FISCHER OUTDOOR DISCOVERIES, LLC
SPRING 2004 NEWSLETTER
Dream it, Plan it, Do it
After Carol and I returned from our Yellowstone winter wolf adventure in February, we were reflecting on what constitutes a great trip. Superb wildlife viewing is the obvious response, and we had plenty of that. We had the thrill of a chilling (ok, it was 20 below) wolf howlfest, then were fortunate enough to observe wolves mating — on Valentine’s Day, no less. And for those of us who enjoy wildlife observations of all stripes (some people say I have a badger fetish), we had an incredible close-up encounter with a pine marten.
But for Carol and me, what really makes a great trip are the people who go along. It’s their enthusiasm and our shared sense of wonder that makes these wildlife observations so special. We’ve met some incredible, engaging personalities on our outings, people we are sure will be friends for life. And we’re impressed with the number of clients who keep in touch with their fellow travelers. We haven’t had our first marriage yet as a result of one of our trips, but I’ve been threatening to have a singles-only trip just to break that streak. Carol says I don’t think so....
Botswana Safari
This may have been our best trip of the year. The Okovanga Delta is incredibly pristine, has terrific wildlife populations and provides a refreshing counterpoint to the mass tourism encountered in many other parts of Africa. The wilderness camps are extremely comfortable without being over the top.
We spent time with wild dog researchers Dr. Megan Parker and Dr. Tico McNutt, and had remarkable sightings. After an exciting chase, we watched a pack of 22 wild dogs pull down a pair of adult male impala. Even more impressively, the pack completely devoured the impala in less than 30 minutes (we watched from about 20 yards away) while holding off three hyenas at the same time.
We watched lions mate, saw both elephants and cheetahs from less than thirty yards away while in a blind (see story on next page), stumbled on a pride of lions that had just killed an elephant, observed a pack of hyenas at their den site and saw leopards at night. Giraffe, zebra, wildebeest and kudu were common, and we saw hippos, monitor lizards, bat-eared fox and cerval.
The bird life was stunning. We saw almost 200 species, including six kinds of eagles and five kinds of vultures. The cranes and storks were incredible.
We’re tentatively planning another Botswana trip in the spring of 2005.
Counting Coup On Elephants
A jumble of downed trees near a waterhole at Savuti Camp in Botswana’s Okavanga Delta provided an excellent blind for us as we crouched down for the last two hours of sunlight, hoping something would be thirsty. We weren’t disappointed.
Right before sunset two groups of female elephants with young appeared from opposite directions, each intent on coming to the water hole. The two herds met about two hundred yards from our blind, and amidst tremendous trumpeting and screaming, a large female began chasing one of the other adults. The two of them raced at full speed for nearly a hundred yards, both gargantuan animals surprisingly nimble. It was plain the larger female was trying to gore the other female with her tusks. Finally, she caught the smaller elephant and with a big swing of her head, stabbed it in the ribs. Her tusk exploded with a noise that sounded like a rifle shot, shattering into dozens of pieces (which we later picked up, reassembled and then left). The larger female trotted off, apparently unhurt.
Despite this dust-up, both groups proceeded to our waterhole and began drinking and squirting water with their trunks. Although the elephants were thirty yards away, we all scrunched down between the logs, trying to be invisible while we shot our pictures through the cracks. The great gray beasts slowly circled around the pool until they were standing less than five yards away! You could feel everyone mentally assessing whether the elephants could move the massive trees we were hiding in. We weren’t sure they knew we were there, as we were well hidden and the wind was in our favor.
Carol and I were on our stomachs looking at knee-level at the adult elephants, when a baby elephant – less than six months old – looked us right in the eyes. He was so close I could have reached through the logs and touched him. It reminded me of the Native American demonstration of bravery, “counting coup” by touching one of their enemies.
No, I wasn’t even tempted!
Yellowstone Wolf News
The Shakespearean drama also known as the story of the Druid Peak wolf pack continued its popular run in Yellowstone Park this year. In February, the pack’s longtime alpha female 42F (she killed her “evil” sister and took over the pack in 2000) -- the only park wolf still surviving that was part of the original reintroduction -- was killed by wolves from a competing pack.
Her sister, 41F, who lived outside the park in the Sunlight Basin area north of Cody, Wyoming, was also killed in February, the last of the 28 wolves brought to the park during the 1995-96 reintroduction.
During our February trip we heard the Druid pack’s alpha male, 21M, howling repeatedly. Many park wolf watchers insist he’s been howling his heart out since the loss of his mate. Perhaps to console himself, he was observed breeding with other Druid females. It’s curious how we often look at wolf behavior from a human perspective.
Nathan Varley, Guide
Nathan Varley has become a fixture on our Yellowstone trips, and we thought some of you might want to know more about why he’s such a great guide.
First, Nathan grew up in Yellowstone Park. Both of his parents have worked in Yellowstone for over thirty years. His father John oversees all scientific research in the park, and was an important player in Yellowstone wolf reintroduction.
Nathan has done quite a bit of wildlife research himself. He received BS and MS degrees from Montana State University, studying mountain goats for his Master’s work. He’s currently working on a Ph.D. from the University of Alberta studying the effects of wolves on Yellowstone’s elk.
Nathan has spent thousands of hours out in the field in Yellowstone Park. He’s been a naturalist and a guide for the Yellowstone Institute for nearly 10 years, and also spent several years working with Bob Landis on Yellowstone wildlife films. But mostly we know Nathan as the ever-curious guy with a sly sense of humor, unflappable in almost all circumstances. Just the kind of knowledgeable, friendly person you want for a traveling companion.
2004 Trips
Yellowstone Wolf and Bear Quest (June 3-10)
This is our signature trip. We believe the best wildlife viewing experience available in the lower 48 states occurs every June in Yellowstone Park. Here are the top five reasons why you shouldn’t miss it:
1. The peak of elk calving, which occurs in early June, ignites a frenzy of predation. If large carnivores are your thing, it’s an incredible show. In a typical year we’ll see about 15 different grizzly bears and a similar number of wolves in a week. We’ve been fortunate enough to observe kills the last two years.
2. It’s a terrific time to watch large birds of prey on their nests. Last year we watched active nests of bald and golden eagles, a great horned owl and a peregrine falcon. It’s a good time for birding of all kinds.
3. The weather is great for wildlife viewing. By June it has warmed up, yet it’s usually not so warm that the wildlife disappears by midday.
4. The park isn’t jam-packed in early June. The real crowds at Yellowstone don’t appear until July.
5. Geologists say the Yellowstone caldera will likely blow up in the next thousand years or thereabouts, so you better get to the park before it does.
Smith River Adventure (June 30-July 4)
We’re excited about our new 2004 trip that combines birdwatching, fishing, hiking and floating down Montana’s most beautiful river. This is an excellent trip for a group of friends or business associates who seek a shared adventure. The Smith flows through a deep limestone canyon for most of its 55 miles, with cliff walls often rising hundreds of feet on each side. It has terrific fishing and almost no whitewater. We’ve floated almost every river in Montana (including more than 20 trips down the Smith!), and we think this is one of the premier river trips in the West. Our 2005 float date will be June 15-19.
Glacier Wildlife Safari (Sept. 7-13)
This trip is geared toward active people looking for a diverse outdoor experience. We’ll scour Glacier’s high peaks looking for grizzly bears and mountain goats, kayak down a wild and scenic river, take a spectacular hike to a wilderness chalet and spend time on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation.
The reservation affords a unique cultural experience. We’ll spend an afternoon with a tribal member talking about Blackfeet history and customs. We’ll vist important cultural sites. In past years this has included buffalo jumps, a sun dance site, and old tipi villages. We finish the day with a traditional Blackfeet dinner and storytelling by a tribal cultural leader. We spend the night in authentic tipis and then go out the next morning in search of swift foxes and grizzly bears with tribal biologists.
September is truly the best month of the year in Glacier. Great weather, low tourist traffic and excellent wildlife viewing. Join us!
Fischer Outdoor Discoveries, LLC specializes in small group tours to view bears, wolves and other wildlife.
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