Here is a nearly complete update on the wolves of Yellowstone Park for mid-November. Missing is data for the Chief Joseph Pack (monitored by TESF) and the Bechler Pack (monitored by Mike Jimenez USFWS).

The annual winter study of Yellowstone wolf behavior is now underway with a team of ten folks doing observations.  This is a time of year for good observations of wolves because they tend to "pack up" and can be seen traveling.

The information below came from Dan Staler of the Yellowstone Park wolf team based on a flight today, Nov. 16, and for some packs the day before or a week before.

The new pack is still in Round Prairie today.

The Druids were on Jasper Bench. They just have one pup. Perhaps the others, if they survived are with 376F, 253M and the crew, assuming these wolves are together.

Following the long skirmish yesterday with the Druids, the Agate Pack of eleven was seen crossing the Mt. Washburn road above Antelope Creek.

The Geode Pack of 13 was still on their kills. A radio collared Druid wolf has joined the Geode Pack, wolf 374M. Yesterday a badly limping black wolf of unknown origin was seen by Stahler to come and feed with part of the Geode Pack. The Geode wolves tried to drive it off, but were not successful. Due to the distance it is hard to say, but Stahler thought the Geode wolves were probably pups due to their ineffectiveness.

The Leopold Pack was seen this morning -- 23 of them!  The total pack size is 27.  They were on a bull elk kill in Geode Marsh near the Yellowstone River (across from Hellroaring slopes.). 209F is thought to still be the Leopold alpha female although her radio collar is dead.

The Slough Creek Pack (15 wolves seen) was on a kill way up Slough Creek.

The Rose Creek Pack (a border line Park pack) could not be located. Perhaps they have moved further north and even dropped into the Boulder River drainage.

Druids 253M, 376F, etc. are still missing.

The Swan Lake Pack last winter was a very large pack, but they are now down to just 7 or 8 gray wolves. They seem to have had pups this year, but the pups either disappeared or can't be picked our from the rest. 152F is still  thought to be the alpha female. This is going onto year three for her as alpha. The pack has been ranging between Swan Lake Flats area and Mammoth Hot Springs. They may be coming into Mammoth at night.

After being missing for about the month, the Nez Perce pack finally showed up today, 14 of them, right in the middle of Hayden Valley. This seems to be where they always show up after going on one of their extra-Park expeditions. 48F (born just north of YNP in 1996) and 70M (born the same year on the Rocky Mountain Front) are still presumed to be the alpha pair. 48F got a new collar last winter.

After months wondering if 340F and the other wolves seen at times around Old Faithful had pups, the answer is now clear. Today for the first time, ten wolves were counted (3 black, 7 gray) with the sizes of the smaller wolves indicates they are pups.  The pack will soon be officially named -- probably "Old Faithful" or "Biscuit Basin." When the wolves were reintroduced I wondered if there would ever come a day when there was an Old Faithful Pack.

Mollies Pack was near Yellowstone Lake, but in the timber. Stahler did not seem them well, but a recent flight showed one of the pack members limping a lot. That is perhaps 379M, who was driven out of Druid territory by the New Black, or the limping wolf could just be a typical Mollies wolf banged up after going after bison as they so often do.

The Gibbon Pack was on a kill north of Gibbon Meadows. The pack's size is not known or if there are surviving pups because only 304M has an active radio collar. However, a lot of pup scat was found earlier this year indicating at least 2 pups.

The Cougar Creek Pack was in Cougar Meadows. Stahler said it now seems clear that 301M, brother to 302M, both of whom lured Druid females the winter before last in the Lamar, is with the Cougar Creek Pack. 302M, as is well known, is now a member of the Druid Pack.

Finally, the Yellowstone Delta pack was not found today. However last week, they were seen right in the Yellowstone Delta area at the SE corner of Yellowstone Lake. All 19 pack members were chasing a grizzly bear who had been on a kill!

Update 11-19-04. Mike Jimenez of the USFWS told me that the last time they flew for the Bechler Pack, four  wolves were spotted, but others were in the trees. They were between Bechler Ranger Station and Bartlett Slough in Bechler Meadows, SW Corner of YNP.