It’s hard to believe that just a week ago I was complaining about the 100F heat. This morning in West Yellowstone it is a foggy 32F with frost. Winter clothes have replaced summer clothes.
We are out in search of those elusive mysterious animals that are usually in great abundance.
West Yellowstone is right at the west gate. The line up to enter the park stretches half way through town
So far we have seen 1 female elk, 3 male bison in a field, 1 lone male bison off the side of the road and the bison in the photo below. What I couldn’t capture is the context for this poor animal. He had gotten himself caught up in a construction zone just south of Mammoth Hotsprings on a steep grade.
Once we got into the Lamar Valley, we finally found several herds of Bison. We stopped along the Slough Creek where a bison family including a bull, a cow and 2 older calves walked right by us… at a safe distance of course.
Early afternoon presented us with an interesting drama. A small herd of Pronghorn females with a single male guarding them came over the hill. Two more male pronghorn in the vicinity were soon chased off. The males spend a lot of time and energy ‘protecting’ their harems to the point where they are too tired to fight off a competing male.
On our way back through Mammoth Hotsprings, we spotted the omnipresent elk grazing near parking lots and resting on front lawns. Too many people \ cars to stop and photograph.
So at the end of day we did manage to see elk, pronghorn, bison, a minimal selection of waterfowl and not much else. The landscape however is in full fall colors and it was another beautiful day with temperatures in the low 50s.
2021 Yellowstone Favorite Photos
Photos taken with my camera will be posted on my 2021 Yellowstone Favorite Photos page listed in the Menu.
Louise and Brian McLeod Travel Blog 
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