For many years wolves have inhabited 3 of the 4 quadrants of Yellowstone National Park, with the NE and NW quadrants being especially favored.Now finally, a wolf pack has established itself in the SW Corner of Yellowstone -- the Bechler area.
The Bechler Pack, which was first detected last August, consists of a notably large male disperser (192M) from the Rose Creek II Pack and an uncollared female. Pups were born last spring and two survived into 2003. The pack has been seen preying on moose and elk. So far they have stayed inside Yellowstone National Park.
The SW corner of the Park, also known as the "Cascade Corner," is a low-lying, relatively flat area with large meadows, two major streams (the Bechler and the Fall River) and scores of waterfalls. These waters drain into Idaho. The SW corner is relatively isolated from the rest of Yellowstone because it is separated from the rest of the Park by the Madison and the Pitchstone Plateau. It is also a deep snow area with little prey in the winter other than moose.
The origin of the pups is interesting and not really known. The Bechler area is far from the Park's northern range, yet 192M was seen on the northern range in April 2002 about the time pups are usually born and the Bechler was still deep in snow. Did they have a northern range den and then move the pups to the Bechler in the summer, or was his mate at a Bechler den and 192M foraging for food 50 miles to the north?
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