It’s always interesting watching a wolf, or a wolf pack. I don’t care if it’s the middle of the summer or -40 on the thermometer.
We had been pretty skunked all day and our eyes were shot from glassing beyond what a guide should glass for. As guides we were to the point of “lets get our guests the best coffee and feed them good, no wolves today”. Just as I was trying to make light out of a dark situation I hear “get the scopes, we got them!” Thats one of the best things to hear on a wolf trip, especially when it’s tough as it often can be. So we get out and set up.
Everything is buzzing with excitement and we may have 30-45 minutes before it gets dark so I tell everyone to take it in as much as possible. The scopes are full, the slight breeze is freezing what little skin is showing and behind us a wolf howls, and then another, and another.
Pretty quick we have the whole Blacktail Pack howling their heads off to let the wolves in front of us know, “this is our turf”.
Then the Canyon Pack that is in front of us sets up, and gives chorus back, “this is OUR turf, best if you stay over there!” So pretty quick we were right in the middle of wolf trash talking until darkness set in and all was quiet, as if nothing had happened.
On the way home the tour van sounded like complete chaos with excitement! We all went to dinner and talked about how much that one experience made the whole trip worth all the time and effort we had put into finding and viewing the wolves of Yellowstone.
– Adam Lackner, BrushBuck Wildlife Tours