Visiting Yellowstone National Park is often a once-in-a-lifetime experience for most visitors. There are few places that match its natural splendor and incredible wildlife—but sometimes that comes with a price. Last month, a bear mauled a victim in West Yellowstone. That’s a tragedy, and in our opinion, the victim did nothing wrong. Read on to learn more about the bear attack and how you can protect yourself when you’re in the back country.
How it happened
While no one knows for sure how this particular bear attack happened, we are familiar with the victim. His name was Carl Mock, and we worked with him at Loomis during the winter seasons for many years. From what we know of the attack and of Carl himself, we don’t believe he did anything wrong—in fact, this could have happened to anyone, even the most well-prepared and seasoned guide.
From what we understand, Carl went fishing after work in a popular area, close to the highway. He then had a surprise encounter with a grizzly bear protecting a buried moose carcass. It is likely the attack happened so quickly that Carl did not have time to deploy his bear spray.
The investigators went to the scene the next day, and found a very aggressive grizzly bear, who would not run away—even with investigators trying to run him off. This is highly unusual. Unfortunately, the bear had to be put down as well.
What you need to know
Most bear mauling incidents, including this one, are surprise encounters. Bear spray is a great option, and Carl was carrying it. However, we must remember there is no way to stay 100 percent safe in grizzly country. It is a risk those of us take to live and work in prime grizzly habitat. Sometimes the bear is simply quicker than someone with bear spray or a gun. That is a sad fact of life—but one that residents of Big Sky, West Yellowstone, Gardiner, Cooke City and Jackson all take on every time we leave our homes in the morning.
Similarly, you must realize that visiting Yellowstone as a tourist carries risks, too. No matter how careful you are, it’s crucial that you respect the wildlife, and take all necessary precautions to protect yourself. Even being in a car does not guarantee your safety. When large animals like grizzly bears decide to attack, there is very little to keep you safe.
However, there’s some good news in that this is only the 15th fatal mauling ever in Yellowstone and the surrounding area. It’s a sad case of wrong place, wrong time and angry bear. As a tourist, you don’t need to be too worried. As long as you carry bear spray and respect the wildlife, you are safer than you are while driving in your car.
We respect Carl Mock’s memory, and encourage our visitors to treat the park with the same respect he did.For more information about our unique Yellowstone tours, call Yellowstone Tour Guides today.
2021 is a big year for Yellowstone Tour Guides, as it marks our 20th anniversary season!
We founded this business in 2001 to provide visitors to Yellowstone National Park with a wide range of comprehensive guided tours that would allow them to get a memorable experience in the park, going as in-depth as they want and seeing all the major sites and wildlife.
While the last year has been particularly unusual and challenging due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are very optimistic that this year will be looking up, with things resembling “normal” more than they have since 2019. There are plenty of ways to book COVID-19-friendly Yellowstone experiences, and we’re here to help you along the way so you can have a national park experience you’ll remember for the rest of your life.
Want to celebrate our 20-year anniversary with us? Here are a few examples of some of the packages we offer:
Summer sightseeing tours: During the busy summer months, we offer a wide range of sightseeing tours to help you get the full Yellowstone experience! Our small group tours are available from Big Sky and West Yellowstone, MT, and go up to six people in size. This is a private tour experience with a per-person rate, using small vehicles and SUVs. This allows us to pull over for wildlife sightings, travel along smaller roads closed to buses and get you up closer to everything you want to see. We also offer various week-long group tours along the lower and upper loop and central Yellowstone, as well as private day tours (up to 11 hours).
Backpacking trips: Approximately 97 percent of Yellowstone is backcountry, so if you really want to get out and explore, backpacking trips are a great way of doing so! It’s safe, rewarding and can be challenging, depending on what you’re looking for. Backpacking trips can be single-day excursions or overnight/multi-day adventures.
Vacation packages: We offer a wide range of multi-day vacation packages, from two days up to 10, which include private tours, park entrance fees and lodging. Plan the trip you want with the activities you want! Meals and gratuities are not included.
Day hikes: As previously mentioned, we do offer some shorter backpacking excursions which we classify as day hikes. These are great opportunities to get out on shorter hikes that still allow you to take in some incredible scenery. Day hikes will typically be four to eight miles in length.
Photography tours: Are you a professional photographer or an avid amateur? We offer a number of photography tours and workshops that allow you to get some fantastic shots of the scenery and the park’s wildlife.
Winter tours: Not all of the park is open in the winter, but there are still some outstanding options to allow you to view the park from a different perspective. This includes various ski trips!
For more information about booking a tour with Yellowstone Tour Guides this year, get in touch with our team today with any questions.
Under instruction from President Joe Biden, the National Park Service now requires all employees and visitors to wear face masks indoors, as well as outdoors when physical distancing is not possible. This comes as a reversal of policies implemented under former president Donald Trump. Yellowstone Tour Guides supports and will abide by and enforce the new regulations, and Superintendent Cam Sholly is seeking clarification regarding outdoor areas where social distancing is possible.
This announcement came as part of a broader order by the Biden administration to mandate face masks at federal properties, in federal buildings, at airports and on public transportation. Biden signed these executive orders in his first days of his presidency as part of his efforts to take immediate action to combat the COVID-19 pandemic still raging throughout the United States.
What to know
Here’s a quick overview of everything you need to know about this order and how it could potentially affect your visit to Yellowstone National Park (or any other national park you may wish to visit while this order is in effect):
Face masks are now required at all National Park Service buildings and facilities, and even on outdoor lands managed by the service if it is impossible to physically distance. This means people on crowded trails or at overlooks should be prepared with face masks.
The order applies to everyone in the park, from visitors to employees, contractors and anyone else on the grounds.
There are other safety measures that will also be implemented at national park sites, including one-way trails, temporary closures and capacity limits. These measures will only be implemented if deemed necessary based on COVID-19 spread in the local area.
Park rangers have the authority to issue citations as deemed appropriate for anyone they find violating the mask requirement. In some circumstances, mask-wearing violations could result in civil or criminal penalties, including fines.
This order affects 423 total sites managed by NPS across the United States, and more than 85 million acres of land. This doesn’t just include outdoor parks, but also historic sites like the Lincoln Memorial and Independence Hall.
Under the previous administration, face masks were encouraged but not required at national park facilities, both indoor facilities and in areas that already had local or state mask mandates in place.
Currently there is no guidance as to when this order will be relaxed, so national park visitors should be prepared with face masks when visiting parks until they hear otherwise.
The good news is that you can still have a relatively mask-free experience at national parks. You are not required, for example, to wear masks at your camp site if you are only with the group you came with. When on trails that are not crowded, there is no need to wear masks. Most of the time before the busy season begins, you will not be in areas so crowded that it is impossible to keep six feet of distance from other visitors.To learn more about these mask rules at national parks and what you should know about planning a COVID-friendly Yellowstone excursion, contact the team at Yellowstone Tour Guides today.
Are you thinking about taking a trip to Yellowstone in the near future? As you may know, Yellowstone’s interior roads close in mid-March, then reopen in April and May—which means that if you want to see that portion of the park sooner rather than later, you need to act fast. However, you can still enjoy wolf and wildlife viewing tours throughout the late winter and early spring.
Even though the Interior of Yellowstone closes on March 15 for spring snowplowing, we will continue to offer our one- to three-day wolf and wildlife viewing tours throughout Yellowstone’s Northern Range. During this quiet shoulder season, we tend to see the first of the bears coming out of hibernation, the first bison calf (in April) and few crowds. If you love nature and wildlife—especially baby wildlife—this is a great opportunity to see the park like you never have before.
What kind of wildlife will I see?
According to the United States National Park Service, Yellowstone is home to “300 species of birds, 16 species of fish, five species of amphibians, six species of reptiles and 67 species of mammals—including seven native ungulate species and two bear species.”
If you take an early spring trip, you’re likely to see wolves and bears, along with the first bison calf. As the snow melts and the wildlife reappears, you may also see foxes, martens, weasels and deer or elk.
Birds also come back to Yellowstone during the spring, so avid bird watchers should not miss this opportunity. Raptors, owls, eagles and songbirds are all prevalent throughout the park. Bring your binoculars and your best camera lenses to capture each special moment.
What kind of tours are available?
Our wildlife tours can be booked for two or three days, starting in early November and continuing through June. This is a prime opportunity to book a tour, since the crowds are usually much lighter in the winter and early spring. Once the summer months arrive, school is out and visitors start crowding the landscape.
You can start your tour by flying into Bozeman, MT, where we will pick you up and take you through the Northern Range. You’ll enjoy lodging at Chico Hot Springs, Gardiner or Cooke City, MT, where you can also cross-country ski and soak in the hot springs.
Our trips are customizable and can be combined with some of our other tours, so feel free to call us and let us know what you’re most interested in seeing. You’ll have plenty of opportunity to relax in the evenings at your resort, including the famous hot springs.
If you’ve been dying to see what Yellowstone National Park has to offer, there’s no better time to book your vacation. Yellowstone Tour Guides has been offering exciting trips for two decades. Come explore with us. Call us today and book your wolf and wildlife viewing tour, or learn more about combining vacations.
If you’re thinking about touring Yellowstone in March, you’d better hurry. Yellowstone’s Interior closes on March 15th, making this the last date to visit Old Faithful by snow coach. You won’t be able to visit the park’s interior until the spring, starting in April and May.
Here are some of the winter tours you can take with our expert Yellowstone tour guides:
Winter wildlife adventure: Get up close and personal with Yellowstone’s wildlife, like bears, bison and wolves. Fly into Bozeman, MT for a two- to three-day trip around the Northern Range. We’ll take you around the park and to Old Faithful by snow coach. At night, you can enjoy soaking in the hot springs at one of the nearby resorts. It’s the perfect weekend getaway—but there are only a few weekends left until the roads close, so you need to act fast.
Photography tours: If you’ve been dying to brush up on your photography skills, and want to take a tour of Yellowstone’s spectacular landscapes and wildlife, join us for a photography tour. You’ll need to bring your long lenses, as we’ll stay back at least 25 to 100 yards from the wildlife. Receive instruction from a professional photographer who has been working in Yellowstone for over 10 years—and come home with a roll of amazing film!
Seven-day photo workshop: If you want a longer opportunity to photograph Yellowstone’s natural wonders, we also offer a seven-day photo workshop. These workshops take tourists through the interior by snow coach, and focus on the Northern Range and Gallatin District. Space is limited on these tours, so be sure to book as soon as possible.
Back country ski treks: Avid skiers should not miss our back country ski trips through the Gallatin District. We’ll pick you up and show you scenic trails for cross-country skiing, where you’ll enjoy seeing the wildlife and beautiful vistas.
Multi-day vacation packages: If our regular tours aren’t enough, we also offer multi-day vacation packages that can combine skiing, sightseeing and more. Visit resorts like Big Sky and Jackson Hole for anywhere from two to 10 days.
Day trips: Finally, we’re also happy to take you on day trips through the park. Stay in Big Sky and visit Jackson Hole or Grand Targhee Resort, all with the help of our knowledgeable Yellowstone tour guides.
Whatever you hope to see in Yellowstone, we can help you find it. Let us know if you want to combine any of these winter tours into one epic vacation. We’re happy to customize your experience. Whether you’ve visited Yellowstone many times or this will be your first visit to the area, Yellowstone Tour Guides will show you a whole new side to this national park.
Get in touch with us now to arrange a last-minute private tour to experience the best Yellowstone National Park has to offer in the wintertime. Time is running out before the roads close, so hurry—you won’t regret seeing everything Yellowstone has to offer at this time of the year!
