Recently, the Voyageurs Wolf Project posted a Twitter thread on the differences between the observed hunting patterns in two breeding males, Y1T and B2L, that belong to two different packs – Blood Moon Pack and Vermilion River Pack, respectively.
The packs are not separated by great geographic distance (10 miles; 16 km) and the pack ranges are not pronouncedly dissimilar with respects to the resource availability and topography (as noted by the VWP team).
Still, Y1T, during April/May demonstrated long-ranging behaviour possibly chasing deer far outside of the Blood Moon Pack territory boundaries (VWP team surmises the chase was initated inside the territory and continued outside tracking the deer escape route because the trajectory rather resembles a straight line than a meandering ‘foray type of travel’ (roaming)).
It is generally unusual for adult wolves during April/May in Voyageurs Ecosystem to keep pursuing adult deer in such great numbers as Y1T has demonstrated because it is more common for wolves to rely on the ready and less effort-taking and less dangerous resources of beaver prey during this period.
As has done, prolifically so, the breeding male of the Vermilion River Pack, B2L.
VWP team posed a question – what determines these differences in two relatively comparable wolf (adult male, breeder of the pack etc.) behaviour.
Many answers can be provided (individual character and experience, including past experience gained in the pack and range of origin, specific composition of the habitat nearby the den etc.).
However, I was considering the potential implications on behaviour by the pack tenancy duration.
Blood Moon Pack was formed in January/February, 2022 on the former Moonshadow Pack territory.
While the breeding male Y1T was likely an immigrant replacing the deceased Moonshadow breeding male in the territory, it is also assumed (according to Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem Wolf Pack and Population Size Report, 2021-2022, Gable, T. et al.) that he formed the new territory together with at least a few former Moonshadow pack members, possibly, including the former breeding female.
These resident wolves might have facilitated Y1T’s learning of the territory and its resources.
Also, they did not produce pups in 2022 which likely enabled Y1T’s exploration process.
The rest of the pack members would also have been rather independent in their own self-provisioning compared to packs that are formed by new members who have just arrived in the area and they might have possessed better knowledge of the neighbours.
The cohesion and collaboration level might also have been greater improving cooperative breeding, hunting, defense rates, essentially, bringing the new breeding male into a system that already works efficiently.
(Although it is not conclusive that the pack is comprised of the new male and former Moonshadow wolves.)
This could have given the new breeding male a chance to establish fundamental understanding of the territory.
Also, if Y1T came from another area, he might have brought ‘new outlooks’ (other type of experience) to the pack.
By November, however, the subordinates had dispersed leaving the Blood Moon Pack 2 members strong.
There is not any available information (WVP Report for 2022-2023 has, logically, not been published yet) regarding Blood Moon Pack’s breeding status this year.
If the pack bred, the long ranging movements by the male would be more extraordinary because during the denning period (in April/May) it is more common for the wolves to remain close to the den, especially, if the couple raises the pups without helpers.
However, bringing down adult deer would be worth taking the risk as such acts provide greater amounts of biomass.
If Y1T’s pack mate was, indeed, the former breeding female of the Moonshadow Pack, she might have thorough knowledge of denning sites, predator movements and densities, neighbouring pack behaviour, local foraging opportunities etc. and thus she might be better capable of combining pup care with occasional provisioning on her own while her mate is chasing down larger prey (using the knowledge he has gained during his exploratory year in the territory).
Meanwhile, Vermilion River Pack was formed only in 2023.
Its breeding male, B2L, was born in the Voyageurs Ecosystem, in Bug Creek Pack and in 2023 when he formed the Vermilion River Pack upon dispersal from his natal Bug Creek Pack, he was already 3 years old having spent these 3 years in the Voyageurs Ecosystem.
This implies he had plenty of experience with the local particulars (e.g., the amazing beaver densities that are exploited by Voyageurs wolves routinely during spring and summer).
After dispersal to the relatively near new Vermilion River Pack range, he could probably rely on the knowledge and experience he had gained during his tenancy in Voyageurs National Park and during his very first year as a breeder and a father, he might have selected for finding safety in the proven methods (hunting beavers like all VNP wolves mostly do).
B2L did not disperse that far.
In fact, he just moved slightly north (about 1 – 1 1/2 pack range’s worth) from his natal pack’s territory.
B2L also had floated for much of 2022 which might have given him opportunities to explore similar to Y1T and he was also joined by 3 other wolves that could have been local residents (or dispersers).
However, he joined the new mates in approximately September while Y1T was in the company of the other wolves since January/February, including – during the April/May period when they might have exchanged their hunting tradition experience (the residents showing the ways with the beavers and Y1T possibly somewhat challenging the local traditions).
It is also possible that Y1T had roamed more widely before settling on the former Moonshadow range which gave him familiarity with the surrounding area, as well, and, consequently, boldness to hunt outside of his new territory.
So there might be significant differences between the two breeding male histories and their pack territorial tenancy.
It is not made known if Blood Moon Pack produced pups this spring but if they did, they were taking care of the pups while 2 wolves strong.
However, the breeding female possibly had experience in having pups and, more specifically, in having pups on their particular territory which could have enabled the breeding male Y1T to roam more widely and to perhaps challenge the local tradition of relying on beavers during April/May (through possible use of intel he had gained while a floater on the nearby ranges).
Vermilion River Pack definitely had pups and they even had at least one adult (or subadult) helper (here is a VWP Twitter post dedicated to the Vermilion pups).
However, it is not known whether the two other wolves had been born on the specific territory and what degree of experience they had (e.g., whether the female was an experienced breeder or a first-time breeder).
They had likely formed a less cohesive bond for cooperation outside of the fall/winter period when they had been traveling together and hunting together.
This could have incited caution in B2L and a resolution to rely on ‘proven methods’ and the ‘local traditions’ of beaver hunting that are characteristic to Voyageurs wolves which he has belonged to for all of his life.
If Y1T, unlike B2L, had been roaming for a while before forming the Blood Moon Pack, he might have additionally gained more self-reliance in unknown situations than B2L who also roamed but on grounds far more familiar to his natal pack’s range (and with the possibility to return to his natal pack if all failed).
However, I could not find any specific notice regarding Y1T possible origin and he might have, too, been born in Voyageurs Ecosystem area.
Without some of the information made accessible as of yet by the WVP team, these are ruminations but I believe it would be highly interesting to study differences in behaviour of wolves that:
- Have dispersed far vs. near (with differing natal range experience as well as differing experience of self-dependence during dispersal and use of varied resources and habitats during dispersal);
- Have formed packs with residents vs. immigrants (and also, with experienced residents vs. subadults and/or pups);
- Have had long vs. short tenancy of the pack’s territory;
- Have bred in the first year after settling vs. later (time to explore) etc.
Behavioural differences in behaviour (e.g., foraging during denning period) due to the term of tenancy might be easier to study than the rest of the factors.
***
Neighbouring pack dynamics might also be of great relevance, especially, concerning Y1T’s behaviour (and perhaps concerning some lack of activity in the case of B2L), in terms of:
- the existence of neighbouring groups (are all neighbouring ranges occupied or are they occupied during the period of interest, e.g., April/May);
- neighbouring group size;
- neighbouring group breeding status (e.g., during denning period it might be easier to hunt in the neighbouring pack’s territory or the buffer zone between territories because the neighbouring group members could be more constrained in their movements keeping to the core area);
- neighbouring group ‘hostility rate’ (history of aggressive interactions);
- neighbouring group’s tenancy term (new vs. established pack).
These conditions are difficult to determine without 2023 data.
For example, Vermilion River Pack has not been mapped officially yet although VWP Twitter post provided a Figure of the two breeding males’ movements and indicated the approximate distance between the packs (ca. 10 miles; 16 km).
However, with respect to the 2022 Report data, Blood Moon Pack was surrounded by 8 packs and it appeared that Y1T’s deer chases led into ranges of:
- Borealis Pack (unknown pack size);
- Tamarack Pack (2 wolves in April but the pack broke up in winter and the territory was taken over by Stub-tail Pack which was also only 2 wolves strong at least by the end of 2022);
- Ulland Pit Pack (unknown);
- Windsong Pack (5 wolves in spring, including pups, but the pups were lethally removed in 2022 which probably left the pack 2 or 3 wolves strong in 2023);
- Paradise (5 wolves).
I cannot be certain what ‘unknown pack size’ entitles but it appears that Y1T’s range was surrounded by packs that were small and whose social structure and territorial status were in a flux.
This could have enabled Y1T to take advantage of the perchance less efficiently guarded territories.
Also, if most packs that had at least the breeding pair denned, not all of them had the extra helpers to patrol territory beside providing food for themselves as well as the breeding female and pups.
Meanwhile, if the situation did not change dramatically by 2023 denning season, B2L’s territory was surrounded by packs that were 2 – 6 wolves strong each.
Bluebird Lake Pack was an established pack and one of the largest packs in VNP.
Windsong Pack, as mentioned before, while not a new pack, experienced losses and could have become relatively smaller by 2023.
Lightfoot Pack was also subject to turmoil due to loss of the former breeding male which could have prevented the pack from producing pups in 2022.
However, it is possible that the pack stayed together and it was also one of the larger packs at Voyageurs.
Thus, B2L was possibly surrounded by packs with longer tenancy and a greater number of members (although he might have been familiar with some of the packs because they also neighboured B2L’s natal Bug Creek Pack (e.g., Bluebird, Windsong).
Bug Creek Pack was begun to be monitored only in 2021 which is why its history of conflict with the neighbouring packs is not known although if there was any, it could have influenced B2L’s decisions.
***
I am adding an update because my former assumptions regarding Vermillion River Pack’s territory location were slightly off.
VWP has posted a new map in which the pack’s territory has been delineated.
I had thought it more central than it is and to the northwest from Bug Creek Pack.
Thus, the Vermillion River Pack is surrounded by:
- Bug Creek Pack which was 8 wolves strong in the winter of 2021/22 and which is also B2L’s natal pack (sometimes related wolves extend tolerance toward kin although not always);
- Clearcut Pack which is apparently a new pack (wolf count not given);
- Wiyapka Lake Pack (5 wolves in winter 2021/22);
- Whiskey Point Pack (6 wolves);
- Birch Bark which is also a new pack (count not given).
It does not change much because, as stated before, the Vermillion River Pack has larger group size neighbours (and two new neighbours that alongside VRP have apparently taken over the former Bluebird Pack range).
I find these news very strange because Bluebird Pack was one of the largest packs (8 wolves in winter or 2020/21) and while it decreased to winter 2021/22, it was still big.
It is possible that either one (or both) of the new packs has split from the Bluebird Pack forming a new territory and claiming a new pack name but constituting a group of at least some of the old members.
This will be confirmed or countered by new posts and new reports by VWP.
However, the rest of the packs are stable, relatively long-term residents and likely not easily intimidated or tricked which could limit extraterritorial forays.
Meanwhile, the Blood Moon Pack is surrounded by smaller packs in an area of instability, possibly higher mortality and rather great pack turnover.
The Blood Moon Pack male might be using this situation of shifting boundaries and small pack sizes.
Perhaps beside hunting on their ranges, he might even be considering a takeover once his own pack grows larger (after having produced surviving pups that are recruited into his group as participating subadults) in order to extend the Blood Moon’s territory.
Notes by Ieva 