I am out a tad earlier than usual this morning at 4:30. It’s cooler, too, at 36 degrees. My kinda morning!

My first sighting is a huge herd of bison on and off both sides of the road at Midpoint, so I slow to a crawl. I have to stop a few times for calves in the road, staring at my headlights.

As I continue up Hubbard Hill, I am aware that more bison could be on the road on the other side, so I still go very slowly. It’s still dark and bison don’t wear orange vests.

At the crest I can see only shadowy grazers well away from the pavement. The crossing seems finished for the moment. Whew!

As I ease forward down the hill, I see headlights of a single oncoming car in the flat ahead. I am almost at the YES pullout when that oncoming car suddenly stops. I react by touching the brake even though I suspect they just stopped to view the herd.

Suddenly my car’s collision sensor SLAMS me to a full stop. A bison body is smack in front of me, broadside. Everything in my car slides forward, everything on my passenger seat hits the floor; the legs of my tripod slip between the front seats.

Wow.

The bison goes on her way. The oncoming car, a guide van, creeps forward as I remain stopped in shock. I roll down my window. It’s Michelle of Wolftracker.

I stare at her with wide open eyes and say “I think you just saved my life! I stopped because you were stopped!” Her eyes are wide, too. She shakes her head, saying, “yeah, that one came outta nowhere!”

I truly did not see the animal until it was close enough to wreck my car.

“Thank you!” I call, and she waves. We both go on our way.

If I had not automatically slowed my car in reaction to Michelle stopping, I might have hit the cow. If my car had slammed me to a stop from a higher rate of speed, I might have hit the windshield AND the bison.

I have a new appreciation for how easy it is to hit a bison. In the dark.

I continue to Slough, and the road remains mercifully bison free.

Paul is up on Dave’s as I pull into my new favorite spot, Bob’s knob. He says “nothing so far”.

Instead of a wolf, my first sighting at Slough is a short-tailed weasel, just below the lot. I meet some interesting people in the lot today, including a couple who both work in zoos; her with cheetahs and him with elephants. The young woman tells me that in her lifetime (she’s 30) the cheetah population has gone from 15K to 10K. Scary

It takes until 7:30 before I see my first wolf when 1477F comes up from the flats. She heads straight to the Hidden Meadow. No wolves come out to greet her and she disappears behind the hill.

This is my last full day for a while, so when Laurie and Dan arrive, I climb up Dave’s Hill with them, joining Rick and Maureen and Paul.

Around 9AM, we are rewarded with an appearance by 907F. She emerges from behind the flower hill and goes to the spring for a drink. She passes several grazing elk on her way but she pays them no attention.

1478F climbs up from below and stops to the left of the sage den. The alpha male and 1477F approach her, begging for food. Then 907 comes over with her tail high.

1478F tucks her tail and tries to get away but 907 chases her and stands over her. 1478 finally gives up and feeds her.

Paul managed a quick glimpse of both pups, but I miss them. It’s also a rare morning when I don’t see 1479F. She has become such an independent wolf, though, I’m sure she is off somewhere on an adventure.

For a while we have no wolves to watch, then the uncollared gray female peeks up above the crest of the flower hill. As she beds down she becomes nearly invisible.

1478F has a walkabout, visiting the natal den, sticking her head in for a sniff, then returning to Hidden Meadow.

Dan, who is always scanning other areas, finds a black bear up on Specimen. He finds another one (cinnamon) well east of the den in the yellow grass meadow.

We also see two grizzly families on Middle Ridge; the one with 3 and the one with 2.

Around 10AM we climb down and head back east.

We stop at Dorothy’s to check the coyote den. Unfortunately for us (and for the poor pups), a bison herd has chosen to bed down right on den hill. Several big brown monsters are resting right next to the main opening!

Three or four times I see a little coyote head pop up from below, checking to see if it’s safe to come out yet, then dropping back down in disappointment.

Once I see two puppy heads peeking out at the same time, in two different spots. One of them is bold enough to scrambles out. The little cutie hides for a while in thick sage, but then loses its nerve and dashes back inside.

Laurie notices an elk drama playing out at the edge of the Lamar. An elk cow is trying to convince her newborn calf to cross the flooded river to the south. The calf is NOT having it. I think I agree with the calf!

The cow repeatedly goes into the water, trying to encourage her little one. Another cow, younger than the one in the water, stands a bit closer to the calf. Laurie and I wonder if she might be the calf’s older sister? She seems to be taking the calf’s side in the argument.

The calf is not budging, so the cow returns to it.

We continue east and stop at Footbridge, so I can show Laurie & Dan the other coyote den. Alas, there are no animals in view.

We go on but I stop at Round Prairie to switch out of my boots. While I’m here a guide finds goats to the south and gives me a look through her scope. I see 2 adults and 2 kids.

The Soda Butte Picnic lot has been re-opened, so I guess the water level is dropping once more.

After a break in Silver Gate, I go out around 5 for my last night.

I find mule deer as usual in the high meadows, and a few more at Baronette.

At Footbridge my coyote luck returns. All four pups are in view, plus one adult. The little darlings play and wrestle for several minutes. Then something startles them (not sure what) and they suddenly dash underground.

I wait a short while, but they do not re-appear.

My next stop is Dorothy’s. Happily the bison have moved on, but alas, I see no pups. Just one vigilant adult.

Gary finds a grizzly grazing up behind the Institute.

I continue to Slough. It’s the warmest evening yet, at 78!

There is a bit of cloud cover, making viewing possible. I see the alpha male bedded under 890's tree. All too soon he gets up and moves out of sight behind the flower hill. A few minutes later a gray (that I didn’t see until now) gets up and does the same.

At 6:40, three wolves appear between the flower hill and the eastern trees: 907, an uncollared gray and a dark uncollared black. To my delight, the two pups come out, too. The wolves have a rally, with the sweet little pups joining in with their high voices.

907 settles down in front of the eastern trees, and the black pup jumps on her!

The other adults bed nearby, and the gray pup wanders from one to the other. A little later, 907 goes down to the spring for a drink.

Unfortunately the sun has found an opening in the clouds, and the resulting glare makes it nearly impossible to see anything.

So I head back a bit early, seeing two foxes on my way.

Today I saw: 2 black bears, 8 grizzlies (including 5 cubs), bison (with calves), many coyotes, including at least 9 pups at two different dens), mule deer, elk, 2 foxes, 4 mountain goats (including two kids), pronghorn, a short-tailed weasel, 7 Junctions wolves (including the alpha pair, 1477f, 1478F an uncollared gray female plus both pups) and the spirits of Allison, Richard, Jeff and Chloe.