Casey Anderson

Get 20% off any ONX subscription with code "VENTURE20" at https://www.onxmaps.com Fresh snow is one of the greatest gifts a wildlife tracker can ask for, and after a fresh blanket covered the Montana backcountry, Riley and I knew it was time to go searching for one of the most elusive predators in North America—the mountain lion. Not long after leaving the trailhead, we cut a set of fresh lion tracks and began following them deep into the mountains. Every track, every turn, and every clue told part of the story, and we knew there was a chance the cat had made a kill nearby. Following a mountain lion on foot is never easy, but these are the moments I live for—reading the landscape and piecing together the movements of an animal that spends its life avoiding detection. Along the way, I discovered a cave tucked into a rocky outcrop and couldn't resist investigating. Crawling inside, I found evidence that it had been used as a bear den in the past. As the day unfolded, the tracks led us to exactly what we were hoping for—a fresh kill. We deployed a team of remote cameras and left them to do their work. If you enjoy wildlife adventures and backcountry exploration, be sure to subscribe and follow along for the next adventure. Follow the Endless Venture team Casey Anderson https://www.facebook.com/GrizGuy/ https://www.instagram.com/grizzlyguy/ Riley McClaughry (Cameraman/Editor) https://www.instagram.com/riley.mcclaughry/ DISCLAIMER: The content featured on Endless Venture is created by Casey Anderson, a professional wildlife tracker, filmmaker, and wilderness expert with nearly 50 years of experience in the field, alongside a highly trained team of professionals. All activities involving wild animals and remote wilderness environments are conducted with extensive knowledge, preparation, and safety protocols. Do not attempt to replicate anything you see on this channel without the guidance and support of qualified professionals. Wild animals are unpredictable, and wilderness environments can be extremely dangerous. Your safety—and the safety of wildlife—should always come first.

When most people think about bears catching fish, they picture giant brown bears standing in Alaska's salmon streams. But Alaska isn't the only place where bears fish. Right here in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, both grizzly bears and black bears will take advantage of spawning trout when the opportunity presents itself. It's not as common as it once was, but thanks to ongoing conservation efforts, Yellowstone cutthroat trout populations are beginning to rebound in some watersheds. This beautiful brown-phase black bear is trying her luck in a spawning stream, taking shot after shot at Yellowstone cutthroat trout. Not every attempt was successful, but that's part of the story. Wild animals are constantly balancing energy, opportunity, and instinct. It's a reminder that Yellowstone's food web is incredibly connected. Healthy trout populations don't just benefit anglers, they provide food for otters, eagles, ospreys, pelicans, bears, and countless other species that have relied on these fish for thousands of years. Have you ever seen a black bear fishing for trout?

Survival in numbers. A lone wolf could never take down a healthy adult bison. And a lone bison would struggle to defend itself against an entire wolf pack. That’s the reality of the wild, strength often comes through teamwork. In this clip, Team Bison wins. The herd bands together, stands its ground, and the wolves back off. But that’s not always how it ends. Sometimes Team Wolf wins. In recent years, wolves in the Yellowstone ecosystem have been feeding heavily on bison, in some areas making up nearly half their diet. This battle is ancient. Wolves and bison have been shaping each other for tens of thousands of years across North America. Predator and prey. Strategy and defense. Cooperation versus cooperation. And that’s what makes watching it so fascinating. Neither side is evil. Neither side is wrong. It’s survival. It’s evolution. It’s the wild doing what it has always done.

In summer, grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem eat more than 266 different species, everything from pine nuts to bison and about everything in between: fungi, berries, grasses, roots, rodents, insects, and even soil. But one of the wildest things they eat is the army cutworm moth. These moths gather by the millions in high alpine talus slopes, and grizzlies will dig through the rocks and lap them up by the tens of thousands, sometimes 40,000 to 60,000 moths in a single day. And honestly… they’re pretty dang good. I’ve tried them over the years, and they taste kind of like a honey-roasted peanut. Sometimes when I’m hiking around up there and need a little extra calorie bump, I’ll dig around for a few moths myself. Each moth is tiny, but it’s basically a little flying fat bomb, packed with calories and protein. No wonder bears climb high into the mountains every summer to find them. If you want to learn more, and see one of the most spectacular grizzly bear events I’ve ever witnessed in my life, head over to Endless Venture and check out the latest episode featuring grizzlies feeding on army cutworm moths high in the mountains. It’s one of the craziest natural spectacles in the Yellowstone ecosystem.

Black Bear or Grizzly bear? Right now, bears all across the West are out and moving. It’s mating season, and the big old boars are strutting their stuff, trying to prove they’re the biggest, baddest bear on the landscape and hoping to catch the attention of the ladies. One thing dominant male bears often do this time of year is what many people call the “cowboy walk.” They stiffen up their legs, sway side to side, and walk with an exaggerated, swaggering gait to make themselves look even larger and more intimidating to other bears nearby. And then comes the rubbing. They rub trees, posts, signs, fence corners, anything that stands out on the landscape. They leave scent, hair, saliva, and visual sign behind as a giant biological message board telling every other bear in the area: “I’m here.” This little tree here has been chewed on, broken, twisted, rubbed, and stunted into almost a bonsai-looking bear post over years of abuse. In just the last couple weeks, two or three different bears have visited it. That’s how bears figure out who’s around… and who the top dog is. So what do you think made this sign? A big male grizzly? Or a big male black bear? Tell me why you think so in the comments below. And if you want to learn more about bears, wildlife, and big predators, and help support what we do, head over to our channel Endless Venture, and like and subscribe. That support is literally what keeps us out in the wild filming and sharing these stories.

Imagine hiking into the mountains and realizing there are grizzly bears everywhere. Above you. Below you. Moving across the ridges. Feeding just over the next rise. That was this day. I broke my all-time personal record for grizzly bears seen in one day, over 40 bears in the Yellowstone high country. And the craziest part is how peaceful it all was. The bears were so focused on feeding on army cutworm moths that old rivalries seemed to fade away. Massive bears feeding side by side in a way few people ever get to witness. But navigating through that many grizzlies takes patience, awareness, and respect. Sometimes the best move is to stop breathing, hold still, and let the mountain decide what happens next. New Endless Venture episode now on our channel!