Wolf Chat

[xXWolfFangsXx]

When my mom was a kid she had an encounter with a big wolf in Washington when she went for a walk. it was growling and snarling at her till she backed up slowly

[paperpaws]

When my mom was a kid she had an encounter with a big wolf in Washington when she went for a walk. it was growling and snarling at her till she backed up slowly

I've split your post from the conservation status topic and merged it with this wolf chat topic, as this is a more suitable place to share wolf anecdotes like yours. Sounds like your mother had a scary experience!

[elkhunter123456]

I like wolves because of their intelligence and ability to hunt large prey like elk, moose, and bison with or without a pack. There lifestyle is unique and fun to read about.

Here are some facts:
competitors include cougars, bears, coyotes, wolverines and much more

The largest wolf ever recorded was 230 pounds!

There primary prey is elk but in winter they will sometimes hunt bison due to lack of elk. other prey includes moose, sheep, goat, beavers, hares and rodents

The smallest species of wolf is the Arabian wolf

[Koa]

I like wolves because of their intelligence and ability to hunt large prey like elk, moose, and bison with or without a pack. There lifestyle is unique and fun to read about.

Here are some facts:
competitors include cougars, bears, coyotes, wolverines and much more

The largest wolf ever recorded was 230 pounds!

There primary prey is elk but in winter they will sometimes hunt bison due to lack of elk. other prey includes moose, sheep, goat, beavers, hares and rodents

The smallest species of wolf is the Arabian wolf

It's actually a common misconception that wolves have to go after prey other than elk in the winter.

It also depends how hungry they are. For example, in summer there may be enough hares and young fawns to feed the wolves without much larger prey. In the winter, however, they are more desperate so will take more risks to get food, like hunting bison.

Actually, wolves kill a variety of prey throughout the year (i.e. they will eat elk/bison throughout the year) and not just in winter. Also, they are not "desparate" for food to go after bison. There are also plenty of large prey available in the spring and summer and wolves, along with other predators, take adult elk and the like. It also has nothing to do with "how hungry" they are in the summer vs. winter. There are alot of articles written about wolves and prey in the journals on line-you might find more specific information there. Also, the IWC has a great section on their website about wolves and prey. I highly recommend it.

https://www.wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic. ... 42#p601542

[Kryptowolfy]

That scratch reflex sounds adorable!

Was doing some research in my copy of Wolves: Behavior, Ecology and Conservation by L. David Mech and found out that sometimes wolves can travel for huge distances for seemingly no reason (OR7, anyone?), displaying a focus similar to their 'homing' behavior if they're taken within something like 75 miles of their territory. So they travel far, fast and focused. They also can pair up with other loners and travel with them for a distance outside of courtship. There was an anecdote about a male wolf who, in six years, was a part of three different packs, traveled with two females for a distance before splitting off, traveling alone and then traveling with another female for a while. It didn't imply they bred - just formed a pair bond and traveled. He was hit by a car when he was 8 after a fascinating life. Some of the unexplained behaviors of wolves are so interesting! (if anyone's interested in the excerpt, I can type it out and post it here - I read it a few days ago so I may have some inaccuracy in my paraphrase)

I want to thank you for posting this book on the forum. I have seen some shows on Netflix regarding wolves but they are all pretty meh with the narration. I will definitely check out this book and hope it's more centered on the wolves than the humans.

[DaniBeez]

That scratch reflex sounds adorable!

Was doing some research in my copy of Wolves: Behavior, Ecology and Conservation by L. David Mech and found out that sometimes wolves can travel for huge distances for seemingly no reason (OR7, anyone?), displaying a focus similar to their 'homing' behavior if they're taken within something like 75 miles of their territory. So they travel far, fast and focused. They also can pair up with other loners and travel with them for a distance outside of courtship. There was an anecdote about a male wolf who, in six years, was a part of three different packs, traveled with two females for a distance before splitting off, traveling alone and then traveling with another female for a while. It didn't imply they bred - just formed a pair bond and traveled. He was hit by a car when he was 8 after a fascinating life. Some of the unexplained behaviors of wolves are so interesting! (if anyone's interested in the excerpt, I can type it out and post it here - I read it a few days ago so I may have some inaccuracy in my paraphrase)

I want to thank you for posting this book on the forum. I have seen some shows on Netflix regarding wolves but they are all pretty meh with the narration. I will definitely check out this book and hope it's more centered on the wolves than the humans.

This book has a lot of information on wolves, but it can be dry as a casual read. It's essentially a summary/review of wolf research, compiled in book form. But still a great resource ! People reference it often on the forums.