A Yellowstone National Park tourist enjoyed a rare encounter last week involving a wolf that howled plaintively from the road as he drove past the iconic predator.
Justin Byerly’s footage, posted below, shows the dark-colored gray wolf trotting in the same direction on the other side of the road, and pausing to issue a skyward howl.
Byerly, of Woodlife Photography, told For The Win Outdoors that he encountered the wolf between Norris and Mammoth at about 2:30 p.m. That in itself is somewhat rare, given that wolves are most active at dawn and dusk.
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Byerly did not see other wolves. “However, I believe it was calling to his other pack members to give his location,” he said.
The wolf is collared so it’s known to park biologists. Byerly believes the wolf belongs to the Wapiti Lake Pack.
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He said he drove past the wolf to a pullout so he could watch it catch up as he was parked (see accompanying images). Byerly then left to explore the park.
A friend later told him that the wolf stayed on the road until a caravan of about 10 vehicles followed, then it vanished into the woods.
Yellowstone’s wolves are most commonly spotted in Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley, and sightings typically involve distant animals. Close encounters involving lone wolves crying out for company are extremely rare.
Last Christmas Day, a different photographer captured footage showing a solo wolf howling into a snowy wilderness during a dawn encounter. That wolf also was said to belong to the Wapiti Lake Pack.
In December 2021, Yellowstone estimated the number of wolves living inside the park at 95 individuals – a 23% decline from 2020. The decline was due largely to relaxed hunting regulations outside the park, primarily in Montana. (Yellowstone wolves can be legally shot by hunters if they venture beyond park boundaries.)
In February 2022, toward the end of hunting season, the park estimated the number of Yellowstone wolves to number 90 individuals.
