I find overcast skies and temps in the 40’s as I head out this morning.

When I arrive at Slough, other watchers inform me that the Junctions have a fresh kill in the flats. So I climb up Dave’s Hill.

My first wolf is gray adult 1478, who travels down from the den area towards the flats. Eventually I see a total of 4 adult wolves in the carcass area during the early hours; the alpha male, 1479F, 1478F and Dark Gray.

Some bison move through the area, temporarily displacing the wolves. Both 1478 and Dark Gray wisely grab pieces to carry into the willows so they can keep eating while the bison do their thing. Dark Gray chooses a leg-assembly while 1478 takes a still-bloody chunk.

As usual, there are also bears to watch this morning, too. In front of the Mixed forest we see two black bears; one cinnamon and the other black. Michael finds a grizzly up and to the right of the den cliff.

To the south is a small group of cow elk walking on skyline left of the Specimen high point. They have a single calf with them, my first of this year.

After nearly an hour of feeding, the alpha male starts the long, slow climb back to the den area. When he reaches the spring meadow, 907F emerges from behind the Flower Hill and come bounding over to him.

He feeds her and she gobbles it up. The two of them move back up towards the eastern end of the eastern trees and disappear into what I start to call Hidden Meadow.

It looks like the pack has found a new hang-out spot. It was always a struggle to see them in their gully hangout below the sage den, but this spot hides them completely!

As if to underline the fact that they have a new spot, when 1479F comes back up from her carcass breakfast, she totally bypasses the sage den and aims straight for the “entrance” to Hidden Meadow.

Whether this “move” is related to the pup-nabbing yesterday is unknown. It is common for pups to seek a new “family room” at about this stage of their lives. But they also might just be enjoying the novelty and will return to using the sage den later.

For wolf watchers like me, though, it looks like our days of easy sightings around the den are over for a while. We will have to be satisfied with simply watching them come and go.

A collared black adult pops up briefly on the top of the Flower Hill. She beds right on the ridge top for a short time, mostly obscured by the thick vegetation. None of us see a GPS box, so it’s probably 1385F.

I ask Rick if the view from Crystal might offer a view behind the Flower Hill. He says it might. So, around 9AM, with no wolves in view, we hike down to our cars and drive there.

You CAN see a little bit of Hidden Meadow from here but it’s a much longer view so probably not worth it.

I pack up and continue driving west. Today I am sneaking in another quick visit to Bozeman to take care of some business. The plan is to drive there and back in a single day.

On the way west I see two black bears and a bull elk on the Blacktail.

My quickie visit home proceeds like clockwork, and I am headed back to the Park at 3PM.

I see a marmot at the eastern end of the Undine falls lot.

Around 6PM I find Maureen and Rick at Slough. We have just gotten the news that Laurie and Dan will finally join us tomorrow. Laurie has had to postpone their visit several times due to continued pain with her ribs.

Alas, there are no Junctions in view this evening. They are still in their hiding place. We continue east, slowed down a bit by a black bear jam in Lamar Canyon.

At Footbridge we check the coyote den. Tonight, three of the four pups are in view, wrestling and tumbling, having a wonderful time. One of them loses its footing and rolls sideways right down into den hole!

A single adult is nearby, rolling eagerly in something.

We head for Silver Gate around 8 and see mule deer south of Lower Baronette

Today I saw: 3 black bears, 2 grizzlies, bison (and calves), coyotes (and 4 pups), mule deer, elk (and a calf), a fox, 1 marmot, 1 moose, pronghorn, 7 Junction wolves (including 907, AM, 1385F, 1478F, 1479F plus the two pups) and the spirits of Allison, Richard, Jeff and Chloe.