Guiding the Wild: Evan Stout on Yellowstone Wildlife, Bears, and Big-Picture Conservation
Jul 01, 2025
Guiding the Wild: Evan Stout on Yellowstone Wildlife, Bears, and Big-Picture Conservation
Tim sits down with Evan Stout, owner of Yellowstone Wildlife Guide Company, to talk about what it means to be a wildlife guide in one of the most iconic landscapes on Earth. Based in Gardiner, Montana, Evan takes guests into Yellowstone for early-morning wildlife viewing, specialized photography, and up-close encounters with the raw, untamed side of the park.
Click here to listen to the audio-only version on Spotify.
A Deeper Way to See Yellowstone
From owl tracking to calving bison to grizzly sightings, Evan’s tours offer a richer, more thoughtful approach to wildlife experiences. He specializes in small-group trips, often with photographers or passionate wildlife watchers, building each outing around the guests’ goals and the park’s conditions that day.
“Yellowstone provides for those who appreciate. If you can stay open to what shows up, you’re going to have a great day.”
He avoids crowds, runs tours year-round, and even offers multi-day photography-focused trips. For visitors who want more than a scope glance at a bear or a crowded pull-off, Evan’s approach is both intimate and informed.
From Guiding to Advocacy
In addition to his business, Evan is also a conservation advocate. He runs Bear Awareness Gardiner—a nonprofit focused on coexistence through bear-proofing infrastructure—and co-leads Wild Livelihoods, a regional initiative helping tourism businesses align with resource sustainability.
“Our businesses only work if these resources last. The wildlife, the water, the freedom to explore—if we lose those, we lose the reason people come.”
Evan’s grounded take on the balance between tourism, growth, and preservation reflects a growing conversation in Montana’s gateway communities.
Yellowstone Expertise with a Personal Touch
Evan limits groups to five guests per vehicle, supplies high-end optics and meals, and builds each day around maximizing the quality of the wildlife experience. His team—small by design—includes just a few handpicked guides, ensuring consistency and care.
“If you’re staying in Gardiner or Mammoth, we’ll pick you up before sunrise and let the day unfold naturally.”
To learn more or book a wildlife trip, visit https://www.yellowstonewildlifeguidecompany.com/
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