Those wolves in Jackson Hole have been doing a lot of travelling.
The Soda Butte Pack was, yesterday, back from their latest trip to Yellowstone and on the National Elk Refuge. The Jackson Trio, led by no. 29M plus 137F and 129F, both sisters from the former Thorofare Pack, was recently near Moran and the Buffalo Valley just NE of Grand Teton National Park, range of the Teton Duo. While the Trio was there some cows in an enclosurd pasture at the Pinto Ranch apparently saw the wolves. The cows began to run around although the wolves didn't chase them. Later a dead calf was found, apparently trampled. It may have been killed by the other cows during the excitement. The wolves were hazed off of the ranch.
By yesterday the Jackson Trio had moved all the way across Jackson Hole and was near Phelps Lake at the base of the Tetons.
Meanwhile, the Teton Duo, wolves 24F and 133M, who spent all winter near Uhl Hill, Elk Ranch Reservoir, and Moran, decided to take a trip south. They were located yesterday in the middle reaches of the Gros Ventre River to the east of Jackson Hole in the Gros Ventre Mountains.
I had thought the Duo and the Trio were roaming around looking for a den site -- an exposed slope of bare ground facing south where they could dig a den (there is still deep snow in most of Jackson Hole). I was told, however, that they can dig dens though the snow quite nicely.
It appears that a trio of uncollared wolves have taken up residence the area of the old Washakie Pack to the north of Dubois, Wyoming. A number of people have seen them. The Washakie Pack was broken up last spring by the government because of depredations on cattle in the Dunoir Valley area. The alpha pair was shot and so was one of the five yearlings. The other four yearlings dispersed. 133M is paired with 24F Washakie 132F was recently located far west of Yellowstone near Dillon, Montana.
Addendum:
Despite the headlines in some western newspapers, it turns out there was no "wolf stampede" at all. There is no dead calf either. The wolves were in the vicinity of the livestock. The farmer or rancher chased the wolves away on his snowmobile. They left. Nothing was injured. Everything is fine. If anything the wolves learned that getting near livestock and being harassed are associated.
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