Tuesday, May 11,2021

Yankee Jim Canyon National Forest Campground

Puppies! And other assorted wildlife.

Got out early today – I left camp at 6:00 am. It didn't help, though. Nothing happened until around 10:00. That'll teach me.

Spent the first couple of hours driving around trying to find Melba to talk about the scope part – no luck, I never saw her all day.

Finally, I went to Slough Creek to see what was happening at the wolf den. Not much for about an hour, and then pups came out. Mom was laying in the den entrance and we saw at least 4 pups – 2 blacks and 2 greys. They are about 3 weeks old and maybe 8 inches tall. Lots of frolicking about and climbing on Mom. A one point, Mom fell off the platform at the entrance we call the porch. The distances are so far – it was measured at just over a mile – pictures aren't really any good without the phone adapter.

Later, I went looking for Melba again. Along the way, I encountered a black bear just off the road:





Out in the Lamar Valley are 2 fenced in areas called “exclosures.” They are studying the effects of animals eating the vegetation by keeping them out of these areas. Rocky Mountain National Park has some as well. Just past them, a dead bison appeared this morning. It's kind of in a gully, but it still drew scavengers and photographers. It's only 200-300 yards off the road, so it makes for OK photos. As I was passing it, I saw a wolf trying to work it's way around the people to get to it, so I stopped and waited. I got 2 decent pictures:


Oh, in case anybody thinks this is happening in howling wilderness, here's where I took those pictures from:





I was in that line of photographers.


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