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| Copyright � 2001-2002 Lee Romrell All rights reserved, including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. "Neither the United States Parks service nor any other component of the Department of Agriculture has approved, or endorsed, or authorized this product/service/activity in anyway." |
| Lee's Yellowstone |
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| I have a map of the Yellowstone area so that you may easily find the location that I mention about where to find the bears. Different times of the year are of importance in locating them. |
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| This was the first bear photo I took as an adult in the Park. This was just past Fishing Bridge, a mile going East. He is turning over a log looking for dinner. This is a grizzly. 1983...... |
| The Yellowstone bear is probably the most sought after adventure that most people want to experience. They remember or hear stories of the bears coming within a few feet of people and cars in search for food. For many years this was the practice inside the Park. Beacauwe of this, too many accidents were happening. It became the policy to keep the bears away from human food and place them back in their own natural habitat. Many people have been disappointed because they have not seen a bear on a trip to Yellowstone. I will do my best to help you locate them and tell where and when to see them. First, in Yellowstone, there are two types of bear: The black bear and the grizzly. The black bear can be either black or brown. The black bear weighs between 135 and 320 pounds. the Grizzly is larger, weighing from 320 to 600 pounds. Black bears have a straight face profile, higher rump, and short, curved claws. The grizzly has a dish face profile, hump between the shoulders, longer, less curved claws. The grizzly sometimes has long hairs that have white tips that give it a "grizzled" appearance, hence the name "grizzly". Both bears can still have a similar color so sometimes it is hard to tell them apart. I have also seen both bears in the same area about the same time, so they can both have the same habitat in Yellowstone. The Grizz walks a lot in a zig zag pattern, not in a stright line, in search for food. They are more in the open areas, like the meadows. |
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| The photo on left is a black bear. On the right, grizzly. Notice the difference. The first I saw by Canyon, summer 2001; the grizz, by Norris June 2001, where the moose wildlife signs are. Both are worth seeing in the wild. I have seen more than my share. I still enjoy seeing them. In the summer of 2000, I saw 10 bear in 3 days. Guess I am just really lucky. |
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| WHERE ARE THE BEARS LOCATED? |
| The bear in Yellowstone may be found in different areas at different times of the year. The best time to see the bear is from Late May thru July. In August the bears are usually in the backcountry storing up food for the Winter. The places where I have seen the most bear is in the Spring around Hayden Valley and the Yellowstone Lake area. Also Lamar Valley and towards Mammoth. In June look for them just past Norris where the Moose Wildlife area in found. Then by Fishing Bridge. We have seen them in Hayden Valley and once in a while by Canyon. If you drive around about 4:00 till it get dark, and drive slow you may see one. But, it is still just being lucky. For some reason I have been lucky over the years. Sit back and enjoy the photos of bears I have taken over the years. |
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| Grizzly by the Moose Wildlife area past Norris, June 2000. She just sat down by the water for a rest. My 16 year old took this photo. |
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| Grizzly and 2 cubs by Fishing Bridge, June 2000. Beautiful... |
| Black bear June 2001, between Tower and Roosevelt area |
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| This is one of my favorites. Taken just before dropping down into the area of Mammoth, Summer 1985. Black bear and 2 cubs. The mother is giving me dirty looks. Notice how beautiful the area is at this time of year. |
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| This is my daughter's favorite bear photo. Taken by Tower, June 2001. She likes how the bear is surrounded by the foilage. (the green stuff). |
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| Same as above. Climbing log with style... |
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| Black bear by Norris area, Sept. 2000. Snow and 23 degrees. It was really cold. Notice how cold the ground looks. |
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| Grizzly, Fishing Bridge, June 1998. Huge bear.... |
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| Black bear looking for food. By Tower Falls heading towards Roosevelt |
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| Grizzly, Mud Volcano, past Lake, June 2001. Walking down the walkway scaring people along the way. Photo overexposed but you still can see it. |
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| Grizzly (I think) Fishing Bridge, June 1998. We saw one on the other side of the road just a half hour after this one. |
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| This is an interesting photo taken in Hayden Valley going towards Lake. There is a Grizz on the right just eating, and the buffalo on the left. Two large animals can get along. Taken in 1989. |
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| Not a real clear photo, but I like the foilage around the bear |
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| I like this photo of the Black bear. Shows how powerful, yet gentle they can be. By Tower area. Summer 2000 |
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| This was Sept. 2000. It snowed and was 23 degrees. You can see how cold the grass was. Beautiful shot of a black bear. |
| I hope that you have enjoyed the bear photos. I have enjoyed seeing many bear over the years. It is always a thrill to watch a bear for a while. It you have the time, see the park a couple of different times during the year, because the park changes during the seasons. The animals behave differently also. The bears are more aggressive in May than they are in July. In early Spring the Grizz will attack a buffalo for a good mea. Have fun and be careful. |
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