fall 2012 discovery

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w w w . Y e l l o w s t o n e A s s o c i a t i o n . o r g 1 A QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE YELLOWSTONE ASSOCIATION DISCOVERY I N S P I R E . E D U C A T E . P R E S E R V E . Y E L L O W S T O N E VOLUME 27, NUMBER 3 FALL 2012 • IntervIew wIth Doug SmIth, wolf Project leaDer •wInter wIlDlIfe watchIng ProgramS • autumn anglIng tIPS from local exPertS What’s Inside... time, some Gardiner businesspeople suggested that if road work would be done and construction crews available, the community should work with NPS to expand the original project scope to include improvements to Gardiner itself. Gardiner has essentially no public restrooms, and business owners consistently complained that visitors blocked the streets and used their restrooms without buying merchandise. Residents created the Greater Gardiner Community Council to address the community’s side of the project, and gradually the entire effort became known as the “Gardiner Gateway Project.” Meanwhile, the park produced the “North Entrance/Park Street Environmental Assessment” in 2011. KIcK-off ceremony e result of these combined efforts—tagged as a project to revitalize the historic entrance to Yellowstone National Park—has now culminated in an agreement By lee h. whittlesey Continued on page 2 For well over 100 years, visitors have traveled to Gardiner to enter Yellowstone. Photo: NPS D uring four out of the previous five years, record numbers of vehicles have used the North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana, causing traffic back-up’s that often stretched to Park Street. ese back-ups, combined with the proximity of Park Street to Yellowstone’s boundary and the public’s desire to see and photograph Roosevelt Arch safely, led the park to initiate studies of possible solutions. Beginning in 2010, park officials began holding public meetings to solicit comments on possible solutions. At that HISTORY AND FUTURE MEET IN GARDINER

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Discovery, the quarterly magazine published for members of the Yellowstone Association, is now available online.

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Page 1: Fall 2012 Discovery

w w w . Y e l l o w s t o n e A s s o c i a t i o n . o r g

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A Q u A r t e r l y p u b l i c A t i o n o f t h e y e l l o w s t o n e A s s o c i A t i o n

DISCOVERYi n s p i r e . e D u c A t e . p r e s e r V e .

Y E L L O W S T O N E VOLUME 27, NUMBER 3 faLL 2012

•IntervIewwIthDougSmIth,wolfProjectleaDer

•wInterwIlDlIfewatchIngProgramS

•autumnanglIngtIPSfromlocalexPertS

What’s Inside...

time, some Gardiner businesspeople suggested that if road work would be done and construction crews available, the community should work with NPS to expand the original project scope to include improvements to Gardiner itself. Gardiner has essentially no public restrooms, and business owners consistently complained that

visitors blocked the streets and used their restrooms without buying merchandise. Residents created the Greater Gardiner Community Council to address the community’s side of the project, and gradually the entire effort became known as the “Gardiner Gateway Project.” Meanwhile, the park produced the “North Entrance/Park Street Environmental Assessment” in 2011.

KIcK-offceremonyThe result of these combined efforts—tagged as a project to revitalize the historic entrance to Yellowstone National Park—has now culminated in an agreement

Byleeh.whittlesey

Continued on page 2

For well over 100 years, visitors have traveled to Gardiner to enter Yellowstone. Photo: NPS

D uring four out of the previous five years, record numbers of vehicles have used the North Entrance in Gardiner, Montana, causing traffic back-up’s that often stretched to Park Street.

These back-ups, combined with the proximity of Park Street to Yellowstone’s boundary and the public’s desire to see and photograph Roosevelt Arch safely, led the park to initiate studies of possible solutions.

Beginning in 2010, park officials began holding public meetings to solicit comments on possible solutions. At that

histORy aNd fUtURE MEEt iN gaRdiNER

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among fifteen state, county, federal, and nonprofit stakeholders (including the Yellowstone Association). On June 14, 2012, stakeholders, park officials, park partners, and members of the public gathered in Gardiner to celebrate

Arch Park and Roosevelt Arch as imagined in the Gardiner Gateway Project

the Mission of the yellowstone AssociAtionThe Yellowstone Association, in partnership with the National

Park Service, connects people to Yellowstone National Park and our natural world through education.

P.O. Box 117 • Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190www.YellowstoneAssociation.org • [email protected]

406-848-2400Monday - Friday • 8 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Mountain Time

Printed on Forest Stewardship Council certified paper with soy-based ink.

the formal signing of the project’s memorandum of understanding. Escorted by local riders on horseback, Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer and Yellowstone National Park Superintendent Dan Wenk led a coterie

of dignitaries who rode from the Yellowstone Association headquarters to Arch Park in a two-horse Yellowstone stagecoach and an historic 1930s park bus to emphasize the region’s colorful transportation history.

Upon arrival at Arch Park, several of the participants gave speeches. “For well over 100 years,” stated Superintendent Wenk, “visitors have traveled to the Gardiner area to enter Yellowstone National Park. We welcome working with this great group of local, state, federal, and nonprofit partners to enhance the experience of visiting Yellowstone, Montana, and Gardiner.” Wenk noted that the National Park Service’s second century, which begins in 2016, will continue to connect parks and help communities protect what is special to them, highlight their histories, and retain or rebuild their economic sustainability.

Governor Schweitzer stated that “this agreement calls for all the partners to work together, cooperatively, to make this historic, iconic park entrance a more memorable experience for hundreds of thousands of visitors each year.” “The community of Gardiner and businesses in the gateway area,” he pledged, “will reap additional economic benefits from the revitalization, and future generations will continue to see the benefits of the Montana Gardiner Gateway Project for years to come.” Schweitzer also reported

tAble of contents:Park Store ......................................................................................6–7Resource Notes ..................................................................................8Association News .............................................................................9In the Spotlight ...............................................................................10Institute Winter Wildlife Watching Programs ..................................11Autumn Angling .......................................................................12–13Summit Society ...............................................................................14Membership ..............................................................................15–16

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Continued on page 4

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to the crowd that for every dollar spent by the state on promotion of tourism, 151 more dollars rolls into Montana, and this tourism is worth $2.8 billion annually to the state.

NPS Landscape Architect Joe Regula stated that community groups want to avoid the over-development in Gardiner that often occurs in gateway towns. Therefore, the proposed improvements seek to maintain the historic atmosphere by taking design cues from the Roosevelt Arch and other historic buildings.

hIStorIcalPerSPectIveThe historical background for the entire project centers on the park’s north boundary and its proximity to Gardiner’s Park Street. Park Street—the east-west street that fronts Yellowstone National Park—has been Gardiner’s

most prominent street since the first settler, James McCartney, settled near its east end in late 1879. The street has buildings only on its north side, and it runs parallel to the north boundary of Yellowstone National Park.

When the town of Gardiner was established, the park’s north boundary was not yet surveyed, and this fact caused town builders to crowd their buildings literally up to the park line, assuming that the boundary was farther south. The boundary, first surveyed in 1902–03, was found to run along the north edge of Park Street’s sidewalk, so that even today a person entering a town building is simultaneously exiting the park, and a person leaving a town building enters the park the moment he steps onto the sidewalk. Thus, Park Street is tied elementally to Yellowstone National Park because the street’s single sidewalk, its two paved driving lanes, and its south side (composed

today of dirt and gravel parking) are all technically inside the park.

Other parts of the history that today influence the project include the Roosevelt Arch, the transportation history of the area, and the more recently established Arch Park. The Roosevelt Arch, erected in 1903, is a cultural icon of Yellowstone National Park. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it is a National Historic Landmark, a part of the Fort Yellowstone National Historic District, and a portion of the park’s North Entrance Road Historic District.

Named for President Theodore Roosevelt who laid its cornerstone on April 24, 1903, the arch was originally intended by road engineer Hiram Chittenden and architect N.J. Ness to “improve” the entrance to Yellowstone National Park. This was done so that stagecoach visitors stepping off the

Governor Schweitzer and Superintendent Wenk arrive at the event via stagecoach. Photo: Mike Kautz

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train at the railroad depot in Gardiner could immediately sense—by absorbing the symbolism of the arch’s stately presence—that they were entering a special place, namely the world’s first national park. While there is some undocumented information stating that architect Robert Reamer worked on the arch (He definitely designed the nearby 1903 railroad depot), there is no absolute documentation on that point.

Another reason for the arch’s presence centers on area transportation. Visitors stepping off the Northern Pacific Railroad trains from 1903 until the 1950s were attracted immediately to the majestic entrance to Wonderland. Initially they boarded stagecoaches to ride through the arch. When passenger trains quit running in the 1950s, park tour busses carried visitors to and from the site. Trains continued to bring park freight to and from the depot until the tracks were removed during the summer of 1976.

As early as 1972, the NPS erected an amphitheater here for evening interpretive programs, and it slowly evolved into “Arch Park,” jointly managed by the NPS, Park County, the community of Gardiner, and the state of Montana. In 1999–2000, these entities jointly built the much-improved Arch Park picnic pavilion on the site for $129,000, and equipped

it with interpretive wayside exhibits describing the history of the area.

ProPoSeDchangeSThe Gardiner Gateway Project as envisioned in 2012 includes routine road and culvert improvements, widening Gardiner’s Park Street to improve pedestrian safety, and the extension of Third Street south through the fence to provide motorists the option of either passing in front of Gardiner businesses or bypassing the Roosevelt Arch. This will allow visitors who want to photograph the arch the opportunity to experience it unencumbered by traffic (a safety consideration), and will abate the narrow bottleneck that exists there now.

In addition to planned NPS Park Street improvements, the Gardiner Chamber of Commerce is pursuing options to address the need for public restrooms and visitor information. There is also a plan, according to Greater Gardiner Community Council President Bill Berg, to rebuild the previous, ornate railroad depot and use it as a museum or library.

Currently, the Yellowstone Association building at the west end of Park Street functions as a de facto visitor center for Gardiner. It occupies the old W.A.

Hall Store (“sells everything”) near the arch, which provided supplies to park visitors from 1903 to 1954. Several historic sources point to W.A. Hall having first run his store at Cinnabar (three miles west), but by February 21, 1885, the Livingston Enterprise news-paper recorded that Hall also had a store in Gardiner. The Yellowstone As-sociation purchased and renovated the Hall building as part of the Legacy for Learning Campaign, and moved their headquarters there in April 2009.

The project also includes improved pedestrian access and a greenway with interpretive signage in front of the Yellowstone Association building. “The Yellowstone Association is delighted to be a partner in the Gardiner Gateway Project,” Executive Director Jeff Brown said. “By pooling our resources and working together, the various organiza-tions and agencies involved with this effort can make improvements which highlight the historical significance of Gardiner while providing a new level of service for visitors.”

Joe Regula stated that the Federal Highway Administration will provide some of the money for the project, because the roads, including Gardiner’s Park Street, are federally owned. Bill Berg admitted that “funding is a huge question mark,” but said that his or-ganization is soliciting private funds and researching state grants. He noted that Gardiner is also an entrance to Montana for visitors leaving the park in a northerly direction so it “pays” for Gardiner to make a good first impres-sion on tourists.

The National Park Service’s preferred alternative in what is called the “North Entrance/Park Street Environmental Assessment” would phase in a series of changes. The park would build a new entrance station complex to speed up visitor entry into the park. Visitors would have the option of entering Yellowstone through the historic Roosevelt Arch, or traveling over a new access road (probably at Third Street) to bypass congestion at the arch. Expanded parking, new pedestrian walkways, and improved

Stagecoaches departing Northern Pacific Railway station at Gardiner, Montana en route to Mammoth Hot Springs, Yellowstone National Park, 1904. Photo: NPS

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thenorthernPacIfIcraIlroaD&yellowStonenatIonalParK

By Phyllis Smith and William Hoy.thestoryofhowthenorthernPacificrailroadinfluenceddevelopmentsintheearlydaysofyellowstonenationalPark.containsinformationaboutearlyvisitorstotheparkarea,railroadmenscoutingoutthelandscape,thefirstbusinessesinsidetheparkboundaries,andproblems

thatthefirstsuperintendentsoftheparkencountered.price: $24.95YA Member Price: $21.21

Approved North Entrance Plan

traffic circulation would make it easier for visitors to access businesses along Park Street. The administrative road in front of the Gardiner Transportation Center would be moved to separate visitor traffic from delivery vehicles and employee parking (It is currently signed “Do Not Enter” for visitors.).

These plans were outlined at the June 14, 2012, ceremony. Following remarks, fifteen individuals representing 14 organizations then signed the memorandum of understanding. They are as follows: Brian Schweitzer, Governor of Montana; Dan Wenk, National Park Service; Bill Berg, Greater Gardiner Community Council; Daniel Bierschwale, Gardiner Chamber

of Commerce; Clara Conner, Western Federal Lands Highway Division, Federal Highway Administration; Tim Reardon, Montana Department of Transportation; Randy Taylor, Park County Commissioner; Marty Malone, Park County Commissioner; Ron Hecker, U.S. Forest Service, Gallatin National Forest; Jeff Brown, Yellowstone Association; Paul Reichert, Yellowstone Park Foundation; Patricia Dowd, National Parks Conservation Association; Katrina Hecimovic, Transportation Scholar for the Gardiner Gateway Program; Robin Hoover, Executive Director of Yellowstone Country; and Jeri Duran, Montana Office of Tourism.

The memorandum of understanding establishes a steering committee and framework for working across boundaries, transferring money when necessary, and generally outlining who will do what work. Both the community of Gardiner and Yellowstone National Park are seeking funding sources to begin work on their respective parts of the project. Construction on the Gardiner project will take place sometime over the next four years, with the project expected to be completed by 2016, the 100th anniversary of the National Park Service.

For more information about the Gardiner Gateway Project please visit: http://gardinergatewayproject.org

order online at www.yellowstoneAssociation.org or call us at 406-848-2400.

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order online at www.yellowstoneAssociation.org or call us at 406-848-2400.

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wolfIDentIfIcatIonchart2012By dr. James Halfpenny and diann Thompson.laminatedchartdisplayingamapoftheapproximateterritoriesof11packsfoundinyellowstonewithphotographsofkeypackmembers,aswellasinformationaboutindividualpackmembers,theirpositionswithinthepack,andidentifyingfeatures.

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w w w . Y e l l o w s t o n e A s s o c i a t i o n . o r g

New details from the ongoing study of wolves in Yellowstone National Park are attracting great interest in the wolf science world.

The first surprise is one humans can sympathize with: Despite relatively short life spans (five years on average), wolves experience the effects of aging like humans and other mammals. Abilities to hunt and produce offspring diminish with age, said Wolf Project Threatened and Endangered Coordinator Dan Stahler.

Another attention getter: the discovery of the gene responsible for black coats and that gene’s effects. Half of Yellowstone’s wolves are black, half are gray, with the black gene dominant. Black wolves may be more resistant to disease, while gray females have a 25 percent greater pup survival rate than black females. The gene appears to have originated in domestic dogs thousands of years ago.

“We don’t know the whole story yet, but we think this finding involves a complex interaction of the coat color gene with other aspects of wolf physiology, such as immune system function,” Stahler said.

17yearSanDcountIngThe Yellowstone study, now at 17 years and counting, looks at behavior, repro-duction, survival, genetics, and interac-tions with other species—including elk, the primary prey. Such studies, said Wolf Project Director Doug Smith, “are worth their weight in gold because 80 percent of wildlife studies last three years or less. Although those are useful work, things change, so drawing conclusions from a brief snapshot is difficult. We are in a position to monitor wolves and their changes in Yellowstone.”

The Yellowstone study, Smith added, has passed from wolf recovery (colonization and expansion), to Phase II: watching the wolves adapt to a more dynamic equilib-rium with their food source (elk). “There will be surprises and twists and turns along the way that we never expected.”

I am most surprised that northern range wolves have not started hunting bison more.”

Wolves in the park’s interior have learned to hunt bison because they must in winter. “It will be interesting to see whether the northern wolves shift to bison,” he said.

Other study findings: • The best hunters are ages two to three.

• At least one wolf a year is killed while hunting, but the leading cause of death among Yellowstone wolves is other wolves.

• Wolves are successful just 25 percent of the time when hunting. Success depends on identifying the most vulnerable prey.

• Wolves can kill an elk in 10 minutes; a bison may take five days.

• Females’ prime reproductive years are between ages two and five, and the bigger the mother, the more pups and surviving pups she will have.

• Hunting success peaks when a pack numbers four adults, while reproductive success is optimal when a pack has eight.

fInDIngSA typical pack is closely related, with the older wolves the parents and leaders of the rest. Pack life is a year-round effort to maintain and defend a territory pos-sessing adequate resources for survival and reproduction. The study shows that a larger, more socially complex pack will change the alpha male-alpha female-only mating bond to improve reproductive success. The dominant male may mate with more than one unrelated female to sire multiple litters, or the alpha female may mate with multiple males to try to have the fittest one sire her offspring.

Between 1995 and 1996, 31 wolves were re-introduced into Yellowstone. The pop-ulation peaked at about 174 in 2003 and now numbers about 80 in 11 packs, with four packs occupying the northern range. The ecosystem has changed too.

“Even after 17 years of research, many of us feel things are just now getting in-teresting ecologically,” Stahler said. “In 2003, we had 98 wolves on the northern range in nine packs. Today, we have about 35 in three to four packs. We have five times the number of bison up north compared to when wolves were reintro-duced, and a smaller, healthier elk herd.

Half of Yellowstone’s wolves are black, half are gray, with the black gene dominant. Photo: Barry O’Neil, NPS

lateStwolfDatarevealIngSecretSaBoutcoatcolor,agIng

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The next time you fly into Bozeman, Montana, be sure to visit Destination Yellowstone a collaborative effort by Yellowstone’s primary nonprofit partners, the Yellowstone Association and the Yellowstone Park Foundation. Our newest Park Store opened in December 2011 just days after the Gallatin Airport Authority voted to formally change the name of the airport to the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport (BZN).

Destination Yellowstone sells educational books, maps, guides, outdoor items, and accessories to enhance visitors’

a S S O C I a T I O N N E W S

understanding and enjoyment of Yellowstone National Park and other public lands. “Destination Yellowstone provides a unique experience for visitors arriving at the Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport,” said YA Director of Sales and Marketing Daniel Bierschwale. “It increases YA’s ability to connect more visitors to Yellowstone National Park through our educational services, including our Park Store and Information Desk.”

DeStInatIonyellowStonewelcomeSParKvISItorS

Volunteer information assistants work alongside sales associates to help orient visitors to the park and the surrounding area, providing visitors with free maps and current reports from the field. These reports are displayed via a customized Google Earth LCD display that illustrates road closures, snow-pack levels (winter), and current wildlife sightings.

An additional LCD display shows a live view of Old Faithful, and the Yellowstone Park Foundation will provide educational and interactive exhibits that will be in place later this year. These amenities give travelers the opportunity to organize their trip with up-to-date information from knowledgeable and enthusiastic YA staff immediately upon arrival.

Served by five major airlines, BZN is located just 90 minutes from Gardiner, the only year-round gateway to the park and home of the Yellowstone Association headquarters. The airport recently announced extended non-stop service to New York City through March 30, 2013, on United Airlines.

Destination Yellowstone is located before security checkpoints next to baggage claim so that locals are also able to visit the store, which is open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. We look forward to seeing you the next time your travels take you through Bozeman.

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ByStephencamelioyellowstoneassociation

This summer Doug Smith and Gary Ferguson unveiled a revised and updated edition of Decade of the Wolf, their award-winning book about the wolves’ return to Yellowstone. Smith shared his thoughts with Discovery on the new edition and a host of wolf-related topics.

WHY A NEW EDITION VS. NEW BOOK?There are some interesting things going on with wolves right now that are unfinished, so we decided to wait and see what happens before writing a new book. But a lot has happened, so there is plenty of fresh material in the new edition, including new data and pictures. And we show how we did on our predictions six or seven years later.

HOW DID YOU DO?We said wolves would decline, and that happened. The second—the wolves’ effect on the ecosystem—is ongoing and has been hotly debated. We weren’t 100 percent conclusive on it, but we’re sticking to our claim that wolves are changing the Yellowstone ecosystem.

FOR INSTANCE?What did they do to the elk? Wolves are one agent among many that

REWRITINg HISTORY: AN INTERVIEW WITH DOUG SMITH, lEADER OF THE WOlF PROjECT

DecaDeofthewolf:returnIngthewIlDtoyellowStone

By douglas W. Smith and gary Ferguson.thisnewlyupdatededitionlooksbacktothewinterof1995–96when31canadiangraywolvesweresetfreein

yellowstone.wolfProjectexpertsprovideadditionalwolfprofiles,newinformationontheeffectsofclimatechangeanddisease,andaretrospectiveonwhatthescientists

havelearnedduringthisextendedstudyoftheyellowstonewolves.

price: $16.95 YA Member Price: $14.41

Photo: Doug Smith caused elk to decline. However elk have not declined to none as a lot of people said they would. There are fewer elk, but they’re healthier elk and the wolves are paying for it.

HOW SO?The wolf population is not doing well this year. We have ten packs and only four of them are denning. That’s the lowest ratio we’ve ever had. Wolves are adjusting to fewer elk and we touch on that in the book, but we didn’t have this summer’s data.

HOW HAS THE POPUlATION CHANGED SINCE THE FIRST EDITION?In 2005 wolves had just come down from a high of well over 140. This year, in mid-winter there were 98; right now [June] it’s about 78, but we don’t have pup counts yet. What comes next? Certainly it is fewer wolves. What will it stabilize at: what we have now or will it go lower still?

HOW DID YOU PICK THE THREE NEW WOlVES TO PROFIlE?They are all famous wolves. At 148 lbs., Number 760 from the Delta pack is the single biggest wolf we’ve ever caught. Number 692 is interesting because she’s a rogue female that nobody could tie down. Unfortunately, she was shot illegally outside the park in Gardiner. And everybody knew Number 302, the Casanova who seemed like a happy-go-lucky wolf who had no aspirations in life. Each story captures the human imagination.

WHEN MORE INFORMATION IS IN, WIll THERE BE A NEW BOOK?Yes, once we get through this interesting phase. It will be Yellowstone wolves, the whole story dissected into its parts. There will be chapters on wolf-elk relations, wolf-bear-coyote relations, disease, genetics, ecosystem impacts, scavengers, behavior, management, habituation, etc. I may sit down and write it with a couple colleagues or have the outside experts we’ve collaborated with each take a subject and treat it as its own chapter.

order online at www.yellowstoneAssociation.org or call us at 406-848-2400.

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W I N T E R W I L d L I F E WaT C H I N g P R O g R a m S

LamaR vaLLEY WOLF WEEkSImmerse yourself in the wolf’s winter world and learn about their habitat, behavior, history, and management. After the morning wolf action winds down, stretch your legs on guided snowshoe excursions or enjoy afternoons on your own. Dinner each evening is followed by an evening presentation or listening for wolf howls under the stars. This special week includes catered meals that begin with dinner the first evening and end with breakfast on the last day. 4-day program offered at the lamar Buffalo Ranch beginning December 3, March 4, March 12, and March 17. $620 per person, including meals. Shared cabins are $30 per person per night. If space is available, you may rent a private cabin for $75 per night for 1— 2 people. Minimum age is 12.

Photo: Sandy Shapiro

CHOOSE YOuR OWN advENTuREPrivate Tours offer daily options that best fit your itinerary and interests, with the opportunity to combine days for a longer stay. Your naturalist guide will pick you up at your hotel. Better yet, through March 31, 2013, stay with us at our Yellowstone Overlook Field Campus and save 25 percent on your tuition. Go wildlife watching on the northern range; immerse yourself in the wolves’ winter habitat; or explore Yellowstone by ski or snowshoe. Tuition includes a naturalist guide, transportation for the day, snacks, and use of high-power spotting scopes and binoculars. Tours begin in Gardiner, Mammoth, or lamar and last approximately 8 hours. Daily tuition rates: $495 ($371.25 with lodging discount) for 1–5 participants; $650 ($487.50 with lodging discount) for 6–13 participants; $1,300 ($975 with lodging discount) for 14–26 participants.

WINTER WOLF dISCOvERYDelve into the world of Yellowstone’s wolves with the guidance of experts, who share their knowledge about ecology and wolf management. Search for wolves at first light, and spend afternoons snowshoeing in their habitat. 3-day program offered December 23, january 6, 20, February 3, 12, 174 nights at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel $705/$887

WINTER WILdLIFE ExPEdITIONWildlife abounds in Yellowstone’s northern range, which you can access by vehicle and foot even in winter. Observe and learn about Yellowstone’s pronghorn, bighorn, bison, elk, wolves, and other wildlife. 3-day program offered December 30, january 13, 27, February 10, 24, 264 nights at Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel $665/$847

Photo: Diane Simpson

Photo: MacNeil lyons

To book a program, please visit www.Yellowstoneassociation.org or call us at 406-848-2400

LOdgINg aNd LEaRNINg PROgRamS Our lodging and learning programs are based at park hotels and taught by naturalist guides who are intimately familiar with Yellowstone. Packages are offered in partnership with Xanterra Parks and Resorts® and include daily field trips, lodging, most meals, in-park transportation, and optional evening programs. Rates are double/single occupancy plus taxes or utility fees. Minimum age is 12. Rates are higher for holiday sessions.

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It’susuallyduringthespring,afterwaitingforthesnowtomelt,thatourthoughtsturntofishing.Butyellowstoneinthefall,afterearly-seasonrunoffhasendedandthesummerheatsubsides,canbeoneofthebesttimestofishinthepark.wetalkedtoafewlocalexpertstogetthehotfishingspotsforthecoolweather.

ByStephencamelioYellowstone Association

gaRdNER RIvER Thanks to spawning brown trout coming up from the mighty Yellowstone River, the little Gardner River is home to big fish in the fall. “A rig with two nymphs is the way to catch the fall runners,” says Richard Parks, author of Fishing Yellowstone National Park. “Try big beadheads and stonefly imitations like Minch Stones, the 20-incher and Minch’s bead, hare, and copper.”

FIREHOLE RIvERToo hot to fish during the summer months, the Firehole once again becomes the dry fly fishermen’s go-to river in the park during the cooler autumn weather. But Parks says don’t go looking for the Pale Morning Duns that the fish loved so much in the spring. Instead, he recommends that from late morning to early afternoon anglers be on the watch for hatches of Blue Wing Olives and caddis.

LamaR RIvER/SOda BuTTE CREEkDespite the fact that heavy summer fishing with terrestrials makes the trout wary and hard to catch, Rhea Topping, instructor for YA Institute fly fishing courses, loves to fish the park’s northeast corner because of the lamar Valley’s spectacular fall colors. And it doesn’t hurt that cloudy September days can mean hatches of big, size 10–12 drakes, both gray and green, which are a favorite food for large, hungry cutthroats preparing for a long, cold winter.

Autumn Angling

madISON RIvERWorking upstream from Hebgen lake, trophy brown trout make their annual pilgrimage to spawn in the Park near West Yellowstone. If you want to land a Madison monster, Craig Mathews, co-author of The Yellowstone Fly-Fishing Guide, recommends going big with a size 6 streamer tied onto short, heavy leaders or, on overcast days, trying smaller BWOs or soft hackles.

BECHLER RIvERInsects are usually a fisherman’s best friend, but before September the mosquitoes in the park’s southwestern corner can drive even the most dedicated angler crazy. But come autumn when the pests disappear, the gin-clear, meadow stretches in this remote area can be productive for big rainbows, so long as you have long leaders and sight fish downstream with hoppers or ants.

Brown Trout. Photo: Scott Morrison

Photo: Scott Morrison

Fishing in Yellowstone requires a license, which can be purchased at NPS visitor

centers and local outdoor retailers. Regulations require barbless hooks, non-

toxic tackle and catch-and-release for all native fish, as well as all fish in Wild

Trout Enhancement Areas. All lake trout in Yellowstone lake must be killed.

This year fishing season runs through Sunday, November 5.

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I N S T I T u T E N E W S

PocKetguIDetoflyfIShIngKnotSBy Ron Cordes, Stan Bradshaw, gary LaFontaine.eachpageofthistake-alongbookprovidesdirectandquickaccesstotheknotsyouneedwhileonthewater,coveringalmostanyflyfishingsituationyoucanencounter.

price:$12.95 YA Member Price: $11.01

theyellowStonefly-fIShIngguIDeBy Craig mathews and Clayton molinero.thiscomprehensiveguidetothepark’sfisheryincludesdiscussionofinsects,flypatterns,fishingtechniques,andspecificlocationstofishinthepark.

price: $16.95 YA Member Price: $14.41

yellowStoneaSSocIatIonBaSeBallcaPthis100%cottoncapfeaturestheyellowstoneassociationlogowithan

adjustablebackstrap.

sale price:$7.99

PocKetguIDetoflyfIShIngBy Ron Cordes and gary LaFontaine.thishandypocketguideismadeofdurableplasticpagesandspiralbinding.Itcoverssuchtopicsas“rod/line,”“Plants,”“locationandStrategy,”“technique,”and“foodSourcesandflyPatterns.”

price:$12.95YA Member Price: $11.01

fIShIngyellowStonenatIonalParKBy Richard Parks.aninsider’sguidetoflyandlurefishinginyellowstone.Includesresidentfishspecies,recommendedfliesandlures,anddetailedaccess

informationformorethan100locationsinthepark.

price:$17.95 YA Member Price: $15.26

Autumn Angling

order online at www.yellowstoneAssociation.org or call us at 406-848-2400.

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Photo: Karen Withrow

The Yellowstone Association’s Summit Society honors those who have included the Yellowstone Association in their estate plans. Join the Summit Society and other thoughtful donors whose gifts ensure the future of connecting people to Yellowstone and our natural world through education.

There are many easy ways to leave a legacy, in addition to making a bequest to your will. You can designate the Yellowstone Association as a beneficiary of • Your IRA or pension plan• Life insurance policy• Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT)• Charitable Lead Trust (CLT)• Stocks and Bonds• Bank Accounts

To name the Yellowstone Association as a beneficiary, contact the institution that administers your account to request a beneficiary designation form.

SUMMIT SOCIETY BENEFITSYellowstone Association will recognize your legacy commitment in our annual report, Discovery magazine, and on the honor wall at the Old Faithful Visitor Education Center.

The greatest benefit will be the satisfaction from knowing you have made a difference in Yellowstone for future generations. Your recognition will also inspire others.

PlEASE lET US KNOW OF YOUR PlANS SO WE CAN PROPERlY RECOGNIzE YOU FOR YOUR THOUGHTFUl GIFT.

“There is nothing so American as our national parks....The fundamental idea behind the parks...is that the country belongs to the people, that it is in process of making

for the enrichment of the lives of all of us.” — President Franklin D. Roosevelt

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

lEAVE A lASTING lEGACY FOR YEllOWSTONE, jOIN THE SUMMIT SOCIETY TODAY!

Summit Society

Please contact Stacey Orsted: 406-848-2855 or [email protected] from the Yellowstone Association is not offered as legal or tax advice.Yellowstone Association Tax ID# 03-0374417

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thAnk you to All our speciAl pAtrons new AnD renewinG MeMbers of the yellowstone society...

m E m B E R S H I P

The Yellowstone Society recognizes preservationists who annually support the Association at $1,000 or more through memberships and philanthropic contributions. Thank you to the following donors who joined or renewed their membership in the Yellowstone Society between April 1, 2012, and june 30, 2012. Your annual support plays a critical role in the Association’s mission to educate visitors about preserving Yellowstone National Park.

lAMAr $1,000 - $2,499 Nancy and Theodore BerndtClaire Campbell and Brian MakareKatie Cattanach and David CharlesCatherine and Brooks DarbyCharles DepresJo Ann and Bert EderWilliam FreundJohn HarveyOlen Kitchings

Sue and Roger LangNancy and Dan MaloneyDana and David MartinAnne Young and Jim NielsonCathy and William OsbornJudith and Tom ReidTia and Jim RoddyCarolyn RosinAnne and Andrew SukWouter Vanderwal

fAlls $10,000 - $24,999 Mark Benjamin

gallatIn$2,500-$4,999Sandra and Jeffrey DunningPenney and A.C. HubbardBetty and Barry HunlockJackie and Jay LauderdaleCatherine and Bob Shopneck

Sandra and Roy WaltersRuth and Richard WaltmanKay and Frank YeagerBarbara and Donald Zucker

suMMit society...The Summit Society is a special program to recognize those individuals or families that have included the Yellowstone Association in their estate planning to ensure the preservation of Yellowstone for future generations. Due to space limitations only members joining or renewing at the lamar ($1,000) level and above are listed here. However, every contribution is greatly appreciated and helps to make Yellowstone a better place for us all. A full list of Summit Society members will be included in our annual report.

Anonymous Anonymous

InhonorofmarIlynalIKreKatherine Kline

InhonorofgeneBallDeirdre Sevier

InhonorofgeorgeBumanDeirdre Sevier InmemoryofwynnDrummRachel and Glen Goddard Kay and Rod Tyler Cheryl Russell Harold Ludwig Tony LuedeckeInhonoroftrentfrancISJoyce and Dannie Francis InmemoryofrIcharDjanecKyLois Janecky InhonorofDeBorahmIgnognoThomas Smith and Allen Gosser

InhonorofjohnScarlettDeirdre Sevier InmemoryofBeaSchmIDtRebecca and James Schmidt

InmemoryofjoSePhSKrIPacLinda Skripac InmemoryofelIzaBethlyStruPSmIthRichard O’Connor Nina and Richard Shuyler Shirley Darling Karen Hutcherson InhonoroflouISSPencerDeirdre Sevier

InmemoryofjeanIethomPSonRebecca and James Schmidt InhonorofjontraPPDeirdre Sevier

speciAl tribute Donors...Special thanks to the following donors who made a contribution to the Yellowstone Association as a tribute to someone special in their lives between April 1, 2012, and june 30, 2012.

AnonymousAnonymous Anonymous Lynn Bart

Jeane BurleinStephen and Lara ComptonJerry and Shirley CormierFrank Hensing

Dennis and Jayne PoydenceWilliam Ryerson

InhonorofjefftraugerRachel TraugerInhonorofmIKeweStDustin West

InhonorofjacquelIneS.wIlSonAnonymous

InhonorofelIzaBethwrIghtDeirdre Sevier

Photo: Bill Mahoney

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Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

PAIDBozeman, MT

59715PERMIT #209

Yellowstone Association

CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED

P.O. Box 117Yellowstone National Park, WY82190

xanterraParks&resorts®ispleasedtoextendtoyellowstoneassociationmembersa20percentdiscountbetweenoctober1andoctober20,2012.membersmayreceivethediscountedrates,basedonavailability,uptothe

dayofarrivalbynotifyingxanterrathattheyareyamembers.

advaNCEd RESERvaTIONS aRE RECOmmENdEd. CaLL OuR RESERvaTIONS OFFICE aT 1-866-gEYSERLaNd (866-439-7375).

xanterraParKS&reSortS®offerSyellowStoneaSSocIatIonmemBerSloDgIngDIScountS

Photo: Stephanie Ripley

notapplicabletopackagesandcannotbecombinedwithotherdiscountsorspecials.