It’s a more normal start to the day with 41 degrees at 4:40AM

I start at Slough at the Bob’s knob lot with a few others. It takes a while but finally we see the head of a black wolf peeking over the crest of the flower hill.

For the next hour that’s all we have; sporadic glimpses of a wolf’s body, but never enough to tell which one. Finally, around 7:30 I see a whole wolf: the alpha male.

Paul is up on Dave’s Hill, and reports wolves approaching the Southern Round Tree. So, Kristina and I hike out to the Knob for a better view. We soon locate two blacks and two grays. They are following the curve of standing water, aiming towards the thick willows.

Looks like they are paying a visit to the old elk carcass.

Unfortunately, the vegetation is too thick to allow good viewing, but when the wolves finish, we will be able to follow them as they head back up to the den.

1478F is the first to do so. She swims the creek, then takes her time moving up the hill below the small diagonal forest.

When she gets to the rocky meadow below the western trees, the alphas emerge from Hidden Meadow. They rush to greet 1478 with the two pups running close behind. 1478 lowers her head and feeds the alphas.

The pups get some, too, then follow the adults back to Hidden Meadow. Before 1478 disappears, though, she bolts towards Crescent rock and grabs something, likely a ground squirrel or a marmot. She tosses it in the air a few times, then brings it back behind the flower hill.

Meanwhile, down in the flats, 1479F is tooling around in her independent way. She takes several opportunities to swim or wade through the various sloughs and ponds in addition to crossing the creek itself. She sure seems to like the water today!

Between swims, she finds something on the bank that piques her interest. She digs a bit, then chews on what she found. Once that’s consumed, she crosses the creek once more then heads uphill to the den.

1385F is also down at the carcass. When she starts to travel back up, she is accompanied by the uncollared gray (female).

These, too, disappear into Hidden Meadow. I swear they must have a bunch of couches and big screen TV’s back there.

While watching these wolves, we are treated to a black bear mini-drama in front of the Mixed Forest. A cinnamon female is being courted by two boars (both black). She seems indifferent to them, but the males have a tussle with each other over her. Surprise, surprise, the bigger bear "wins".

There are also quite a few elk in the area today, as well as a badger and a merganser with 7 chicks.

To top off the day, we see the Middle Ridge sow with her three coys up on Specimen. To my knowledge, the sow with five is not spotted today.

Around 10AM I head back to my car and discover that Laurie and Dan have been watching wolves from the roadside. They missed the action in the flats but could follow the wolves climbing up towards the den.

We drive back east together and stop at Dorothy’s to check the coyote den.

It’s an especially nice sighting this morning, with all eight rambunctious pups. They are just a riot as they play and wrestle with each other. We also see two adults keeping vigil.

While we enjoy the antics of the pups, a herd of bison begins to cross the rain-swollen Lamar River. I’m glad I am not a bison calf today. It makes me nervous to watch them get caught in the current, struggling mightily to touch solid ground again.

But in the end, they all make it.

I count over two dozen calves that make this successful crossing. I love how they instantly gallop across the pebbles once they finally get purchase again.

It’s another beautiful day, warming to 73 (which feels like 90 to me!)

Both the Lamar and the Soda Butte are officially in flood now. But it’s a nice, normal flood, nothing scary like in 2022.

We go back east and find two moose in the marsh across from Laurie’s house. Looks like mom and a yearling.

Today I saw: 1 badger, 3 black bears, 3 grizzly bears (including 2 coys), bison (and calves), coyotes (including 8 pups), mule deer, elk, a merganser female (with 7 chicks), 2 moose, pronghorn, 8 Junction wolves (including 907, AM, 1385F, 1478F, 1479F, an uncollared gray plus both pups) and the spirits of Allison, Richard, Jeff and Chloe.