UPDATED: This article was initially revealed on 31 October 2018 and up to date on 11 April 2022.
Yellowstone National Park is a reasonably particular place to go to at the perfect of instances. Covering nearly 9,000 sq. kilometres of dense woodland, technicolour lakes, and a few very dramatic geysers, the park seemingly ticks all of the containers of what a nature-lover may need in a park.
Until you contemplate the wildlife. Namely, the 100 or so wolves residing inside it.
We’re taught from a younger age to worry wolves: they’ll impersonate your sick gran and eat you; they’ll huff they usually’ll puff they usually’ll blow your home down (and eat you); or they’ll gown up as your mum (who occurs to be a goat), trick you into opening the entrance door, after which – yep – eat you (alongside along with your six goat brothers and sisters). But this adverse popularity is basically unfounded; wolves – having been hunted nearly to extinction – can’t stand people, and can do absolutely anything to stay hidden from view.
A small pack of wolves within the snow.
Yellowstone is likely one of the finest locations on this planet to identify wolves, and lovers of all issues lupine/fairy story/Duran Duran have the chance to do that on a wolf monitoring tour within the nationwide park.
SPEND A DAY WITH AN EXPERT WOLF TRACKER ON OUR YELLOWSTONE & GRAND TETON ADVENTURE
But what precisely is wolf monitoring? We chatted to Intrepid’s US Operations Manager Ben Collier about what a wolf monitoring tour is all about, and what travellers can count on.
What is wolf monitoring?
“Wolf tracking is more like a safari or game drive, where the aim of the game is spotting a wolf. You’ll go out into the park with a guide, whose expert knowledge of Yellowstone and its 100-or-so wolves (along with the CB radio they use to communicate with other guides and rangers), will increase your chances of seeing a wolf in the wild,” Ben tells me.
SUBSCRIBE TO INTREPID’S NEWSLETTER FOR TRAVEL TIPS, COMPETITIONS, GIVEAWAYS & MORE
What occurs on a wolf monitoring tour in Yellowstone?
“Wolves are most energetic round daybreak and nightfall, so be ready for an early begin (like, 4-5am). After assembly your knowledgeable wolf monitoring information, you’ll head out into the park along with your group in quest of the elusive creatures and different fascinating wildlife.
A herd of Pronghorn antelopes.
“When your guide thinks they have the spot, optic scopes are set up to try to get the best view of the animal. You may need to hike a little way for the best vantage spot, and patience is most definitely required, as there can be a lot of waiting around. Your guide will provide you with insights into the park’s history, geology, flora and fauna throughout the day.”
CHECK OUT OUR RANGE OF SMALL GROUP WILDLIFE ADVENTURES
READ MORE: THE BEST HIKES IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK
How many wolves are you more likely to see in Yellowstone?
“Even with an experienced tracker, spotting wolves can be tricky. But as they’re pack animals, if you see one, you may be lucky enough to see multiple wolves all at once, playing together, eating, or looking after the young cubs.”
When is the perfect time to see wolves in Yellowstone?
Firehole River, Yellowstone National Park.
“The wolves stay relatively hidden during summer, and are at their most active during the colder winter months.”
What different animals will you see in Yellowstone?
A younger Red Fox on the prowl for meals.
“Yellowstone is FULL of incredible creatures, so if you don’t spot a wolf it’s highly likely you’ll see something else! Grizzly and black bear, moose, elk, bison, pronghorn antelope, red fox, coyotes, rocky mountain goats, bighorn sheep, river otters, mountain lions (very rare!) and a large variety of birdlife live within Yellowstone National Park.”
RELATED: OUR TOP 6 ARCTIC WILDLIFE EXPERIENCES
Could you skip the information and head out into the park by yourself?
“You might, however your possibilities of recognizing a wolf with out a information are impossible. Yellowstone is bigger than the whole metropolitan space surrounding London, and is closely forested, coated in mountains and largely inaccessible by car. Wolves are additionally very savvy in the case of avoiding people, they usually’ll scent you lengthy earlier than you might have a hope of glimpsing them.
Grazing elk within the park.
“The guides and rangers in Yellowstone all work collectively, so if one group has a fortunate encounter, they’ll share their location with everybody else. Plus, the recognizing scopes the guides use are prohibitively costly; one thing the typical wildlife lover in all probability doesn’t have of their backpack.
“I’ve been lucky enough to see a wolf up close with the naked eye, but it was a rare sighting. And by close, I mean about 30 metres away. I once had a guide show me a wolf four miles away. Four miles!”
EXPLORE OUR US NATIONAL PARK TOURS
What is it like seeing a wolf within the wild in Yellowstone?
A gray wolf snacking on a bison carcass in Yellowstone
“Seeing a wolf within the wild is like wanting via a window into the previous, earlier than civilisation had tamed the vast majority of the North American continent. There’s no animal that embodies the spirit of the American wilderness greater than a gray wolf. Wolves have been the apex predator that civilisation changed throughout North America and Europe; they have been nearly pushed to extinction within the USA within the early 1900s, and have solely lately began recovering their numbers. Wolves have been reintroduced into Yellowstone within the mid-90s, which has led not solely to the resurgence of wolf populations within the park, however a rise in beaver colonies as effectively.
It seems like a enjoyable day!
“It is! Wolf tracking is one of our most popular activities. After a day spent in the outdoors, seeing wildlife and learning about Yellowstone, our groups are invigorated and inspired. And usually pretty tired as well. We did get up at 4am, after all.”
Interested in spending a day within the nice open air on a wolf-tracking tour? Join us on our Yellowstone & Grand Teton Adventure or Family Holiday, or our South Dakota to Montana Parks Explorer tour.
Feature picture by Agnieszka Bacal through Shutterstock. All different photographs by Ben Collier.