Shrimp Lake, north and northeast of the trailhead.

“Wolf watchers, wildlife companies, construction crews, horse outfitters, Park Service staff, and park visitors have been alerted,” Huelsmeyer-Sinay added. “We are still hiking the area and encouraging hikers to keep an eye out for Joaquin, who may still be dragging his line.”

Joaquin is a tall, brown llama with a white face. Anyone who spots the animal is asked to call the Yellowstone Backcountry Office at 307-344-2160.

While Joaquin faces danger from bears and wolves, another llama named Lewis once survived three months alone in the park before being located by Huelsmeyer-Sinay and led back without a harness.

Yellowstone Llamas is a licensed outfitter that specializes in single and multi-day pack trips.

–Image showing Joaquin is courtesy of Yellowstone Llamas

Take a closer look at the curious life of the Yellowstone Caldera

Uncover the caldera’s secrets.

Yellowstone National Park gets a lot of well-deserved attention for its abundant natural beauty. All of the park’s wonders owe a lot to the magnificent Yellowstone Caldera.

A caldera is a depression or crater formed after a large volcanic eruption. Yellowstone Caldera’s history stretches back hundreds of thousands of years. Still, the region continues to fascinate scientists. The U.S. Geological Survey’s Yellowstone Volcano Observatory even has a weekly column discussing the area’s features. Discover what warrants all this interest with these seven facts about the Yellowstone Caldera.

Learn more about Yellowstone with this guide to the park’s best hikes. History buffs can also read up on intriguing Yellowstone stories with this visual timeline.

Yellowstone tourist sneaks past bison; would you react differently?

A woman in Yellowstone National Park was unsure how to get past a large bison near the boardwalk. Did she choose the safest option?

The U.S. Department of the Interior last week issued a reminder that the bison rut is underway and urged visitors on public lands to give the massive animals space.

“No matter what time of year, always stay further than 25 yards away!” the agency cautioned via social media.

It reminded me of a situation I witnessed in Yellowstone National Park last May, when a woman encountered a large bison feeding only feet from a boardwalk as she walked toward the parking lot at the Petrified Tree.

Her male companion solved his dilemma by climbing through the fence and walking down a steep embankment to the lot. But the woman, after climbing through the fence, seemed more afraid of the hill than being trampled by the bison.

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A post shared by Pete Thomas (@solanapete)

As the video shows, she chose to climb back through the fence and onto the boardwalk, without making eye contact with the bison, and hurry toward the lot.

This was not during the bison rut, but it’s always dangerous to be this close to animals that can weigh 2,000 pounds, run 30 mph, and jump five feet over fences. (Yellowstone regulations require tourists to remain at least 25 yards from bison and elk.)

But precarious situations, usually made so by foolish tourists, play out almost daily in Yellowstone. Thankfully, bison and other large animals are generally tolerant unless they feel threatened.

Watch: Bull elk has last laugh after being taunted by motorist

Video footage captured in the Rockies shows why tourists should never taunt an elk, even from inside a vehicle.

The U.S. Department of the Interior last week issued a reminder that the bison rut is underway and urged visitors on public lands to give the massive animals space.

“No matter what time of year, always stay further than 25 yards away!” the agency cautioned. (Click here to witness the astonishing power of bison during a 2020 mating-season skirmish in Yellowstone National Park.)

Since the elk rut follows the bison rut in the Rockies, similar advisories are forthcoming because elk also are strong and unpredictable, and as dangerous as bison.

But, as with bison, bull elk do not need to be in the rut to become agitated, and this is illustrated wonderfully in the accompanying footage, which went viral last year.

As viewers can see, the motorist is taunting the elk through an open window while driving slowly toward the animal on a highway. “Watch out buddy,” the man goads, adding, “You wanna fight?”

The elk responded by plowing its antlers into the vehicle’s left front tire, leaving the motorist with a flat. The clip ends with an expletive issued from his female passenger.

–Generic elk image courtesy of ©Pete Thomas

Watch: Awesome power on display during Yellowstone bison rut

Dramatic footage showing a bison fight on a Yellowstone highway should remind tourists why the animals should be afforded a wide berth.

The U.S. Department of the Interior on Friday reminded those who visit public lands that the bison rut is underway and that people should be extra careful around the massive animals.

“Male bison are particularly aggressive now, as they congregate in herds to compete, socialize and breed,” the agency explained in a video tweet. “Bulls are on high alert and can get aggravated easily. No matter what time of year, always stay further than 25 yards away!”

For those who wonder just how forceful a male bison can be during the mating season, check out the awesome power on display in the following footage, captured three years ago in Yellowstone National Park.

It shows an angry bison ramming, lifting and propelling another bison 30 feet off the highway.

Male bison can weigh 2,000 pounds, and the animals can run up to 30 mph. They warrant respect at all times, but particularly during the July-August rut.

Watch: Yellowstone tourists face down 200 stampeding bison

The accompanying footage reveals what a Yellowstone bison stampede looks like from inside the nearest vehicle stopped on a park highway.

Many would agree that a bison stampede is best observed from a distance, but in Yellowstone National Park it doesn’t always turn out that way.

The accompanying footage reveals what a stampede looks like from inside the nearest vehicle stopped on a park highway.

Keep in mind that bison are the largest land animals in North America and can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds. The iconic beasts can sprint up to 30 mph, so a stampede might literally be earth-shaking.

“I think this is where I was saying ‘Oh God Dave’ fearing they would run right into the car,” Megan Baker-Murray, who captured the footage, stated recently on a Yellowstone-themed Facebook page. “Nothing we could do, nowhere to go.”

Baker-Murray and her husband Dave were in Lamar Valley when the bison stampede developed after they parked to allow the animals to pass.

“There were a number of different groups that ran past us,” Baker-Murray told FTW Outdoors. “Rough estimate is about 200 bison.”

Megan’s reactions varied as she captured the scene with her phone camera. Perhaps the scariest moment was when a male bison appeared briefly as though it might strike the vehicle.

The encounter was so intimate that Dave and Megan could hear grunting and detect the animals’ musty scent.

Megan said that while the prolonged encounter was unnerving at times, “It was truly amazing.”

More than 5,000 bison reside in Yellowstone National Park and the animals are commonly spotted feeding on grasses and sedges.

Occasionally, in what might seem a whim, they begin to relocate en masse. These short migrations can develop into what are referred to as bison stampedes.

Problem grizzly bear relocated near Yellowstone National Park

An adult female grizzly bear has been relocated from an area outside Cody, Wyo., to remote wilderness near Yellowstone National Park.

An adult female grizzly bear has been relocated from an area northwest of Cody, Wyo., to remote wilderness near Yellowstone National Park.

The bear, which had been preying on livestock, was relocated Aug. 6 to the Five Mile Creek Drainage region about five miles from Yellowstone’s East Entrance.

The Wyoming Game and Fish Department stated in a news release that the bear was moved “to reduce conflict potential” with humans.

It’s one of several grizzly bears relocated to Five Mile Creek Drainage in recent years.

Relocation is considered a management tool “to minimize the chance of future conflicts and maximize the relocated grizzly bear’s chance for survival,” the WGFD stated.

Grizzly bears that are deemed a threat to public safety are not relocated, but rather euthanized.

The Aug. 6 relocation was carried out after consultation with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

–Generic grizzly bear image courtesy of the National Park Service

Yellowstone reveals plan to halt spread of invasive brook trout

The recent discovery of brook trout in a popular Yellowstone National Park creek has biologists hustling to remove the nonnative species.

The trout were found in Soda Butte Creek, a popular fly-fishing destination in the northeastern portion of the park.

Brook trout are invasive and threaten native Yellowstone cutthroat trout. If left unchecked, brook trout could spread from Soda Butte Creek throughout the Lamar River watershed.

The park, in coordination with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and Custer Gallatin National Forest, will close a 9.6-mile stretch of Soda Butte Creek to the public Aug. 14-18.

ALSO: Another walleye fishing tournament marred by cheating scandal

During this period, biologists will kill brook trout with EPA-approved rotenone treatments.

Beforehand, during the week of Aug. 7, biologists will capture Yellowstone cutthroat trout via electroshocking. They’ll be kept alive in upper tributaries away from the treatment area.

A similar treatment program was successful in removing brook trout from Soda Butte Creek after they were discovered in 2015.

Cutthroat trout are the only trout native to Yellowstone National Park. They’re prized by anglers and play an important ecological role throughout the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

–Brook trout image is generic

Could fatal grizzly bear attack near Yellowstone have been avoided?

The woman who was killed by a grizzly bear Saturday near Yellowstone National Park was hiking alone and did not appear to have been armed with bear spray.

The incident occurred before 8 a.m. on the Buttermilk Trail west of West Yellowstone, Montana. The town is just outside Yellowstone National Park.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks confirmed in a Monday news release that the unidentified woman sustained wounds “consistent with a bear attack.”

Tracks from an adult grizzly bear and at least one cub were found nearby.

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As of Monday morning, an emergency closure of the Buttermilk Trail near the attack site remained under an emergency closure implemented by the Custer Gallatin National Forest.

Authorities are trying to locate and capture the bear believed responsible for the attack.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks stated in the news release:

“The hiker was believed to be alone during the encounter, and no bear spray or firearms were found at the scene. The incident is still under joint investigation by FWP and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

“FWP staff express sincere condolences to the family and friends of the hiker who was killed.”

Hikers in bear country are urged to stay in groups and to keep bear spray handy.

–Grizzly bear image courtesy of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks