It’s been a week since my family headed back home, and I am about to return to Yellowstone for my “usual” summer wolf-watching trip. So here is an update about the current Northern Range packs.
PROSPECT PEAK PACK – to the best of my knowledge, this pack is still relatively stable, led by aging alpha male 763M (a black going gray) and alpha female 821F. It is believed they denned in their usual place and do have a few pups. Hopefully I'll see some of them!
JUNCTION BUTTE PACK – this pack is also quite stable. Led by alpha male 911M (large gray) and alpha female 970F (black). It is believed that 970F and her sister 907F both gave birth to pups this year, somewhere on the back side of Specimen Ridge – perhaps in an area once used by the Agate pack in the Antelope Creek area. Note: although I did not see Junction pups on this trip, in August of this year, the Junctions suprised everyone when they appeared in the Crystal Creek area with 11 pups!
LAMAR CANYON PACK – This pack is led by 926F (black daughter of the 06) and Twin a former Prospect male. Twin is a two-toned black & gray wolf (seemingly the Twin of 763M).There are three other adult males in this pack; 965M (collared gray), Mottled (two-toned black & gray) and Dark Black (black); all former Prospect wolves. There are two adult females; Big T and Little T, daughters of 926F and former alpha 925M (Big Gray) whom the Prospect wolves killed in March. Both females are black with white “tornado-shaped” marks on their chests. These females originally had four male siblings but they did not remain with 926F when she lost 925M and accepted the Prospect males back in March. The four male siblings have not been seen for quite a while and it is believed that they most likely did not survive.
It is believed that 926F has a new litter of five pups - two black and three gray – born in the “traditional” Druid Peak pack den area north of Footbridge pullout. The current members of this pack are not seen as frequently as other packs who have used this territory in the past. It is believed that their actual den is much further back in the trees than in the Druid days or even when the 06 denned here. When they howl, it seems to come from much further back than usual.
So, if these pups survive, the Lamar Canyon pack could once again become a force on the northern range.
THE WAPITI LAKE PACK I am pleased to write that famous 755M has found a mate in the beautiful white female daughter of the Canyon pair. The couple took over the territory that the Canyon pair long held, and this spring we learned that he has fathered pups. They are being raised in the traditional area - the point of trees visible from Grizzly Overlook. After losing his famous former mate (the 06), 755 had two years of miserable luck, trying to find a new mate and losing one after another for one reason or another. Finally he headed south and found the Canyon female who found him irresistable. Those of us who know him (and also find him charming) could not be happier for his good fortune a long last.
As always, thanks to Doug Dance for creating this website for me, to John Uhler for starting the Loon Page through which I made so many friends and discovered the wolves of Yellowstone, and to Laurie & Dan who are so generous to me.
Enjoy!