Mating season, or perhaps it should be called "wolf dating season" is in full swing in Yellowstone Park. This season will soon end, however. Wolf gestation is 58 to about 65 days, and the Yellowstone pups are born from early to late April.

Rick McIntyre reports a large number of brief associations between male-female pairs or small groups of younger wolves in the Lamar Valley and Little America areas. He likened it to being a bit like human dating at a dance. He said it's hard to keep track of all the wolves because of the lack of stable associations, but one trio seemed to have formed over the last several weeks.

The trio. Several weeks ago folks noticed a young black wolf trying to entice a young female from the Druid Pack. As Norma Farmer explained it then:

"[We] sighted wolves at 7am on Friday morning there were 7 on first count laying up under the trees. We heard howling by alpha female and then rest of pack started in. We were so blessed just to spot them as we had heard they had been in another area for the last couple of days prior. Then the unexpected happened.

As we watched a lone black male . . . [appeared].

He was trying to entice a female member of the [Druid] pack to come with him. We watched as she would start toward him then lay in wait and just watch him. He was doing the same, sometimes sitting up and perking his ears up and forward. She would advance towards him and constantly look behind her where we observed a huge gray and a black from the pack just waiting and watching her movements and the young black male loner. This behavior went on for about 20 to 30 mins.

Then she made her move and went to him, alert tales wagging and prancing and dancing around each other. He started to lead her away from the pack location and she started with him, (We thought we were seeing a start of a new pack). Then she stopped and turned around and went back toward the pack/ the big gray from the main pack advanced on the black, touching noses as they circled each other. Then the gray ran back toward the pack and the female went part way down the hill with her suitor toward the road where a small group of Bison were minding there own business as usual. All of a sudden the huge gray and black from the pack came running down the hill and the gray ran literally over the young black suitor tumbling him head over hills, the two wolves from the pack stood in the stance of challenge. Then they and the female started back up the hill.

After another attempt by the young black, he was driven down the hill with his tail between his legs and the female was driven back to the pack by the two ensuing wolves from the pack."

The huge gray was 21M, the Druid alpha male. The black might have been the alpha female, 42F. For the next several days the young black male seemed to change tactics. Some thought he was trying now to join the always male-poor Druid Pack rather than coax away a mate.

Today, however, Rick McIntyre observed that an uncollared Druid female, nicknamed the "U-black" (U shaped gray mark on her chest) was with the young black male and another similar black. Moreover, many of the younger Druids came and joined them until the Druid alphas appeared and howled. All of the Druids returned, except the U-black who ran off with the 2 black males.

The Druids-

They seem to be at 7 members now. 253M is still with the pack, although he left for 2 days. The Druids have pretty much remained in the Lamar Valley this winter where the elk density appears to have been high and where their vigilance has been needed to monitor the many lone wolves and scattered groups that have passed through.

The Agate Pack-

This pack which formed last spring has not been near its usual Tower Jct./Elk Creek area lately, but back south in Antelope Creek where there is little wintertime human travel.

The Geode Pack and 217F/261M group-

In the absence of the Agate Pack, the rival Geode Pack and the new group clearly led by former Druid 217F have been in the Tower Area as well as Little America and 217's up Slough Creek.

The alpha male of the Geode Pack was recently radio collared and designated 294M. So the alphas are former Druid 106F and 294M. Druid Smith said 294M was an average sized male, about 110 pounds. The pack consists of 2 black wolves and 6 gray.

Everyone assumes 217's group will become a pack unless misfortunate strikes them. Bloody scent markings indicate she is in proestrus.  McIntrye says she clearly determines what the group will do, including the alpha male, former Molly's Pack 261M. Her groups numbers 6 wolves, and a 7th keeps joining and leaving from time to time. The 7th, a black wolf, has a non-functioning radio collar. 217F's group is skittish around the other packs. 217 so far quickly leads the group away when other packs appear, including former Druid 105F's group, which might be named the Slough Creek Pack if pups appear this spring.

A former Leopold member 210M has also been seen in the area with 3 or 4 other wolves. 210M's brother, 211M, who was probably a lone wolf at the time, was recently killed by one of the groups or packs of wolves in the area.

The Leopold Pack is being closely monitored by wolf project folks, although they are not often seen by the public. They currently number about 12 members, but are under new leadership given the 2002 deaths of the original alpha pair 7F and 2M. The new alpha female is 259F. No info yet on the alpha male.