On Feb. 11, I did a story how the three Druid yearling females had left the pack to travel with 2 black male wolves, thought to be brothers. The Druids were down to just 5 wolves -- the alpha pair 21M and 42F, the wolf that went to Utah -- 253M, black female pup 286F (with a GPS collar), and a gray pup.

Since then the two black males have been radio-collared. Now they are officially 301M and 302M. Two former Druid females travel with them. The "U-black" (uncollared former Druid) is now clearly with the 2 males. The "half-black" female still returns to the Druids on occasion. The other Druid yearling female 255F has now returned to the Druids, but not before mating with 302M and also with an unidentified gray male. This winter 21M and 42F were seen mating 3 on three occasions. Will there be two litters among the Druids this spring? Denning begins in about 3 weeks. Rick McIntyre thinks the "U-black" has clearly become part of this new wolf trio or quartet. While 42F still accepts the "half-black", the "U-black" has a hip wound he thinks 42F may have delivered.

The uncollared yearling Druid male has not been seen with them for about 2 weeks now, but The Druid Pack is now back up to 6 wolves.

The Druid's are mostly in Lamar Valley, but today there were on a kill on a rise across from Crystal Creek. The 301/302/U-black group was tracked on Jasper Bench at the base of Specimen Ridge in the Lamar.

Moving downstream a bit, The Agate Pack was on a carcass north of Junction Butte. They are currently 4 pups and 5 adults. Former Agate Pack member 251F was not far away. She mostly travels with an uncollared black male, but occasionally as many as 3 other wolves have joined the duo. McIntyre speculated that the carcass the Agate Pack was on might been killed by 251F. Perhaps she  abandoned it to her former pack.

217F's group (she a former Druid) seems to be settling into the lower Slough Creek area. It could be a formidable group (or pack if pups are born). Presently it is 7 adult wolves (mostly former Druids and hunky Molly's Pack dispersers). Former Molly's Pack member  261M seems to be the alpha male.

Former Druid 105F's group has pretty much moved into upper Slough Creek on the northern boundary of the Park and into the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness farther north.

The Geode Pack, presently 5 adults and 3 pups is down on Hellroaring Slopes, although they did cross the Yellowstone River today near its confluence with the Lamar, and they do travel to Tower Junction.  Three wolves are collared -- former Druid 106F, the alpha female, 294M, the probable alpha male, and now 300M (outfitted with a GPS collar).

I didn't get any information on the Leopold Pack, but the Swan Lake Pack has moved to the east from its usual range and is being seen in Lava Creek and near Wraith Falls (near where all those big bull elk hang out). It's a big pack, 15-16 wolves being seen at one time. This could be a rare treat for visitors.

McIntyre says things are slowing down a bit and the wandering of the wolves will probably become more restricted as denning time approaches. It will be interesting to see where the new packs and the year-old packs will den.

Society of Wolves. National Parks and the Battle Over the Wolf. Revised Edition. By Rick McIntyre