I start my day in Northeast today at a chilly 27 degrees. There was a good bit of wind last night and snow is falling on my drive in.

As I approach Round Prairie I see three people, including Becky B, standing on the north side with scopes pointed just above the willows.

I park at the center lot and walk back to join them. Right away I have a wolf in view, most likely the nearly 2-year-old male of the Shrimp Lake Pack.

Becky whispers that she caught a glimpse of 1228F up at the tree line a little earlier, but right now this bedded gray is the only one in view. He looks directly at us and does not seem particularly pleased.

A few days ago, this pack had a bison carcass in the willows. There are only 7 of them, so there is likely a good bit of food left.

I watch a bit longer but the wolf soon moves out of view. I thank Becky, again and drive to Footbridge, hoping for a lion sighting.

Instead, I find a single mountain goat bedded in a crevice. Someone sent Laurie a photo of the area where the cat was seen and this goat is quite close to that spot. I see no cat in view now. I am not sure why the goat is there and wonder if perhaps it is injured.

Doug Mac at Hitching Post, so I move there. Becky B arrives and shows us both where a different carcass is, a bull elk, above the ledge trail. Thanks, Becky! Only birds are on it now, including a bald and two goldens (or perhaps juvenile balds).

A coyote arrives, grabs a bite or two but doesn’t stay long.

I find three bull elk grazing a level above the carcass. Doug Mac finds a few bighorn sheep up in the cliffs, left of the goat, but we never see the cat, nor any wolves.

I continue west, stopping to look around at Slough, then Curve and finally Lower Hellroaring, with no luck at all. The day is quite windy and I reckon it will bring more snow soon.

I go back east to try for the cat again. On the way I see bison crossing the frozen creek at Picnic. A “hand of god” sunstreak appears in the sky over Mt. Norris.

I see a cow moose and calf south of Soda Butte east, thanks to a guide. They quickly move into the trees.

I go back to Silver Gate to check on Laurie & Dan, telling them about my glimpse of the Shrimp Lake gray. We all go out around 4PM.

We talk with visitors at Round Prairie. One by one, the other visitors leave and it’s just us three.

A large section of flat pullout near the Shrimp’s bison carcass is still blocked off but as there is no traffic, I suggest we drive slowly past the spot where I saw the gray this morning and just look with binocs.

Luck is with me as no one comes along. I stop and lift my binoculars through my window.

There!

The black female is in view. Laurie & Dan stop behind me and do the same. We don’t get out nor do we set up our scopes. It’s just us and the wolf. To my delight, an uncollared gray joins the black.

This gray is not the same wolf I saw this morning, but one of the pups.

I can see the new collar on the black. I also notice the mange she had earlier this fall seems to have improved. The mild winter has probably helped.

It’s so nice to be able to share this sighting with Laurie & Dan. We do have some excellent luck sometimes!

After a bit, though, another car arrives, so we leave the wolves and drive east, grinning from ear to ear.

Today I saw: bison, coyote, a bald eagle, two golden eagles, elk, 1 mountain goat, 2 moose, 3 bighorn sheep, 3 wolves (all Shrimp Lake: 2 yr old male, black 2 yr old female, and one gray pup) and the spirits of Allison, Richard, Jeff and Chloe.