TIME-TEMPERATURE- WEATHER:

Early AM (first light-9AM): clear, 38 at 4:45AM

CROWD: Crazy busy now. Bison jams are a regular thing; mornings and evenings. People stop in the road to gawk or take photos, even when bison are not actually on the road. As animals approach the road to cross, they wait for them, which means we all stop.

SUMMARY FOR THE DAY: Nice sightings of Junction pups and adults both morning and evening. Several Mollies are also seen 9-11AM in the old Druid Rendezvous. Warmer weather, bigger crowds, lots of bison jams now. Also, at Slough a possibly dead small pup seen in the morning

WOLF SIGHTINGS (total; pack; individuals, pullout, time of day): 18 wolves total from two packs

15 Junctions; 9 adults 7B/2G including 1385F, 1479F, 1484M, 1489M, 1545M, the uncollared gray, both uncollared black adults and the uncollared yearling plus 6 black pups) at Slough in the early morning

3 Mollies (1339M, 1411F, and one un-collared gray) in eastern Chalcedony from Geriatric in the late morning.

10 Junctions in the evening at Slough including adults 1385F, 1479F, 1489M and 1545M plus charming behavior from the six pups.

COMMENTS (wolves): 1479F seems to have a new personality: far more calm, more mature, now that she is a mom.

NON-WOLF SIGHTINGS (what & where)

Badger:digging at the far eastern edge of Chalcedony fan, just west of the confluence in the AM from Geriatric

Grizzly: 1 bear walking the tree line in Chalcedony fan in the AM from Geriatric. A second bear on the north side of Soda Butte Valley as we cruise through in the evening.

Bison: various, usual areas

Coyote: Slough

Sandhill crane: Slough

Elk: Slough den area and west of there

Chorus Frogs: singing in the melt water that has pooled south of Mid-point lot in Lamar (PM)

Pronghorn: Slough and Lamar

COMMENTS: I love hearing chorus frogs!

EARLY MORNING HIGHLIGHTS (first light till 9AM) As usual, I join Matt and Carla Rae in the “Eastern” lot. The first wolves I see are a gray on the gully ridge and a black bedded near the western trees. As the light grows I see a second gray near the gully, with a previously unseen second black.

At 6:10 both grays go to the sage den and meet the pups as they roll out. For the next hour and a half the little darlings entertain us, romping and gallumping all over their world.

More adults begin to appear and my count rises to 7 including blacks 1385F, yearling 1545M, the uncollared yearling, uncollared black limper and the other uncollared black adult. The two grays are 1484M and the uncollared gray, who remains the most popular puppy uncle.

We see a small herd of elk grazing below the spring meadow. They are here almost every morning. But today 1484M heads downhill towards them and three pups follow him part way.

He has a face-off with these bold elk. He then gives the pups a lesson when he bluff-charges the elk, making them run. The pups seem fascinated. Maybe the elk will learn too, to keep a more respectful distance!

The wolves we are missing include the alpha male, 1479F and 1489M. We suspect they might be visiting with 1478F.

We see several heartwarming moments of playful affection between the pups and various adults.

But then comes an odd moment.

The uncollared yearling moves up and away from the sage den with something small and dark in its mouth. It looks like a small pup. I don’t see any movement and realize it could be dead.

The yearling travels behind the eastern trees and I lose him. The alpha female is nearby and I see no reaction from her at all. I am not sure she noticed the yearling or that it was carrying something.

We cant help but wonder if this is the same pup 1385 was seen carrying on Thursday evening or a new lifeless pup. Hmmm.

7:20AM the wolves start to howl, and once that fades, 1385F and 1484M set off past the Crescent rock and into the Diagonal forest. They are followed by the two uncollared black adults (including the limping one)

They continue east through the upper part of the zig-zag drainage.

While this is happening, watchers in the Gravel pile lot see 1489M close to the campground road, alternately chasing and being chased by an elk. This wolf eventually begins to climb up the lion meadow back to the den.

He greets the pups and then beds down. Soon, the pups go back underground.

By 8AM things have quieted down so I head to Lamar to join watchers looking for Mollies.

I find Celia and Glenda on Geriatric. Glenda spots a collared black (1411F) just west of the river bottoms. She is moving at a brisk trot towards the left side of Chalcedony fan, followed by collared gray 1339M. An uncollared gray is a scope length behind them. This wolf turns around and goes back east to check out a badger, furiously digging.

The wolf flinches a few times as he is hit by flying dirt. When the wolf gets closer, the badger turns and snaps at him. This is enough to change the wolfs mind. He turns to catch up with his two pack mates, who have stopped to wait for him.

The three of them enter the eroded area, which is fairly full of bison. 1411F scent and 1339 do a series of double scent marks complete with back scratches. The uncollared gray adds his scent as well!

I guess these Mollies want to make sure other wolves know they now consider Lamar their home.

The wolves bed down and the day is warm enough to shed some layers. I head back east for a break.

EVENING HIGHLIGHTS (4:30PM-9PM) Maureen and Rick and I head out around 4:30. Whenever there are clouds in the evening, the wolf watching at Slough is better. Otherwise you are looking into the westering sun.

We climb Trash Can Hill to see if the Mollies are still in the old Druid rendezvous. The heat waves are intense. Unsurprisingly, we find no wolves.

At Slough I join others at Dougs old lot. Alpha 1385F is in view, bedded comfortably on the left knoll, left of the den knoll. All six pups are near her, some resting, some exploring. She strikes me as a very calm mother, taking after our dear 907.

The pups range quite far from the den tonight but they seem to really enjoy it. Some are on their own; others explore with one or two siblings. I follow many visits to the den and back, as they learn the routes.

Bold pup heads downhill past Bouncy pup. Bouncy pup pounces on Bold pup, Well, not quite. He MEANT to pounce, but he missed, and lands on his side. Bouncy pup gets right back up, though and follow Bold pup down to the gully. Then they both scamper back up the hill. Aghhh! So cute!

At 6:30 everyone’s favorite wolf 1479F appears from somewhere. Four pups run to her and she nuzzles them. She moves right and the pups trail her, wanting to nurse, but she doesn't seem to be in the mood for it.

I am struck by the interesting and new maturity I see in 1479F now that she is a mother. She is far more calm than has been usual for her. Until this spring, she was never one to stand still. Now she does, in order to properly lick a pup or two, or nurse them, or just to bed near them.

She eventually settles near 1385 and flops on her side. The pups swarm both females. They remain active, romping, tussling, wrestling and exploring.

A third black adult emerges from the eastern trees, 1545M, the "GPS black". He settles near the two females, and the pups climb on him.

Around 6:45 a fourth black, 1489M, appears from wherever he was hidden. He visits with the pups and lets them climb on him, too. As he rolls over, we notice his front paws are white.

The clouds drop a few short rain showers this evening but mostly we have a lovely, peaceful evening with the Junction pups and their babysitters.

I leave Slough a bit early, around 7PM, anticipating the likelihood of being delayed by bison jams in Lamar. Tonight I endure three on the way to Northeast.

Tis the season.

TODAY I SAW: 2 grizzly bears, bison (and calves), sandhill cranes, elk, pronghorn, 18 wolves: 15 Junctions (9 adults including 1385F, 1479F, 1484M, 1489M, 1545M, the uncollared gray, both uncollared black adults and the uncollared yearling and 6 black pups) plus 3 Mollies (1339M, 1411F, and one un-collared gray) and the spirits of Allison, Richard, Jeff and Chloe.

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS I USE, IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER:

DF: Diagonal Forest (a feature east of the Slough den)

DPH: Dead Puppy Hill, the partly treed hill below the crest of Mt. Norris immediately south of Footbridge pullout. Named by coyote researchers before the 1995 wolf reintroduction. The hill has been a popular area with local wolf packs since wolves were reintroduced. It has held several coyote dens over the years, but to my knowledge, this year is the first time a wolf pack has denned on it. The Mollies chose an area on the western slope above the new growth forest, and produced at least two pups, one black and one gray, which were seen infrequently during June.

HF: Horizontal Forest (another feather east of the Slough den

HR: Hellroaring (large overlook pullout on the Blacktail)

LCW: Lamar Canyon West (pullout on the western side of Lamar Canyon) that overlooks a lot of, but not all of, the area wolves use at Slough.

MST: Marge Simpson Tree (distinctive tree in Slough Flats) In 2024, the Junctions used the meadows below and left of Marge as their August-October rendezvous.

OGR: "The OGR" Old Gardiner Road (current name for the new road hastily constructed after the 2022 flood on top of the former gravel road between Mammoth and Gardiner)

RP: Round Prairie (big meadow south of Pebble Creek campground)

SB: Soda Butte (or SBV Soda Butte Valley) where Soda Butte Creek flows between Round Prairie and its Confluence with the Lamar River)

SG: Silver Gate (small town just outside the northeast Park entrance)

SRT: Southern Round Tree (distinctive tree south of the Marge Simpson Tree)

UCG: Un-collared gray (Junction 2 yr-old bouncy male). Born to the Rescue Creek Pack, he joined the Junction Pack sometime in February 2025.

YGM: Yellow Grass Meadow (a feature east of and upslope of the Horizontal forest at Slough)