Note: Thomas Frederick Zieber is helping with the winter wolf study in Yellowstone. He has also been spending email updates to a few folks, and I am very pleased that he has agreed to allow me to post them. This is not the first of his descriptions of the activities of the wolves on the northern range of Yellowstone. If fact it is day 20. I will be putting up the rest after I have reformatted the text to HTML, but this one is special. The "terrible Druids" had a clash with the large Crystal Creek Pack inside Druid territory on top of Specimen Ridge, and while most of the wolves in the pack are different today than back in 1996 when the Druids drove the Crystal Creek Pack from Lamar Valley, the two alpha females were present back in the early summer of 1996 when the Druids killed the alpha male of the Crystal Creek Pack, no. 4M, injured his mate 5F, and probably killed her littler of pups. Number 5F was one the scene for both battle, and so was the Druids' 40F and 42F. . . . . Ralph Maughan
Clash of the Titans
Day 20 of the Winter Study went thus:
I might as well cut to the chase (pardon the pun). Rob and I witnessed pack aggression on a grand scale. The Crystal Creek Pack and the Druid Peak Pack had a full-on battle and the Druids pretty much got the worst end of it. At this time we aren't sure if any Druids got killed or even injured but they certainly got chased.
The day started slowly enough. We didn't receive anyone's collar signal except for #21M up on Specimen Ridge. Rob and I went into Lamar and were able to conduct our three weekly elk surveys. The air was cold and crisp, about -6, and the sky was completely clear of clouds. A morning of rare beauty. The river is in the process of freezing over, and everything from the cottonwood branches to the grass to the fur on the bison had an ice-frost coating. When the sun rose you could see the ice crystals floating gently in the air - this produced one of the most sublime effects I have ever seen. It's tough to describe but what we saw were two "rainbows" - only they weren't rainbows but rather the refraction of the light on the ice crystals in air. And the "rainbows" were not in the typical arch, rather they were vertical and there was one each on either side equidistant from the rising sun. I'm not sure how that effect was produced (except that somehow light was being refracted) but it was dazzling.
Anyhow, once we concluded the elk counts we went back to take more radio signals and, loo and behold, the Druids were up on Specimen Ridge again. Rob and I drove up past Tower Falls near Antelope Creek and accessed our observation point. The plane had told us that the Druids had made another calf kill nearby but we couldn't see it - and we didn't see any scavengers, which means it was either deep in a gully or the pack had eaten most of it already. Shortly after we had set up all of our equipment, the plane called us on the radio and informed us that the Crystal Creek Pack was near Amethyst Peak and moving West. This pack usually resides in Pelican Valley and are known for their bison hunting skills. It was a bit surprising to find them on top of Specimen Ridge, but then the Druid Peak wolves have been known to make excursions into Pelican Valley.
The morning progressed slowly. At quarter after 11, we received the expected radio signals from the Crystals. About an hour later I found the Crystal wolves sleeping on a hillside about 3 km from the Druids. Neither seemed aware of the other at this point. It seems that the Crystal Pack is split for the moment as we only got an 8 count when we should have had 12 to 14. Using the radio signals, we knew for sure that the dominant female #5F and two yearlings, #174F and #175F, were present. At 1352 we estimated the distance between the two packs to be about 2 km, and the Crystal wolves were still moving West.
Twenty minutes later the Crystal and Druid packs were about 1 km apart, still without any recognition from either group. We kept watching as the Crystal pack got closer and more excited as they begin to pick up on scent posts (presumably) left by the Druid pack. But the big battle that we were anxiously anticipating did not occur. Amazingly enough the Crystal pack passed upslope about 1/2 km away from the Druids. The most reaction we saw from the Druid pack was #42F lifting her head and looking in the general direction. She quickly went back to sleep. Did she not see, smell, hear them? Or did she decide that they were of no consequence? I am mystified by this lack of action.
Soon, the Crystal pack was well away from the Druids and we thought that nothing further was going to happen. At that point the Crystal wolves began to hunt a large, 300-plus member elk herd. Their hunting path took them on a collision course with the Druids. For about five minutes we watched a typical, low-energy wolf-elk interaction. The wolves approached slowly and the elk bunched up and then they both stopped moving and stared at each other. After a short rest bout, the Crystals began the hunt again, moving East. They were once again within a 1/2 km of the Druids at this point. I was wondering how the elk felt, wolves on the left of them, wolves on right. The Crystal wolves began to get serious and started to test the elk more thoroughly then, without warning, something acted as a catalyst to get the Druids up and moving. They stared of in the direction of the ongoing hunt and then held a quick group ceremony. I could tell by their attitude that they knew that a foreign canine was trespassing. Off they went! running at full speed towards the Crystal Pack. As is typical with the Druids the pups lingered behind. Honestly, I do not believe that the Druids were expecting a full-pack invasion force but rather expected to be facing one or two trespassers.
As the Druids approached the Crystal pack they seemed to focus in on one wolf whom was engaged in the hunt. This Crystal wolf stopped, looking shocked that his/her hunt should be interrupted by aggressive wolves - the Druids were about to kick butt in their time honored way. Then the tables turned. The remainder of the Crystal pack came bounding over the hill and charged towards the Druid pack. Forward momentum stopped, brakes were put on and tails were tucked and in a flash of the eye the Druids were now the chased. The coordination was amazing as all Druids turned and retreated as they had now become the targets. All except the pups - they stood looking perplexed as their parents and older siblings ran by them. Then they caught on and turned to run for their lives as the horde of Crystal wolves began their own pursuit.
After that, things quickly became a blur. The Druid pack was no longer as each individual chose a route that best suited him/her. The Crystal pack was a bit more cohesive but they, too, split up into smaller groups. I did see #40F chased over a hill. I saw wolves running in areas I never would have thought to see them in (after watching them for a while you begin to get a feel for the type of terrain that they prefer). With the sudden influx of wolves running at full speed, identification became problematic. I could pick out some of the more distinct Druid wolves, and some of the Crystal wolves were idiosyncratic, especially a big, black wolf that reminded me of #53 - Chow, baby! He/She had a large mane of fur that no Druid wolf has ever possessed.
Chaos is the perfect word to describe what we were seeing. #21M and the two gray pups retreated into the canyon. As things settled down most of the Crystal pack regrouped. They begin to investigate the kill site/bedding area used previously by the Druids. At that point, #40 showed up again. All attention was focused on her as she outran the Crystal group; she ran hard and fast with real life hellhounds on her tail, and was able to ditch them only by ducking into the canyon.
Things quieted down after that. We saw Druid wolves #103F, #105F and #42F make a small group and quickly retreat to high ground while being pursued at a distance by the Crystals. There were two mystery wolves watching the goings-on from a ridge - this may have been #40 and the black pup, or this could have been the two missing Crystal wolves. We weren't sure. At this point it was 3:30 p.m. For the rest of the afternoon we saw various wolves from both packs wandering here and there. Number 21 and a gray pup reappeared on the East rim of the canyon wall, and that is where they stayed for the remainder of the day. As the daylight faded, we saw most of the Crystal pack head east, in the direction from where they came.
I have many, many questions about the days events and I have only began to formulate the why's and how's of today's action. For awhile, especially while #40 was being chased, my pulse rate went up significantly. Even now, I am spellbound with what I witnessed. What will the morrow bring? Will we be a wolf short? How will this affect the Druids? Attacked on their own turf! Will they be more hesitant to pursue trespassing wolves? Or will they be more vigorous? Daybreak is only nine hours away! © Thomas Frederick Zieber 1999
Tom Zieber's Day 21 Report. (Sunday, 12-5-99) Tom's Sunday report gives some inconclusive information about the outcome of the big wolf battle.
Tom Zieber's Day 22 Report. (Monday 12-6-99). A slow day, but a good hike.
Tom Zieber's Day 23 Report. (Tuesday 12-7-99). Life Goes On . . . It looks like the Druids lost the black pup in the fight with the Crystal Creek Pack.
Tom Zieber's Day 24 Report (Wednesday 12-8-99)
Tom Zieber's Day 25 Report (Thursday 12-9-99)
Tom Zieber's Days 26 and 27 (Friday and Saturday 12-10 and 11-99)
Tom Zieber's Day 28. (Sunday 12-12-99) A Long Hike in the Snow
Tom Zieber's Day 29 (Monday 12-13-99). Let it Snow! It snowed a lot, but the Druids chased a big bull elk anyway, and he knocked no. 40F for a loop.
Tom Zieber's last day. (Tuesday 12-14-99)
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