Yellowstone Wolves

I had a great thrill Saturday while driving through the Lamar Valley.  As I reached the Soda Butte Creek area I saw a lone wolf sitting on the hill side.  I immediately stopped and set up the camera.  He was very patient with me and allowed me to get at least 20 photos of him before wandering off over the hillside.  This was my first opportunity to photograph a wolf at close range.  As best I can tell he is a yearling from 2010.  It is very possible that this is one of the four pups Karen and I saw last year in a den at Slough Creek.

The orignal Yellowstone wolves were killed by a federal government program to eliminate all wolf populations, even in National Parks.  The last wild wolves in the park were killed in 1924.  After years of debate , in January 1995 fourteen wolves were captured in Canada and transported to Yellowstone.  They were kept for three months in three separate large enclosures to be acclimated to the new area.  When released they formed the three initial packs in the Yellowstone area.  In 1996 17 additional wolves were released in the Blacktail Plateau and Firehole River Valley.

It is estimated that today as many as 1,500 wolves live in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming.  I've had the opportunity to observe packs in the Hayden and Lamar Valleys this year either with binoculars or spotting scope.  Several weeks ago I watched four from the Canyon Pack approach and surprise a small group of elk.  While I did not see the actual kill, it was exciting to watch. 

These are wonderful creatures and are an important part of the greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.

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As always, thanks for following my Yellowstone adventure.   David