Among Wolves: Gordon Haber's Insights into Alaska's Most Misunderstood Animal
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as winter meal, 87
wolf kill rates, 123, 133
wolf observing, plate 24 (after p. 118)
mortality
alpha female, starvation death, 181–182, 246–247
from intergroup strife, 96
natural vs. human-induced, 209, 231
outside Alaska, 261–262
from radio-collaring, 41, 97, 182, 185–187
of recolonizers, 231
from relocation, 36
since Haber's death, 261
See also specific family groups
mortality caller, beep tracing, 206
Mount Margaret family group
bears, interaction with, 171
dogs as intruders, 183
human-caused turnover, 176
in Savage River family territory, 105, 142–143, 238
trapping deaths, 42
viewing of, 193
mountain climbers, rescues of, 207
mountain sheep. See sheep
Murie, Adolph
as Haber's predecessor, 3
on homesites, 53
scouting for wolves, 29
The Wolves of Mount McKinley, 1–2, 22, 238
work methods, 62
Murie, Louise, 29
myths about wolves, 122, 144
natal dens, 52, 71
National Academy of Sciences, predator control study, 121
National Geographic
“Dance of Death,,” 179
documentary interest, 159
National Park Service
biologists' research, 3
buffer zone proposal, 191, 260, plate 26 (after p. 118)
Haber as advisor to, 3
hunting policies, 185
publicity choices, 179
radio-collaring by, 41, 85, 185–187
Scientific Advisory Panel for Yellowstone
wolf reintroduction, 105
visitors. See Denali National Park and
Preserve: visitors
wolf management by, 176–177, 259
National Science Foundation, research assistantship, 17
natural behavior. See fearlessness
Nenana Canyon. See Wolf Townships
Nenana River family group, 257, plate 25 (after p. 118)
New York Times, Haber's op-ed for, 65, 105
newcomer acceptance, 96
Northern Rocky Mountain Wolves, delisting, 227, 229–233
nose-to-hind-end killing, 124, 125, 128, 129–132f, 242
nursing
length of, 61
by multiple lactating females, 59
Toklat family group, plate 20 (after p. 118)
wolf call for, 63
Ott, Charlie, 29
overharvesting, 6
packs. See family groups
pair bonding
overview, 37, 39
as survival advantage, 33
Toklat family, 34f
parenting. See pups
pecking order, 36
peer review of wildlife management proposals, 209–210
people, hazards to, 184
persecution, fear and, 174
phenotypic variation, loss of, 242
photography, aerial, 13
physical prowess, 142
pilots for Haber's work, 8–9, 225
playtime, 86–88, 89–91f, 116f, plate 6 (after p. 118), plate 23 (after p. 118)
Pleistocene glaciations, 26, 52
poisoning by market hunters, 27
polygyny, 240
porcupines, wolf dens used by, 163
predator control
aerial hunting as, 217f
basis for challenging, 220
in Fortymile, 149
National Academy of Sciences study, 121
saturation snaring, 11, 194
since Haber's death, 255
See also Alaska's wolf-killing programs
predator-prey relations, Haber's graduate work in, 33
predators, guarding pups from, 61
prey
abundance of
since Haber's death, 259
in study areas, 200–201, 239
“biological emergencies,” 121, 198, 209
culling, 124
as den siting factor, 52
ignoring, 61, 86, 92, 94
loss after a kill, 145, 148f
during the Pleistocene, 26–27
scarcity as dispersal factor, 95
testing, 122
wintering grounds, 199
wolf migration and, 213–214
wolves' conservation of (prudent predation), 239
See also specific prey
problem wolves, 232–233
protective buffer zone
overview, 191–192
advocacy for, 2, 33, 35, 85, 191
Bennett on, 204
elimination of, 191–192, 259–260
population numbers. See wolf population numbers
proposals for, 195f, plate 26 (after p. 118)
traplines, 194, 196
trapper lifestyle protection, 198–199
as wildlife conservation issue, 2
wolf viewing, decline in, 256
wolf vulnerability, 193–194
provisioning
of pups, 50, 67–69, 70f, 71, 107–108, plate 4 (after p. 118)
weather challenges and, 53
prudent predators, wolves as, 35, 239
public process, avoiding, 210–211, 212
pups
overview (research summary), 250–251
birth of, 14, 50
dens for, 51–53, 54f, 55
early weeks, 14, 50–51
emergence of, 55, 58–59, 61
gassing in dens, 260–261
growth rate, 68
human hunting impact on, 212
at sheep kill, 147
survival rate, 68
Swift Northeast family group, 48f
teaching
hunting, 67, 73–76, 133
swimming, 67, 76, 77–82f, 103
on walks, 71, 72f, 73
Toklat family group, 23f, 66f
pups, cooperative upbringing
overview, 65, 67–68, 250–251
provisioning, 68–69, 70f, 71, 107–108, plate 4 (after p. 118)
Son (Toklat alpha male), 83
teaching
hunting, 15, 73–76
swimming, 77–82f
on walks, 71, 72f, 73
radio-collaring
buffer proposal data from, plate 26 (after p. 118)
deaths from, 41, 97, 182, 185–187
in Haber's research, 85
as lineage documentation, 244–245
of Toklat family group, 238
ravens
scavenging kills, 160f
teasing wolves, 74, 159, 162f, 164
in wolves' daily lives, 163
reasoning ability (wolves), 128, 133
recreation. See playtime
recreational values of wolves, 221
See also Denali National Park and Preserve
regurgitation for pups, 68–69
relocation/sterilization, 35–36, 121, 211
reproductive bonds. See family bonds
research, Haber's
archival collection, 13, 234
summary of, 2–3, 249–253
update since Haber's death, 255–257, 259–262, 263
reunions through howling, 108, 109f, 110
rituals, 39, 42
river crossings
during summer (Aug 2008), 97, 100, 101f
during summer (Aug 2009), 76, 77–82f, 103
during winter, 102
“rotating pulse harvest” approach, 219
running as recreation, 87
Ruth, Bill, 29
safety, siting of dens for, 51–52
Salazar, Ken, wolf delisting by, 227, 229
Sanctuary family group
bereavement, 110
extinction of, 186–187,
207
human-caused turnover, 176
radio-collaring mortality, 185–186
in Savage River family territory, 105, 142–143, 238
viewing of, 193
saturation snaring, 11, 194, 256
“satyagraha,” 12
Savage River family group
bear encounter, 167f
bereavement, 110
dens, 181
extinction of, 85, 96, 105, 142, 193, 238, plate 17 (after p. 118)
fearlessness of, 180
homesites, 52, 53, 55, 57f
howling, 45
human-caused turnover, 176
hunting kill success rates, 123
seasonal food supply changes, 124
techniques, 122–123, 124–125, 126–127f, 133, 142–143, 145, 146f
inbreeding, 242
intergroup strife, 96
locating, 28–29
LT (beta male), 33, 37, 38f, 39, 53, 75
at play, plate 23 (after p. 118)
polygyny in, 240–241
prey, ignoring, 92, 94
with ravens at winter kill, 160f
reproductive bonds in, 240
research value of, 238
scavenging (winter kills), 143–144
sheep kill, 74–75
teaching pups, 71, 73
tenure in Denali Park, 27
territory of, 22
viewing of, 193
winter travel, 95
scavenging
finding winter kill, 122, 123, 128, 143–144
killing vs., 87
from other predators, plate 13 (after p. 118)
scent marking, 24, 96
Schaller, George, 6
science, flawed, 210, 213–214
search-and-pursuit tactics, 142
seasonal food changes, 68–69, 87, 96, 124
sexual maturity, 95–96
sheep
challenges of, 74
as difficult prey, 51
reliance on, 67
Savage River family ambush of, 74–75
as seasonal fare, 68–69, 87
wolf hunting techniques, 123–125, 138, 142–143, 145, 146f, plate 11 (after p. 118)
Sheldon, Charles, 3
Sheldon, Don, 8, 225
sled dogs
in Denali Park, 183
disease transmission from, 27, 53n12
smell as hunting asset, 128
snow, wolves' hunting techniques in, 122
snowmachines
hunting of wolves with, 222, 223f
in trapline maintenance, 194, 196
snowshoe hares, 62, 150, 151f, 152–153, 154–155f, 156–157, plate 12 (after p. 118)
social attributes, research summary, 249–250
social organization. See family bonds; family groups
socializing. See playtime
societal cruising speed, 9
sociobiology, definition, 244
Son (Toklat alpha male), 83
“Sound Science Act,” 209–210
species integrity, 232–233
species population counts, 65, 213
See also wolf population numbers
spring thaw, den entrances and, 52
squirrels, wolf dens used by, 163
Stampede family group
howling together, 111f
hunting, 138, 139–141f
river crossing, 97, 100, 101f
Stampede Trail. See Wolf Townships
state land transfers, human activity and, 193
state-snared wolves, 200–203
steady-state population objectives, 218
Steiner, Rick, 191, 209–210, 234–235, 260
sterilization/relocation, 35, 121, 211
Stolzenburg, William, Where the Wild Things Were, 262
storm-and-circle testing for moose, 122, 124–125, 126–127f, 133, 241
study areas, 19, 20–21f
summer lifestyle (wolves)
heat discomfort, 88, 92, 93f
travel
river crossing (Aug 2008), 97, 100, 101f
river crossing (Aug 2009), 76, 77–82f, 103
on tundra, plate 21 (after p. 118)
survival success
factors in, 239–242
family bonds and, 33
rates of, 68
sustainability in ecosystems, 218–219
Swift Northeast family group
bears, intrusion of, 165
playtime, 88, 89–91f
pups, 48f
survival challenges of, 46–47
Swift West family group, 16f
swimming
teaching, 67, 76, 77–82f, 103
technique, 63, 97, 100, 101f
weather limitations, 97
systems management, wildlife, 216, 218–219
systems theory, 65
teaching pups. See pups
Teklanika (early human campsites), 52
Teklanika Campground trail, 55
Teklanika denning area, 62–64, plate 3 (after p. 118)
telemetry equipment, 30, 31
temperatures, aircraft performance and, 31
terrain challenges, 138, 142
territorial disputes, intergroup, 96
territory, wolves'. See study areas; and specific family groups.
testing prey, 122
threshold number of wolves, 198
tit-for-tat trespassing, intergroup strife, 96
Toklat East family group
in Savage River family territory, 105, 238
viewing of, 193
Toklat family group
alpha female, starvation death, 181–182, 246–247
alpha pair, 228f
bereavement, 110
challenging prey, 67
communicating kill site locations, 68
courtship, plate 2 (after p. 118)
decimation of, 150
and Denali park visitors, 172
dens, 181
disappearance of, 85
dogs as intruders, 183
female with pup, 70f
“group photo,” plate 1, plate 22 (after p. 118)
Haber's plane overhead, 7f
homesites, 52, 53, 55, 56–57f
howling by, 104f, 107, 110, 236f
human interface with, 176–177, 179–180
hunting
detection skills, 128
flight paths, anticipating, 135–136, 137f
kill success rates, 123
preparation for, 113–117f
seasonal food changes, 96, 124
sheep, plate 11 (after p. 118)
snowshoe hares, 62, 150, 151f, 152–153, 154–155f, 156–157, plate 12 (after p. 118)
techniques, 123, 124–125, 129–132f, 134, 138, 142, plates 7–10 (after p. 118)
terrain challenges, 138, 142–143
inbreeding, 242
intergroup strife, 96
long-running study of, 17
mortality of, 39, 41–42, 197
newcomer acceptance, 96
NPS impact on, 175, 187
pair bonding, 34f, 36
at play, 84f
polygyny in, 240
pups, 23f, 59, 66f, 76, plate 20 (after p. 118)
radio-collaring, 185–186, 244–245
reproductive bonds in, 239–240
research value of, 238, 245–246
reunion by howling, 110
river crossing, 76, 77–82f, 103, 190f
road travel, 178f
scavenging (winter kills), 143
Son (alpha male), 83
stealing a kill, 158f
survival success factors, 239–242
teaching
feeding, 147
swimming, 76, 77–82f, 103
on walks, 71
tenure in Denali Park, 27
territory of, 22, 255, 256–257, plate 25 (after p. 118)
tragedies, 39, 41–43, 111f, 243f
trapping, 207
viewing of,
193
winter travel, 95, 98–99f, 190f
Toklat Springs family group, plate 7 (after p. 118)
Toklat West family group
“group photo,” plate 18 (after p. 118)
mortality and fragmentation, 256
at play, plate 6 (after p. 118)
territory of, 255, plate 25 (after p. 118)
Tonzona family group. See Swift West family group
tourism boycott, 121, 200n29
traditions. See culture/traditions of wolves
trapper lifestyle protection, 198–199
trapping
ADF&G inconsistencies, 11, 118
along park boundaries, 194, 196
licenses/bag limits, 210, 212
mortalities
evidence of, 85
family member emotions, 110
Stampede family group, 111f
Toklat family group, 39, 42, 111f
Toklat West family group, plate 18 (after p. 118)
optimal restrictions on, 192–194
snaring techniques taught by state, 200n29
state snaring, 200–203
two-year-olds, lactation by, 59
Udall, Stewart, 5, 7f
unprotected state lands, plate 25 (after p. 118)
U.S. Department of the Interior, 227, 229–230
U.S. Geological Survey, biologist shortcomings, 185, 186
Van Ballenberghe, Victor, 224
video of state-snared wolf, 11, 121, 200n29, 202
vision as hunting asset, 128
Voltaire, 12
walks, pup education on, 71, 72f, 73
Walters, C. J., 219
“wanton waste” of trapped/hunted animals, 212
weasels, 161, 163
Where the Wild Things Were (Stolzenburg), 262
wilderness protection limitations, 85
wildlife conservation issues. See protective buffer zone
wildlife management proposals, peer review of, 209–210
wildlife population fluctuations, 65, 216
See also specific wildlife
winter kill. See scavenging
winter lifestyle (wolves)
meals, 87
travel
overview, 95–97
photos, 98–99f, 254f
pups, 14, 50–51
river crossing, 190f
wolf killing programs. See Alaska's wolf-killing programs
wolf population numbers
ADF&G methodology, 65
after family fragmentation, 215
estimates, plate 25 (after p. 118)
flaws/shortcomings of, 196–197, 210, 213, 257
fluctuations, 216
increasing, 37
low period, 27, 53, 53n12
since Haber's death, 255, 257, 259
The Wolf's Tooth (Eisenberg), 262
Wolf Summit (1993), 11, 105, 121, 224
Wolf Townships
deaths in, 192
as protective buffer zone, 2, 191
Toklat family group territory in, plate 25 (after p. 118)
trapping and hunting in, 3, 33, 35, 105, plate 18 (after p. 118)
wolf traplines, 194, 196
wolf-human conflicts, 264
wolverines, 163
wolves
as check on bear predation, 165
harvesting of, 6, 231