yellowstone wolf tracker- day tours

We debated because it is not cheap but you get what you pay for. Quinn who was our guide put us on grizzly, elk, prong horn, bison and several wolves and explained all the wildlife and local history the entire trip. Spotting scopes, coffee, drinks, snacks, etc. were all provided and I do not think we would have found wolves the rest of the trip or been aware of all the wildlife without this trip.

We thought several times about doing a paid wildlife excursion, but in the end decided to do it. Yes, it was somewhat pricy, but was well worth the money in our opinion. As another traveler who has been to Yellowstone multiple times told us -- could you see all the same wildlife on your own? Probably, but it would take you 3x (at least) as long to figure out where/when are the best siting opportunities, and you wouldn't have access to the higher level scopes unless you own your own. Also, rather than driving and trying to look around (potentially dangerous), here you get to sit back and look around.Our guide was Quinn. He was excellent; extremely knowledgeable about the wildlife, biology, and politics of wildlife conservation. Wolf tracker I think is different because it seems the people they get as guides REALLY know about the actual biology of the animals and give you a very in depth educational guided tour. He met us us early in the morning of our tour and off we went. We saw wolves, bears (black and grizzly), of course lots of elk and bison, sheep, mountain goats, and several different kinds of prey birds. The scopes that he had were better than our binoculars. There was continental type breakfast (bagels and the such) and snacks for during the morning. We finished up by about 145-2p so no lunch included. Some people have given poor reviews because it wasn't a "safari" as they were expecting. This is not a safari in any form, and if you go into it with that expectation, you are likely to be disappointed. This is a chance to view the wildlife in their habitat, but many of these animals are not always easy to spot so you may or may not see them. This is not about sitting in one place and watching a migration. You'll drive the whole time and get down at areas where sitings are possible and/or if you see something from the side of the road. Yellowstone is huge and it basically requires driving a lot to the different places for different animals. If you are thinking of doing a tour, a private tour like this one is definitely worth the money over a bus full of people.

We started our tour with Emil, our fabulous guide, at the Roosevelt Arch at 5:30am. We set off for the Lamar Valley, eyes peeled along the way. First spotting was two bull elks before dawn. Just down the road, we spotted a Grizzly off in the distance. Emil set up our spotting scopes and all nine of us got to see him. While we were watching him, Emil spotted another grizzly across the road. After some time watching the grizzlies, we moved on into the valley. There we saw two different packs of wolf pups, a bald eagle, a golden eagle, many bison (in rut), a family of mountain goats in a cave, Sandhill cranes and even followed a coyote along the roadside. Emil provided us with coffee, breakfast foods, snacks, water and juices! He had the inside scoop with the biologists in the area, as he himself once worked as a Yellowstone biologist. Emil was very conscientious of the rules of the park and held us accountable to them as well. We had three young children with us who were working on their Junior Ranger badges. Emil was curious to know what they needed to complete their program and went out of his way to help them find the animals they needed - mountain goats, yellow bellied marmots, Uinta Ground squirrels, and bighorn sheep (who were hiding from us).We really cannot say enough great things about Emil and Wolf Tracker. Totally worth your time and money to see the best of the best with the best!!

We seemed to scare the animals away wherever we went (except for a brave beaver along the Yellowstone River and some bison & elk). This trip would have been a total bust for my girls if it hadn't been for Quinn who seemed to know right where and when animals would appear. We saw grizzlies, black bears, wolves, osprey, owls (including 3 adorable babies) and more. He was very knowledgable about the animals in the park too. The scopes worked great to see everything up close. Highly recommend this tour.

Sure, in Yellowstone you practically trip over wildlife. But, when it comes to finding the less common inhabitants including wolves you need special assistance to locate them and then to view them. Wolf tracker is exactly the service you need. Family run by a couple of passionate, experienced, and dedicated people, they know what they are doing and your experience will be outstanding. We went out with Nathan, one of the owners and had an amazing time. He came prepared with a selection of hot and cold drinks, and a wide variety of fruit, cheese, eggs, and snacks. Even though we had been in the park viewing wildlife for a few days prior, with Nathan we found golden eagles, moose, sheep and, most thrillingly, about 6 wolves. All animals we hadn't seen prior. Nathan is incredibly passionate about the park, the animals, and the experience and he has educational qualifications and personal experience to back that up and to enrich the park experience. If you are looking for wolves, why would you book with a company who doesn't specialize in them? Improve your chances by booking with the experts. The experience was money and time very well spent and I would do it again. Our son, and the entire family consider the day spent with Wolf Tracker, the best day of the vacation.

i can't say enough great things about this company or our guide Brandon. It went beyond my expectations. Brandon was quite passionate and knowledgeable about this park and its animals and made sure that we got to see all that we hoped to. the scopes that were provided to us were amazing. he made sure that we were always in the right line of view and always in focus. We also enjoyed the breakfast spread that was provided. I can't say enough how much our group enjoyed this trip and would definitely do it again with my children.

What a wonderful day! Our Guide was MacNeil and he is a brilliant guide, Knowledgeable and passionate about Yellowstone and its wildlife. He went to the trouble of finding out what we wanted from the day and did his utmost to achieve this. Without MacNeil we would not have seen so much wildlife. e.g. 15 Bears including a mother with 3 cubs, Bison, Elk, Pronghorn Sheep, Mountain Goats, Coyote, Golden Eagle, Osprey and Sandhill Cranes and to top it all at the end of our tour MacNeil managed to find us a wolf which was on the top of our to see list!!!!.We cannot praise MacNeil and Wolf Tracker enough and if we are lucky enough to return we shall definitely be using them again. A big thank you.

This is by far the best tour I could have asked for. This was my 2nd time doing this tour and brought along my niece and sister-in-law. The first trip was with Nathan and the 2nd was with Linda. Both of them are very professional and personable. I felt like I had known them for years. The knowledge that they both have about the wolves, where to find them, and the park and area itself was and is just amazing. Since this is an all day excursion, hot coffee, water, and snacks are readily available. I can't wait to come back and do it again. If you are in the area or are planning a trip, I highly recommend contacting the Wildside LLC. It is so worth it!

We are 2 empty-nesters from the Midwest who like to camp and canoe in the wilderness. We've heard wolves in the wild in Northern Minnesota, but had never seen them. So, we booked 2 days in Feb '13 to watch wolves in Yellowstone. As it turned out, day 1 was with Nathan and day 2 was with MacNeil. We had a great (and long day) with each. Not only did they take us to places where we could see wolves, they INTERPRETED what was going on. We learned about the individuals, their relationship to the pack and their pack's relationship to others. The guides deliver the information in a clear, conversational manner -- we're just talking about what was going on around us -- not as a lecture. Maybe best of all (besides actually seeing and hearing wolves) were their professional ethics regarding care of the Park, respect for the wildlife, and working with other wolf watchers and photographers.The snacks they brought were fresh, healthy and accommodated our dietary requests. The coffee was hot and good --important on a cold February day of standing outside. Our guides were quick to get us in a good position to see the wolves and set up their spotting scopes so that we could see the details. Nathan and MacNeil did everything they could to make sure that WE got what WE wanted out of the day -- this was not a canned tour. Thanks, Wild Side, for a great trip.

If you wish to experience the heart and soul of Yellowstone, from it's sweeping landscapes to the panorama of American wildlife, there is but one choice. The Wild Side!!! Utilizing their their extensive knowledge, education and familiarity with 'America's Serengeti', they make every trip special by showcasing the pulse of this national gem and taking you to where the action is. Nathan and Linda know all the nooks and crannies in Yellowstone along with it's rich history of wildlife, especially wolves, that will captivate your imagination and bring it to life right before your eyes.