Wyoming Wolves outside Yellowstone Update

August 23, 2000

The wolves of Wyoming outside Yellowstone Park are still faring well. It is still not known if no. 9 has pups, and other wolves have had been a few run-ins with dogs and one calf.

There are now probably three packs of wolves in the Sunlight Basin area, or more generally the mountain region between the NE side of Yellowstone and the plains at Cody, Wyoming.

There is the Sunlight Pack, which now has its second litter of pups, four black ones. There are 2 adults and 4 yearlings in pack for a total of 10. There is also the new Absaroka Pack, consisting of 153F and 164M, and probably another  uncollared adult wolf. They have five pups.

Number 9F denned, and she has an uncollared companion. She moved her den once, and while no pups have been seen, she would be unlikely to dig a second den if there were no pups. Her range is mostly in thick timber and she is hard to observe. There is no official call on whether she has pups yet. Many people have asked me. Her pack is named the Beartooth Pack, or if no pups the Beartooth Pair. Number 9 recently tasted her first beef when she sampled a cow killed by a grizzly bear. The bear reclaimed the kill, but was scared off by the search plane.

Further to the south, the Gros Ventre Pack has now grown to ten members--the original three adults, the two surviving pups from last year, and five new pups. They remain in Gros Ventre Wilderness despite a recent report that they were in the Teton Wilderness. I believe this was a mistake. 

The Teton Pack, led by no. 24F and her pups from 1999, which are now 16 months old, have expanded their range to the southeast. They increasingly use the upper Green River area about 15 miles north of Pinedale, the Union Pass area and the upper reaches of the Gros Ventre River. Amazingly, they have suffered no mortalities since the alpha male was killed over a year ago. The pack of six coexists with about 10,000 cattle, although one calf was killed by a wolf recently. The pack also had fight with a livestock dog. The dog recovered from its injuries.

Back in Dunoir which we haven't mentioned for a while, three wolves attacked and killed a retired livestock dog near the ranch house, a pet to the family. Last winter it was determined that probably only one wolf was using the area; but the Dunoir is always prime habitat for elk, moose, grizzlies and wolves. Wolves will always appear in the area; and if they are killed, more will show up, only if they are just passing through.

Fire and thick smoke have largely precluded wolf monitoring in Idaho and Montana. The range of 4 or 5 wolf packs in Idaho is presently on fire. A number of packs in Montana are also in the area near fires. This does not necessarily mean the wolves are in danger.