PRIVATE, CUSTOMIZED FULL-DAY WILDLIFE TOURS,
LOCATION OF TOUR BASED ON YOUR INTEREST AND CAN FOCUS ON ONE AREA OR A COMBINATION
- Lamar Valley
- Hayden Valley
- East or West Side
- Thermal Areas
- Short Hikes
1-3 PEOPLE
TOURS BEGIN IN GARDINER, MT, OR MAMMOTH, WY
PICKUP AT OTHER LOCATIONS MAY BE ARRANGED
Yellowstone is known for its diversity of wildlife with everything from grizzly bears, to wolves, birds, swans, otters, coyotes, foxes, badgers, moose, bison, elk, deer, pronghorn, and even wild cats, though they are seldom seen. Winter in Yellowstone is famous for the wolves in snow but come spring, the snow is melting, grass turning green and the grizzly cubs are coming out into the open. Bison and elk calves are being born, and then along come the pronghorn babies. Black bears emerge solo or with cubs. Meanwhile, wolf, coyote and fox pups have been born and are in or near their dens where the family gathers to raise the youngsters. Come summer, late July through August, and the bison rut comes on strong while the wildflowers are blooming. In September and October are the elk and moose rut, along with beautiful fall colors. Wolf pups begin to travel with their pack in September. Earlier in the season, wolf pups can some times be seen near den or rendezvous sites that are visible to the road. The big horn sheep begin their rut in late November and go through much of December. Before you know it, we have had a full wild season of wildlife activity and the animals are getting ready for winter. Foxes, coyotes and wolves mate in February but the mating season related activity usually begins in late December, some times earlier.
A wildlife tour in Yellowstone, with local photographer and daily park visitor, Deby Dixon, will give you the best opportunity to witness some special moments in the life of Yellowstone's wild animals.
THE DETAILS
These tours are private and designed individually, based on your preferences in the wild, along with Deby's knowledge of current wildlife activity. For booking of your private tour, please contact me at debydixon@mac.com to confirm date availability and book your tour.
Private wildlife tours are $650 for one to three people, ages 10+.
Tours originate out of Gardiner, Montana, however, I can arrange to meet you in other locations, such as Tower, Canyon or Madison, for $25. Meeting at Lake, Grant or Old Faithful would be an additional $50, as these locations add more than an hour to my day.
MULTIPLE DAY TOURS AVAILABLE - One additional day will be $1100 and three days will be $1400. Your multiple day tours will be designed based on your interests and schedule.
WHAT TO BRING
• Bring big smiles and luck for a wonderful day in the park. Bring your lunch and drinks - please let me know if you need cooler space. Temperatures vary, sometimes by 50 degrees, so be sure and pack layers. The sun might be shining one second and it could snow the next. Wear good, sturdy shoes, no sandals. Bring cameras, scopes, binoculars and it never hurts to throw in a charging cord. I do have binoculars and a high quality scope.
• NOT ALLOWED - No firearms. Due to allergies, no scents/perfumes of any kind. And, no smoking during the tour. Marijuana is not legal in the national parks.
DAY OF THE TOUR
• I will either pick you up at your accommodations in Gardiner or Mammoth, or another pre-arranged location at the time we have agreed upon, usually just before sunrise.
• The day will most likely begin by looking for bears and wolves. I will share with you any inside information on the best places to find the wildlife and give you a few choices. After our morning start, looking for the bears and wolves, we will branch out, looking for other wildlife and exploring the geography of the park. These wildlife watching tours will be mainly based in Lamar Valley, Hayden Valley and Fishing Bridge. However, if we have time, we may do the northern loop area, Lamar and Hayden. We can talk about what you want to see before the day of your tour. Please know, that I will do everything possible to make your dreams come true, but wildlife does not always show up when we want them to. So, no guarantees on specific sightings, only my promise to try my hardest.
• Wildlife tours will run from approximately 6 a.m. until about 2 or 3 p.m., depending on wildlife sightings, and your time schedule.
BOOKING YOUR TOUR
Contact me at debydixon@mac.com, or call 406-641-0931, to confirm that your date, or dates are available. Payment is expected when the tour is booked.
REFUND POLICY
Payment is due at the time of booking to reserve your date. You will have 7 days to cancel your tour, from date of payment, ONLY if the tour is booked 30+ days in advance, for a 90% refund.
Tours booked less than 30 days in advance are not eligible for the 7 day refund. However, you may rebook within 18 months of your date of cancellation, for a 10% fee. You may only rebook your tour one time and the date(s) must be agreed upon by both parties.
Consider getting trip insurance, in the event of unforeseen complications.
