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The latest data on the Yellowstone wolves shows a number of interesting things, but the most interesting development is the movement of the group of wolves released from the Nez Perce enclosure last June from the Hayden Valley, to the west side of the Park, and then entirely from Yellowstone to a mountain range about 30 miles to the west of the Park -- the Gravelly Range.

 This is the first large scale movement of Yellowstone wolves to the west. In 1996 the newly-released Chief Joseph Pack went about as far west as Earthquake Lake in the Madison Range, and the late wolf no. 28M, also explored, and eventually settled in the Madison Range.

 The Gravelly is the range to the west of the Madison. It is a medium-sized mountain range with few developments, but a lot of livestock in the summer. Nevertheless, they have a lot of elk and deer, and even an occasional grizzly bear.

In other news, I see that three new pups have been discovered with the Crystal Creek Pack. So no. 5F whelped a litter of five, not two, as was first reported.

It is unclear what is the status of injured no. 16F and her scattered pups. I will try to find out more on Monday.

Kevin Sanders tells me that the Leopold Pack has been seen occasionally at Blacktail Ponds. This is right next to the northern section of the Grand Loop Road.

The Druids, all eleven of them, have been the only fairly consistent performers, but the huge Rose Creek Pack is slowly moving down the mountain, back towards the lower end of the Lamar Valley.

The Waskakie Pack has begun to range throughout the remote DuNoir Valley, and David Landreth told me he saw their tracks in the next drainage to the east -- Horse Creek.

 Even under the best conditions, some pups don't last the summer, so undoubtedly some of the pups listed on the chart are no longer alive. Furthermore, it is going to get pretty difficult to follow the pups because most of them have only been observed once or twice. Only a couple have been radio-collared.