Progress Report of
Wolf Population Monitoring in
Wisconsin for the Period
July - September 1996

January 8, 1996

Douglas County

  • Truck Trail Pack
  • Empire Pack
  • 35 Pack
  • Crotto Creek Pack
  • Moose Lake Pack
  • Moose Road Pack

    Burnett

  • Chase Creek Territory
  • Crex Meadow Pack

    Washburn

  • Stuntz Brook Pair

    Bayfield

  • Rainbow Lake Pack
  • Smoky Hill Pack
  • Flag River Pack
  • Echo Valley Area

    Iron

  • Thornapple River Pack
  • Log Creek Pack
  • Torch River Pack
  • Hellhole Creek Pack
  • Augustine Lake Pack
  • Pine River Pack
  • Chippewa Lake Pack
  • O'Brien Lake Pack
  • Wilson Flowage Pack

    Price

  • Price Creek Pack
  • Bootjack Lake Pack
  • Little Rice River Pack

    Lincoln

  • Averill Creek Pack
  • Ranger Island Territory
  • N. Taylor County Pack

    Clark, Jackson, and Wood Counties

  • Wildcat Mound Pack
  • Bear Bluff Pack
  • South Bluff Pack
  • Sandhill Wildlife Area
    		•

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    Update of the Truck Trail Pack located in Doulas County, WI

    Adult male (191M) and yearling female (263F) occurred in this pack. The summer territory for 191M was 48 square miles, somewhat smaller than last year (60 square miles). Pups were not found in this pack, and perhaps the lack of pups caused them to use a smaller area. The development of the Moose Toad pack to the south may also have reduced area of the Truck Trail Pack.

    Pack update for the Empire Pack located in Douglas County, WI

    Bruce Kohn conducted extensive trapping in this pack last summer to get wolves back on the air. Finally on August 27 and 28 he and Alexa Spivy caught three wolves including a yearling female (260F), adult male (267M), and pup male (268M). The pup was especially a surprise because he already weighed 46 pounds in late August, compared to 14 pounds a week earlier for a male pup form the Thornapple River Pack. Howling surveys had confirmed that at least 2 pups occurred in the Empire Pack. Unfortunately, the collar on 268M was chewed off by the end of September.

    Pack update for the 35 Pack located in Douglas County, WI

    No update reported during this quarter.

    Pack update for the Crotto Creek Pack located in Douglas County, WI

    Three collared wolves were monitored in this pack during the quarter (194M, 500M, and 266F). Adult male 500M went off the air on August 15 when his collar was chewed off by other wolves. Luckily yearling female 266F had been caught a week earlier. The summer home range of this pack was 40 square miles. No pups were detected in howling surveys.

    Pack update for the Moose Lake Pack located in Douglas County, WI

    Wolf 210F occupied a summer territory of 42 square miles in the area of the Moose Lake Pack. She appears to be the alpha female, but pups were not detected this summer. Yearling female 209 had dispersed northward to the Lake Superior shoreline form this pack in May.

    Pack update for the Moose Road Pack located in Douglas County, WI

    Adult male (230M) and adult female (187F) formed the Moose Road Pack last winter. The 58 square mile territory is wedged between the Truck Trail, Empire, Crotte Creek, Chase Brook, and Tamarack River Packs. Howling surveys indicated at least 2 pups present in mid-summer.

    Pack update for the Chase Brook Pack located in Burnett County, WI

    No update for this pack reported this quarter.

    Pack update for the Crex Meadow Pack located in Burnett County, WI

    Female 195F occupied a larger home range on Burnett County, Wisconsin, and Pine County , Minnesota, that covers 130 square miles. It was not clear whether this area represented the whole territory of the Crex Meadow Pack or whether 195F was expanding her home range or preparing to leave. Her home range encompassed much of the Crex Meadow territory of last year, but also much of the Five Corners territory north of the St. Croix River, and included portions of the southwest portion of the old Sand Creek Pack. The Five Corner Pack was down to only 2 wolves by late winter. Wolf 221F, the alpha female, and perhaps last wolf in the territory, was apparently killed by members of the Crex Meadow Pack. The adjacent Sand Creek Pack was killed off by Animal Damage Control trappers after causing depredation on sheep in late June and early July.

    No pups were detected on the Crex Meadow Pack. Wolf 195F was seen twice in the northern portions of her home range with 2 other wolves. Therefore it appears that either other members of the Crex Meadow Pack were also using former haunts of the Five Corner Pack, or perhaps 195F had met some other wolves. Perhaps with recent availability to two other territories, the Crex Meadow pack had expanded its territory.

    Pack update for the Stuntz Brook Pack located in Washburn County, WI

    Adult male 199M occupied a 15 square mile summer home range along U.S. Highway 53 south on Minong. At least 3 pups were heard through howling surveys, and 4 pups were observed in the territory in late September. Unfortunately, 199M's signal was lost after September 6, thus exact boundaries of the pack territory will be difficult to define this winter.

    Pack update for the Rainbow Lake Pack located in Bayfield County, WI

    No collared wolves occurred in the pack this quarter. Ron Schultz conducted 78 trap nights in the territory in June, but was unsuccessful. Four howling surveys were conducted over the summer, but no wolves were detected. I did fund tracks of 3 or more wolves on August 23 near an old rendezvous site, and Sarah Boles and I located the pack's den on September 1996, and determined that it probably had been used in the spring. Track surveys during winter will be necessary to determine the status of this pack.

    Pack update for the Smoky Hill Pack located in Bayfield County, WI

    Ron Schultz experienced his fastest wolf capture ever while trapping in the Smoky Hill Pack last summer. Right after setting a trap, Ron sat down in his truck to record some notes on the location of his trap. He happened to look up just in time to see a wolf pup step into the trap. The pup, a 19 pound female, was too small to collar, and was suffering from mange. She was eartagged and released at the capture site. The next day Ron caught a yearling female (259F) in a trap nearby. Total trapping effort for 2 wolves, was just 3 trap nights! Wolf 259F roamed an area of at least 35 square miles ranging from NE corner of Washburn County to locations just west of Cable.
    Sarah Boles had howled at this pack and recieve response from 2-3 pups on July 10. Ron observed 2 pups in the pack.

    Pack update for the Flag River Pack located in Bayfield County, WI

    Scouting surveys in the area of the Flag River did not produce enough wolf sign to justify trapping efforts. We found very little sign of the Flag River Pack, and probably did not locate the main areas of summer use.
    Students from Northland College did get a howling response from 3-5 wolves including 2-3 pups on august 1 near the Moquah Barrens. These could have been members of the Flag River Pack.

    Pack update for the Echo Valley Pack located in Bayfield County, WI

    No update for this pack was reported during this quarter,

    Pack update for the Thornapple River Pack located in Sawyer County, WI

    Five howl surveys were conducted in this territory, but no wolves were detected. Three pups were observed in industrial forest land south of Highway M by a company worker. The location was somewhat southwest of the main pack area. Ron Schultz conducted 8 trapping nights in the area in August and caught a 14 pound male pup on August 20. The pup was suffering frommange and was not collared because of its small size. It was not entirely clear whether the pup was a member of the Thornapple River Pack or a previously undetected pack.
    On September 24 a plothound used for bear hunting was apparently killed by wolves when the hound stumbled into a rendezvous site. The site was over 10 miles east, northeast of the previous capture. This site is close to rendezvous sites previously used by the Thornapple River Pack.

    Pack update for the Log Creek Pack located in Ashland and Sawyer Counties, WI

    Four surveys were conducted in this pack during the quarter. No responses were obtained, but the surveys was not extensive.

    Pack update for the Torch River Pack located in Ashland County, WI

    Adult (alpha?) female 258F roamed an area of at least 32 square miles in the Torch River area. A single howl survey conducted by Becky and Kevin Megown on July 3 found 3 or more pups and 5 or more adults in this pack. On July 20 a hound hunter saw the adult female with 8 pups in this pack.

    Pack update for the Hellhole Creek Pack located in Bayfield and Ashland Counties, WI

    Alpha male 257M was monitored in this pack throughout the quarter and covered an area of at least 22 square miles centering on Spider Lake. The pack's territory extended east across County Highway GG in area north on McCarthy Lake.

    Pack update for the Augustine Lake Pack located in Ashland and Iron Counties, WI

    Wolf 229F raised her second litter of pups in this pack. Students from Northland College conducted intense monitoring of this pack. Several positive howl responses were received and 3 pups were observed. The pack's territory covered and area of about 28 square miles.

    On August 24 and August 30 the Augustine Lake Pack apparently caused the death on two plot hounds. The dogs were apparently inadvertently released by the owners near the pack's rendezvous site. The same hunter had 2 dogs injured by wolves 2.5 miles further west on September 25. The hunters were attempting to avoid the wolves, but were apparently still too close.

    Pack update for the O'Brien Lake Pack located in Iron County, WI

    No update reported for this quarter

    Pack update for the Pine Lake Pack located in Iron County, WI

    Adult female 253F occupied a 46 square mile area near Pine Lake in central Iron County. Howl surveys were conducted in July and August, and although 2 adults responded, no pups were found. Lack of response by pups and extensive movements of 253F indicate pup production had likely not occurred.

    Pack update for the Chippewa Lake Pack located in Iron County, WI

    No survey work was done in this area. Two wolves were present last winter.

    Pack update for the Price Creek Pack located in Price and Sawyer Counties, WI

    Adult (subordinate) female 237F covered a 53 square mile home range during summer. Her extensive movements indicate that she was not very involved in raising pups. Only two limiting howl surveys were done in the pack, but no responses were received. The presence of pups could have been missed.

    Pack update for the Wilson Flowage Pack located in Iron County, WI

    This pack was formed by 128M after being displaced from the Bootjack Lake Pack by his daughter's (225F) new mate. Wolf 128M found a mate last winter, but his collar went dead at the end of winter. He is probably 10-12 years old. On August 8 Ron Schultz received responses from 2 or more pups in this pack.

    Pack update for the Bootjack Lake Pack located in Price and Oneda Counties, WI

    Wolf 225F occupied a 16 square mile home range during summer. Her time at den and rendezvous sites with pups probably restricted her home range. Wolf 225F's mate is a black wolf, the first one detected in Wisconsin. On July 18 a Gypsy moth surveyor observed 3 black and 3 gray pups in this pack's territory. Pups were also heard in howl surveys.

    Pack update for the Little Rice River Pack located in Price and Oneida Counties, WI

    Although 2 wolves were present in the pack over winter, reports from the area suggested that they may not exist any longer. Reports of a single wolf were reported to the southwest of Willow Flowage, possibly an animal from this pack. No howl surveys were completed in this pack.

    Pack update for the Averill Creek Pack located in Lincoln and Taylor Counties, WI

    Only sign of two wolves were found in this pack. Gary Peterson conducted 10 howl surveys on this pack, but had no responses. One of the wolves in this pack lacks his middle tows as was the case of the last alpha male in the Ranger Island Pack. Possibly that male joined the Averill Creek Pack.

    A yearling male wolf was found dead on Highway 8 in northern Lincoln County during the quarter. The general location could be a travel corridor between the Little Rice River and Averill Creek area. [Tracking surveys during the winter will be conducted by TWIN members to determine the status of this pack. If you are interested in coming along please E-mail TWIN.]

    Pack update for the Ranger Island Pack located in Lincoln and Taylor Counties, WI

    No update reported for this quarter.

    Pack update for the North Taylor Pack located in Lincoln and Taylor Counties, WI

    No update reported for this quarter.

    Pack update for the Wildcat Mound Pack located in Clark, Jackson, and Wood Counties, WI

    Adult male 238M covered a summer home range of 24 square miles. A second wolf (274M adult male) was caught in this pack by Ron Schultz and Disk Thiel on August 28 after just 3 trap nights.
    Six howl surveys were conducted in this pack. Two to three pups were heard by Dick Thiel on July 25 and August 20.

    Pack update for the Bear Bluff Pack located in Jackson, and Wood Counties, WI

    Trapping was conducted in May, August, and September including 140 trap nights, but nothing was caught. Five howl surveys were done in this pack and 3-4 pups were heard by Dick Thiel on August 1 and 15, Ken Jonas on September 6, and Ron Schultz on August 11.

    Two plothounds were killed by wolves in this pack in May and July. Hunters apparently inadvertently released the dogs near the den and rendezvous sites.

    Pack update for the South Bluff Pack located in Jackson, and Wood Counties, WI

    A total of 148 trap nights were conducted in the South Bluff Pack in May. Extensive howl surveys were conducted in the South Bluff Pack during June and July, but no wolves were heard. The pack is apparently difficult to locate in summer.

    Pack update for the Sandhill Wildlife Area located in Jackson, and Wood Counties, WI

    No update was reported for this quarter


    *source: Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Progress Report of Wolf Population monitoring in Wisconsin for the period July - September 1996. By Adrian P. Wydeven.