Forum Index > Trip Reports > [Graphic] Chase, Catch, Kill & Consume
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Bootpathguy
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PostFri Mar 18, 2022 8:07 pm 
I never would have believed I would ever be a witness to something like this. Nature at it rawest & most brutal Our family & some friends went to Yellowstone a couple weeks ago. Stayed 3 days. Wildlife viewing was the main objective. Fly-fishing #2 & good food & adult beverages mixed in here-&-there. My wife is the photographer in the family. She was excited for this trip. Of course, we all wanted to see a wolf. I attempted to temper my wife's expectations and explained to her that seeing a wolf in Yellowstone is not a given. In fact, very few visitors ever get to see one. We did know that winter is the best chance to see a wolf. 3 of us got up early on our first morning there. Not soon after entering the park we noticed some Bison on the far bank of the Gardner River. My wife wanted to get out and photograph them. We ( me, my wife & our daughters boyfriend ) got out of the truck and started down the slope. A small group of about 5 adult Bison with a young individual at the rear of the group. Not soon after setting up tripod and long lens, our daughter's boyfriend says, "Wolves!" 2 wolves to our left about 75 yards away. We weren't the only ones watching Bison. We then heard some howling and the 2 wolves we were watching answered back. They moved away from us. We grabbed the camera, collapsed the tripod and scrambled back up the hill hoping to see a pack of wolves. We got to a area with a better vantage and noticed the other group on a ridge still calling to the 2 individuals down by the river. We then saw 2 Mule Deer down near the river. It happened so quick. 1 of the wolves started chasing 1 of the deer directly on the rivers bank. Opposite side of the river we were on. The deer made it to the center of the river with the wolf right on its heels. The second wolf caught up. The struggle occurred in the river. 8 wolves eventually fed and the entire deer was consumed in less than 30 minutes Really mixed emotions about what I experienced. Documented the entire thing with video & photos We did alot of driving. Alot! But it paid off. We saw wolves all 3 days we were there. We saw wolves mate. We saw 2 different wolf packs fight. We were serenaded with howling wolves. It was thrilling! ( photo credit my wife & daughter )

Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want

Silas, thunderhead, labgirl420, Pef, seawallrunner, silence, coldrain108, Gabep, Michael Lewis, TeeJay, Hiking addict, jditty, Kascadia, zimmertr, Char May, JimK, sooperfly, Slim, Now I Fly, RichP, jstern, Fedor  geyer  the Zachster, Alden Ryno, Tom, awilsondc, rubywrangler
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moonspots
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moonspots
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PostFri Mar 18, 2022 10:34 pm 
Bootpathguy wrote:
We did alot of driving. Alot! But it paid off. We saw wolves all 3 days we were there. We saw wolves mate. We saw 2 different wolf packs fight. We were serenaded with howling wolves. It was thrilling!
Of all the times I've been to Yellowstone, I've yet to see a wolf. Bison (many), grizzly, moose, elk and maybe a coyote. So yeah, good catch. And your wife is indeed a good photographer up.gif

"Out, OUT you demons of Stupidity"! - St Dogbert, patron Saint of Technology
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awilsondc
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PostSat Mar 19, 2022 8:27 am 
Incredible experience! That's bucket list stuff right there. Man, that sure would be emotion and thought provoking to witness, that's for sure. Great pics your wife got. Thanks for sharing!

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Bootpathguy
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PostSat Mar 19, 2022 7:47 pm 
moonspots wrote:
Of all the times I've been to Yellowstone, I've yet to see a wolf
We heard alot of that when mentioning our experience. We feel very fortunate

Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
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Bootpathguy
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PostSat Mar 19, 2022 7:51 pm 
awilsondc wrote:
Man, that sure would be emotion and thought provoking to witness,
Some photos I'm hesitant on sharing. The expression on the Mule Deers face is extremely disturbing & thought provoking. Nature doing what it does

Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want

Char May, awilsondc
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Bootpathguy
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PostThu Apr 07, 2022 2:38 pm 

Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want

RichardJ, silence  awilsondc
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Gwen
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PostThu Apr 07, 2022 8:25 pm 
Bootpathguy wrote:
Wow. So visceral. What a treasure.

Tomorrow's not promised to anyone, so be bold, scare yourself, attempt something with no guarantee of success. You'll be amazed at what you can achieve. -Olive McGloin

RichardJ
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Bootpathguy
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PostFri Apr 08, 2022 5:02 pm 

Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want
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Bootpathguy
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PostSun Apr 10, 2022 9:35 am 

Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want

RichardJ, silence
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Bootpathguy
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PostMon Apr 11, 2022 9:16 am 

Experience is what'cha get, when you get what'cha don't want

mosey, RichardJ, awilsondc
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the Zachster
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PostMon Apr 11, 2022 9:10 pm 
Wolves doing what they do. What an incredible experience for you all and the photographs are FABULOUS!!! So intimate. We had the opportunity to see wolf pups playing and packs feeding on downed elk/deer but to see the entire event play out in front of you from start to finish...that's possibly a once in a lifetime experience. Congrats!

"May I always be the kind of person my dog thinks I am"
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timberghost
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PostTue Apr 12, 2022 6:08 am 
Yea it is quite disturbing to see such a beautiful animal like that eaten alive, but it is nature. Every time I go to Yellowstone I see wolves, especially now that there's super packs. I am glad we don't have that kind of super pack thing here yet but the population is increasing at a 16% rate. Reason why the elk herd has plummeted to just 6,000. Couldn't imagine having to watch you back 24/7.

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Sky Hiker
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PostTue Apr 12, 2022 6:24 am 
Gwen wrote:
Bootpathguy wrote:
Wow. So visceral. What a treasure.
That's quite disturbing. I didn't need to see something like that on here.

labgirl420, rocknclimb
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Hiking addict
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PostTue Apr 12, 2022 8:37 am 
Nature can be cruel.

To have a good life, you need to take risks.
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gb
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PostTue Apr 12, 2022 3:39 pm 
timberghost wrote:
Yea it is quite disturbing to see such a beautiful animal like that eaten alive, but it is nature. Every time I go to Yellowstone I see wolves, especially now that there's super packs. I am glad we don't have that kind of super pack thing here yet but the population is increasing at a 16% rate. Reason why the elk herd has plummeted to just 6,000. Couldn't imagine having to watch you back 24/7.
491 Wolves were killed by hunteers in Idaho this year; pretty brutal!

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