Page 201 - Vacation Country Travel Guide

photo & story by Deby Dixon

Wildlife photographers flock to Yellowstone
for the visibility and variety of the wildlife,
and some return to watch their favorite right behind a group, but he never posed a
identifiable animals year after year. In the case threat to anyone and was always just on the
of the bears, there are a handful that I’ve been move. I loved to watch this old guy when he than a few yards away, while others might put
privileged to see again and again. Even for had a gal on the hook. The female would run it back into the water so the competition can’t
non-photographer visitors, these consistent as hard as she could playing hard to get, and steal their food, before going for their daily nap.
bears are invaluable and provide untold Scarface just strode along, never breaking a We’ve watched grizzlies carefully rake grass to
cover their food and then promptly plop down
opportunities to learn about and enjoy the wild. sweat and closing the distance. Unfortunately, on top. We’ve watched them start to leave,
My first favorite bear was the old reliable guy in what would probably have naturally been his only to eye a wolf coming in and return at a full
known as Scarface. Every spring, before the final year at 26 years old, Scarface was killed run. At times we get to see the other animals
snow had melted and just as the old and sick outside the Park in late fall when he startled a arguing with the bears, but only after they are
bison had begun to perish, I’d search Lamar hunter after dark - a bittersweet ending for a
Valley along the Lamar River for Scarface, bear that gave so much to so many. too stuffed to fight hard.
easily identifiable with his collar, thin neck, and Other than an occasional grizzly seen early After the Blacktail, photographers look
large head with many scars. He would normally down south, the first bear of the season on the forward to the opening of Hayden Valley,
hoping that there will still be plenty of snow
and ice. Often, bison and elk fall through the
ice on Yellowstone Lake and then float to the
LeHardy Rapids portion of the river where they
get caught on rocks until the bears find them.
This is usually a time filled with many bears and
some mating action. Don’t ever get between a
boar and his gal!
Then we wait for the new cubs of the
year to appear. In the north, the Tower area
is home to many familiar black bear sows
that appear with new cubs every other year.
There is Rosie, in a whole line of Rosies, and
she always comes out with three black cubs.
Angry Mom always comes out with two, one
or both being cinnamon color. There is Picnic
Mom, who is also usually good for two, either
black, cinnamon or both. In addition to those
we know well and can count on, there are too
many more to keep track of.
For the grizzlies, we have the Beryl Sow and
Mini Mom, who both usually come out with
three cubs every few years. Then there is Quad
mom, who once had four tiny cubs. She is up
there in years and so we’ll see what happens

be on a mission, nose up and heading straight Northern Range is generally found at Blacktail in 2019. Now that Scarface is gone, the most
towards a carcass that was miles away. In a few Lakes, where bison often fall through the ice famous Yellowstone bears of all are Raspberry
days we would see him return, heading west and drown during the winter. The bears know and Snow. After spending three years with her
along the river and looking for his next meal. when there is a carcass in the lake and they daughter Snow, Raspberry was seen courting
Scarface was big, weighing about 600 will charge onto the scene, looking around several guys last year and is expected to
pounds, and he was often visible for people and eyeballing anyone who might think that emerge with new cubs. In her first year on her
to watch, always pretending not to notice they can take their food away from them. The own, Snow is expected to be highly visible in
the humans. But a close inspection of photos bear will then pull the bison carcass, often over the area where she grew up. So every Spring
would reveal his eyes moving from person 1000 pounds, from the lake and commence in Yellowstone is filled with anticipation and
to person as he went by, sometimes way too eating. This is a time when we might see a lot speculation about bear possibilities. Some
close. There were legendary stories of people of different behaviors as the bears interact with years we are wowed beyond imagination while
fainting because Scarface walked right past birds, coyotes and wolves. Some of the bears others are a little more sedate, but there is
them, or being shocked when he showed up will stay with the carcass, never going more always a new bear year on the way.
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