Ecological Studies of the Timber Wolf in Northeastern MinnesotaMech, L. David
Science
Ecological Studies of the Timber Wolf in Northeastern Minnesota
Mech, L. David
Deer -- Minnesota; Gray wolf -- Behavior -- Minnesota; Gray wolf -- Ecology -- Minnesota
_Wolf 1055._--The range of this animal from January 5, when she was
captured, to February 23 covered about 40 square miles near Stony Lake,
Slate Lake, and the Jack Pine Lookout Tower (fig. 22), and her mean
weekly distance was 4 miles. Between February 23 and 24, however, she
traveled 13 miles northeastward, the beginning of a series of long
moves. By March 5, 1055 had reached Crescent Lake, a point 39 miles
east-northeast of her previous area of intensive use. She then
gradually headed back toward the west and south during the next 10 days
and within the next month repeated this pattern. When her signal was
heard last on May 30, 1055 was near Martin Landing in the center of her
range. Her mean net weekly distance after February 23 had increased to
22 miles.
[Illustration: _Figure 22.--Locations and range of wolf 1055. Only
selected lakes are shown._]
_Wolf 1057._--The movements of 1057 cannot be considered normal
because freezing of a front foot prevented her accompanying the pack of
which she was a member. Nevertheless, even data from an abnormal animal
can provide some information. On January 13, 5 days after capture and
release on Red Rock Lake, 1057 was located 4 miles from the capture
point with a pack of 10 other wolves. She was limping and fell behind
when they moved. Five days later she was again seen with the pack 12
miles away between Knife Lake and Kekekabic Lake. She then remained in
about 14 square miles of that general area through April 17 (fig. 23).
[Illustration: _Figure 23.--Locations and range of wolf 1057. Only
selected lakes are shown._]
Suddenly on April 24, 1057 was found in Ontario some 31 miles northeast
of her location of the previous week. That was the last time we heard
her signal even though on May 2 we scanned an area with a radius of 35
miles from her last known location and listened for her signal during
every subsequent flight.
_Wolf 1059._--This animal was a member of a pack of three to five
wolves (see next section). The movements of the group varied little and
were concentrated in the August Lake, Omaday Lake, and Keeley Creek
area in about 43 square miles (fig. 24). Contrary to animals 1051,
1053, and 1055, this pack did not suddenly begin a series of longer
weekly movements in late February. Both before and after February 28,
the average weekly straight line movement of the pack was just less
than 3 miles.
[Illustration: _Figure 24.--Location and range of wolf 1059 and pack.
Only selected lakes are shown._]
Probably these animals did begin traveling more in late February, for
their net daily distances did increase at that time along with those of
the other wolves (table 4). However, the increased travel took place
within the restricted area of the pack's usual range rather than in new
areas as occurred with the other wolves.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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