Yellowstone Park radio collaring is complete for 1999
(2-13-99)
This week the Yellowstone wolf team ended the 1999 radio-collaring season inside Yellowstone National Park. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service may yet try and collar the the two of the three collarless wolves in the Jackson Trio and recollar the Sunlight Pair. Both groups are outside Yellowstone National park.
Here are the results of the 1999 collaring and recollaring as provided by the Yellowstone Wolf Recovery Team. These data supplement and supercede the figures I gave on Jan. 25.
Wolf number Age Sex Weight at capture Color Pack 14F Adult (at least 5 yrs) alpha female 104 pounds gray Soda Butte 42F Adult female 109 pounds black Druid Peak 44F Adult female 110 pounds black Soda Butte 105F Yearling (1 yr 10 m) female 90 pounds black Druid Peak 113M Yearling (1 yr 10 m) male 110 pounds gray Chief Joseph I 115F Pup (10 m) female 90 pounds gray Chief Joseph I 122M Yearling (1 yr 10m) male 125 pounds gray Crystal Crystal 123M Yearling (1 yr 10m) male unknown gray Soda Butte 124M Yearling (1 yr 10m) male 130 pounds gray Soda Butte 126F Yearling (1 yr 10m) female 111 pounds black Soda Butte 147M Yearling (1 yr 10m) male 120 pounds gray Chief Joseph I 148F Pup (10 m) female 93 pounds black Leopold 150M Pup (10 m) male 100 pounds gray Leopold 151F Pup/yearling? female 100 pounds gray Leopold 152F Pup/yearling? female 98 pounds gray Leopold 153F pup (10 m) female 90 pounds black Rose Creek 154F pup (10 m) female 93 pounds black Rose Creek 155F pup (10 m) female 100 pounds black Rose Creek 161M pup (10 m) male 109 pounds gray Rose Creek 163M pup (10 m) male 110 pounds gray Druid Peak 164M pup (10 m) male 110 pounds black Chief Joseph II 165M 1-2 years male 125 pounds black Chief Joseph II 174F yearling (1 yr 10 m) female 105 pounds gray Crystal Creek 175F pup (10 m) female 110 pounds gray Crystal Creek
In news, number 16F now has two adult males in her pack (Chief Joseph II -- soon to be renamed). Once a lone female (or was she) raising a litter on her, the January capture found a 125 pound black yearling or adult male in her company. His origin is not known. A few days ago the signal of 118M, a large yearling male from the Crystal Creek pack also appeared with her. She was though to have whelped six pups. There now seem to be seven wolves in the pack, so I'm not sure about how pups there really were, if some disappeared, etc. The one pup captured (numbered 164m) was certainly healthy -- 110 pounds.
Here are the Wednesday/Thursday locations of the Park packs.
- Crystal - Pelican Valley (except for 118M; he's still with #016F)
- Leopold - Blacktail
- Rose - Slough Creek
- Druid - Lamar
- Chief Joe I - Lava Butte (near Daly Creek)
- Chief Joe II and #118M - Sixmile Creek (north of Gardiner)
- Soda Butte (less 118M) - Fishing Bridge area
It has occured to me why the Soda Butte Pack is wandering all over the place. The alpha female after being mateless for 1 3/4 years, is looking for a mate. The best bet would be one of the brawny Crystal Creek Pack yearlings. Fishing Bridge is not far from the Pelican Valley.
The Nez Perce Pack was not radio-collared because of fear the capture might cause this pack to flee out of the Park to the west, which (it being its 3rd time) would probably bring a death sentence.
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