Casey Anderson

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!

Over 40 grizzly bears… in a single day. I’ve spent my life in bear country, from Alaska to Yellowstone, and I had never seen anything like this. My previous record for grizzlies seen in one day in the Yellowstone ecosystem was 24. This trip shattered it. High in the alpine backcountry of the Greater Yellowstone, bears covered the mountainsides in every direction, flipping boulders for army cutworm moths and tolerating each other in ways you almost never see. But walking through a landscape with that many grizzlies comes with consequences. Every move matters. Wind. Terrain. Noise. One wrong decision and things can escalate fast. One of the wildest bear experiences of my life. New Endless Venture episode is live now on our channel!

Download the FREE Upside App at https://upside.app.link/endless to get an extra 25 cents back for every gallon on your first tank of gas. There are days in the field you know you’ll never forget—and this was one of them. In this episode of Endless Venture, Riley and I head deep into the backcountry, climbing to over 13,000 feet in elevation to witness one of the greatest wildlife spectacles in North America… and one that very few people have ever seen. Years ago, my personal record on this mountain was 24 grizzly bears in a single day. I thought that was unbeatable. In this episode, we shatter that record. Every late summer, millions of army cutworm moths migrate from the plains to these alpine peaks, feeding on wildflower nectar before hiding deep in the rocky slopes above treeline during the heat of the day. Grizzly bears from all across the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem know exactly where to find them—and they travel incredible distances to feast on these tiny insects, packing on critical fat before winter. What unfolds is the wildest day we have ever experienced in the United States… and maybe one of the craziest days of our lives. Dozens of grizzlies. Multiple close encounters. Endless adventure. This is one you do not want to miss. Follow the Endless Venture team on social media 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.

In the Yellowstone ecosystem, the rivers are often what deliver springtime first. As the ice begins to break apart and the water rises with snowmelt, the currents start carrying more than just runoff downstream. Every spring, bison, elk, deer, and other animals that fell through the ice during winter, or were caught in dangerous high-water crossings, end up washing downriver and collecting along banks, eddies, and shallow gravel bars. It may seem harsh, but these places become critical food sources for the ecosystem. Wolves patrol the river corridors. Grizzly bears emerging from their dens key in on these carcasses. Ravens, eagles, coyotes, foxes, and countless smaller scavengers all converge on the not-so-fortunate. In a landscape like Yellowstone, very little goes to waste. It’s one of those reminders that spring in the wild isn’t just about new life. It’s also about the long winter finally giving back what it took.