Yellowstone: The Wolves of Yellowstone (Appendix II)

YELLOWSTONE

The Wolves of Yellowstone
Natural Resources Report Number 14

APPENDIX II
Summary of Wolf Reports 1914-26, Yellowstone National Park.


Source	Date	Report

James McBride (1914)	1914 29 January	Tracks of three wolves between Mammoth and 10 miles west.
Lake Station Record	1914 25 April	One wolf seen between Lake and Pelican Creek.
Skinner (1927)	1914 7 September	. . . When I found an extraordinarily bold pack of eleven big fellows [wolves] in the Pelican Valley.
Letter of transmittal from F. T. Arnold, Captain 12th Cavalry, to Sec. of Interior	1914 3 December	Four wolves killed by Ranger Henry Anderson on Slough Creek. Wolves have become rather numerous along the north line of the Park during the past two or three years, and have been seen frequently, but this is the first instance where anyone has been able to capture them or get close enough to shoot them.
McBride (1914)	1914 21 December	One cow elk killed by wolves between Mammoth and Blacktail Deer Creek.
Letter of transmittal from F. T. Arnold, Captain 12th Calvary, to Sec. of Interior	1914 31 December	Three more wolves have been killed in the Park during the month making a total of seven killed, and there are indications that they are present in considerable numbers and are destroying much game.
Supt. Annual Report (1914)	1914	Gray wolves have made their appearance in the Park in considerable numbers, having been seen traveling in packs of ten or less. While efforts have been made to kill them, thus far none have been taken inside of the Park although a few have been killed just outside, along the northern border . . . efforts will be made to kill them.
Skinner (1927)	1914-15	That winter, two or three packs harried the elk on the lower, open valleys of the Park . . . They began to increase about 1914, soon numbered about sixty . . . .
Vernon Bailey (1930)	1914 and 1915, Summer	During the summers of 1914 and 1915 they [wolves] . . . were following the elk herds to the high pastures of Mirror Plateau, returning with them in winter to the valleys along the Lamar and Yellowstone Rivers. In the summer of 1915, Mr. Frazier, at the Buffalo Ranch [Lamar], told me that wolves had been very troublesome during the preceeding winter and had killed many elk. During June of that year, Mr. Frazier killed two half-grown wolf pups and caught two more, which were kept chained up at the ranch. During July and August, 1915, I found where a family of wolves had killed and eaten a young elk in Slough Creek Valley and found wolf tracks along Slough Creek and Lamar Valleys up to the mouth of Mist Creek, also along Pelican Creek, and later a few tracks on Fox Creek at the southern edge of the Park. Tracks were especially numerous along Pelican and Raven Creek where at least ten or a dozen wolves hunted in one pack.
	1915 July	On this same trip I found big wolves common, feeding their young on elk, and probably also on buffaloes, as they were right in the midst of the buffalo ranges. This probably accounted for the slow rate of increases of the herd, for after the wolves were trapped out of this section the following winter by Donald Stevenson, the herd began to make rapid increase.
Bailey (1930)	1915 November	Donald Stevenson counted nine separate tracks, where a band of wolves had crossed a sandbar on Pelican Creek, but at that time they were leaving that section of the Park and following the elk herds to lower levels.
	1915	On Pelican Creek, along the trails which they [wolves] were constantly using, their droppings were made up entirely of elk hair, and a scarcity of elk calves was very noticeable among the herds in that section.
Bailey, Letter to YNP Supt.	1915 13 August	Band of apparently 9 or 10 large wolves ranging on the upper part of Pelican Creek . . . There are also some wolves along Slough Creek and some old and young along Lamar River. There seem to be very few elk calves left where these wolves range.
Tower Station Record	1915 3 September	One wolf seen 9 miles east of Tower.
Cruse Black (1915-16)	1915 10 October	One black wolf seen between Tower Falls and Buffalo Ranch (Lamar).
	16 October	Two-year-old cow elk killed by wolves between Buffalo Ranch (Lamar) and west Lamar Canyon.
Donald Stevenson (1915-16)	1915 19 October	One wolf track between Lake and Pelican Cabin.
Black	1915 23 October	Trapped one female wolf (Rose Creek area).
	24 October	One elk killed by wolves between Buffalo Ranch (Lamar) and Blacktail.
	28 October	Killed one black female wolf up Slough Creek.
	30 October	Killed one black male wolf in Slough Creek.
Stevenson	1915 2 November	Tracks of nine wolves up Pelican Creek from cabin.
	3 November	A few wolf tracks seen in Pelican and Raven Creeks.
Black	1915 3 November	One elk calf killed by wolves between Buffalo Creek and Specimen Ridge.
Stevenson	1915 22 November	One wolf track seen 5 miles down valley from Pelican Cabin.
Black	1915 6 December	One cow elk killed by gray wolves.
Supt. Annual Report (1915)	1915	Gray wolves are increasing and have become a decided menace to the herds of elk, deer, mountain sheep, and antelope. Several were killed in the Park last winter, and an effort will be made the coming winter to capture or kill them.
Stevenson	1916 6 January	Saw three wolves in Geode Creek Canyon. Killed one.
Black	1916 7 January	Tracks of three wolves between Tower and Buffalo Ranch (Lamar).
	17 January	Wolf tracks on Specimen Ridge. One adult cow elk killed by wolves.
	18 January	Followed tracks of four wolves for 10 miles on Specimen Ridge and found one adult cow elk killed by then.
Tower Station Record	1916 18 January	One wolf seen between Tower and Slough Creek.
Stevenson	1916 20 January	Tracks of two wolves in the Blacktail area.
Black	1916 31 January	One old cow elk killed by wolves.
Bailey (1930)	1916 January	In January, 1916, they [wolves] were found in the Lamar and Yellowstone Valleys, where Stevenson and Black secured four of the old wolves and, later, a family of seven.
Tower Station Record	1916 13 February	Two wolves seen between Tower and lower Yellowstone River.
Stevenson	1916 14 February	Tracks of two wolves seen in Blacktail area.
	19-20 March	Wolf tracks between Blacktail Cabin and Hellroaring Cabin.
	22 March	Wolf tracks between Hellroaring and Buffalo Ranch (Lamar).
	26 March	Hunted wolf dens. One wolf tracked to den near Hellroaring . . . female seen.
Bailey (1930)	1916 26 March	One [den] found by Stevenson and Black on the rough slope near Hellroaring Creek on March 26, watched for some days in an effort to shoot the old wolves, which finally became suspicious and carried the pups away to another location farther up the side of the mountain. The den was described as composed of four or five large burrows dug into the open hillside and had evidently been used for several years as a score or more of old elk skulls were lying about, and one fresh elk head that had recently been brought in was found.
Stevenson	1916 27 March	One wolf seen near Hellroaring.
	28 March	Two wolves howling near Hellroaring.
	30 March	One large white wolf seen near Hellroaring.
	14 April	Dug out wolf den in the Hellroaring area but they had moved.
	15 April	Found wolf den.
	16 April	One wolf seen and six pups caught.
Bailey (1930)	1916 16 April	On April 14 [sic], this family of wolves was located about a mile from the first den in a natural cave among some loose rocks. Back about eight feet from the entrance of the cave seven wolf pups estimated to be three weeks old were secured. A freshly killed young elk was found about a half mile from the den and there were pieces of elk meat in the den with the pups. The old wolves were very shy and kept well out of sight while the den was being watched but were frequently heard howling and answering each other from different points and the old male was several times seen guarding the den from a point high above. The male is consistently larger than the female, weighing well over a hundred pounds.
Stevenson	1916 19 April	Wolf tracks between Tower and Blacktail.
	29 April	Wolf den found near Hellroaring, and one old wolf shot.
	30 April	One pup dug out.
	1 May	Tracks near Hellroaring Creek.
	5 May	Tracks near Yancey's.
	10 May	Den found between Slough Creek Cabin and Hellroaring Cabin.
	12 May	Den found between Yancey's and the Buffalo Ranch (Lamar). One wolf pup dug out.
Supt. Annual Report (1916)	1916	From October 6, 1916 to June 30, 1916, two United States Biological Survey hunters killed 12 wolves . . . skulls sent to the National Museum. Two young male wolves captured in the spring of 1915 by the employee at the buffalo farm [Lamar] were shipped alive on November 16 to the National Zoological Park.
Supt. Monthly Report	1917 December	Wolves not numerous . . . two killed by lion hunter Elkins.
Supt. Monthly Report	1918 January	Wolves reported in several different sections of the Park.
	February	Pack of about 16 wolves on Specimen Ridge.
	March	Signs of wolves on Specimen Ridge.
	April	Nineteen wolves killed, with indications of many more on Specimen Ridge and Hellroaring.
	May	Seven wolves killed. Towards the end of the month the wolves seemed to leave the Specimen Ridge district and have not been much in evidence since.
	June	Four wolves killed.
	July	One large gray wolf killed.
	August	Sign of two wolves in the upper Yellowstone area reported by Biological Survey hunter Clemons.
	September	One gray wolf trapped and shot.
	October	Three gray wolves killed.
	November	No wolves killed but they were considerably in evidence on Slough and Hellroaring Creeks.
	December	No wolves killed but sign found along north line.
Supt. Annual Report (1918)	1918	Thirty-six wolves killed in the park the year.
Supt. Monthly Report	1919 January	No wolves killed, sign along north line.
	February	Two wolves killed. Signs indicate presence of several ranging from Mammoth to Soda Butte . . . efforts are being made to exterminate them.
	November	Reports received of wolves present.
Supt. Annual Report (1919)	1919	Six wolves killed in the park.
Supt. Monthly Report	1920 January	Three wolves, including two females, killed.
	March	Nine wolves killed . . . one in the northeast and eight (including seven pups) in Blacktail.
	April	At least 14 wolves killed . . . one adult in the northeast, eight pups in a den near Tower Falls, five pups in another den near Tower Falls, and one den with pups closed up solid on Blacktail Deer Creek.
	November	Pack of nine wolves and tracks seen near Tower Falls.
Supt. Annual Report (1920)	1920	Twenty-eight wolves killed by two rangers.
Supt. Monthly Report	1921 January	Forty coyotes and wolves (not distinguished) killed.
	February	Two black wolves seen in Slough Creek and Specimen Ridge.
	March	Several wolf dens located and kept under surveillance.
	April	One den dug out and male (largest ever) and 11 pups destroyed.
	October	One wolf killed by Anderson.
	November	One wolf killed, and many tracks seen in Mammoth and Blacktail Districts.
	December	A few wolves identified from signs.
Supt. Annual Report (1922)	1921-22	Twenty-four wolves killed.
Supt. Monthly Report	1922 February	One wolf killed during the winter.
	April	Wolf dens located first week of April between Blacktail and Hellroaring, and adult female killed and 10 pups captured alive. Thirteen (sic) wolves taken to date.
	May	One wolf den discovered on Specimen Ridge, destroyed both adults and six pups. Felt that this was the pair ranging in Lamar Valley for several years—21 (sic) wolves killed to date It is evident that the work of controlling these animals must be vigorously prosecuted by the most effective means available whether or not this meets with the approval of certain game conservationists.
	July	Three wolves killed.
	August	Park Ranger Henry Anderson has been hunting out the summer haunts of park wolves and has succeeded in finding what he believes to be their main summer range. This is in a section of the park that is practically inaccessible due to bog holes, rim rock, down timber and jack pines. The area is the part of the Mirror Plateau lying near the head of Timothy, Raven, Pelican and Broad Creeks. Ranger Anderson found numerous signs in this region and due to its inaccessibility and the fact that there is a large amount of game making its summer range near this point, there is no reason why the wolves should not find this area ideal summer home. Anderson will spend the remainder of the month in this locality in an attempt to exterminate as many of these predatory animals as possible.
	October	Two large wolves, one gray and one black, were killed by Henry Anderson near confluence of Pelican and Raven Creeks (these are the two mounted specimens in the park museum).
Supt. Monthly Report	1923 April	Wolf den near Tower Falls cleared out; old female killed and five pups brought out alive to Mammoth for exhibition.
	December	Wolf signs have been seen near Soda Butte and on Pelican Creek.
Supt. Annual Report (1923)	1923	Eight wolves killed.
Supt. Monthly Report	1924 January	Wolf seen near Bridger Lake on January 15 . . . . Wolf signs have been very rare this season.
	February	One wolf seen on Elephant Back near Lake; wolf sign near Mud Geyser.
	March	Wolf signs have been very scarce throughout the entire season and we have no report of any wolf kills in the park.
	April	Signs of wolf exceedingly scarce . . . .
	May	First wolf sign reported during past year observed near Soda Butte . . . also at about the same time at Pelican Creek.
	September	There were no reported instances of wolf activity in the park last winter apart from an occasional lone track. None were actually seen in the park. The situation this fall gives promise of a recurrence of the wolf as we have two reports of recent date indicating their presence in the Park. Park Ranger Hall reports having seen three near Heart Lake and a wolf pack numbering twelve are reported to have been seen at Elk Park by two members of a road crew on duty near that point. This last report has not been definitely confirmed and may be exaggerated.
	November	A number of wolf signs were observed in October but only one track has been reported for November.
	December	Two wolf signs seen on December 16 on south slope of Saddle Mountain.
Supt. Monthly Report	1925 October	Three wolf signs were observed on the east shore of Yellowstone Lake on the 20th.
Supt. Monthly Report	1926 January	One wolf sign recently seen on Cabin Creek.
	October	There is believed to be a very limited number of wolves in the Park.
	December	Sign of one, perhaps two, wolves along lower trail between Hellroaring and Tower Falls.
Bailey (1930)	1926	Tracks on Two Ocean Pass and one wolf seen on Trident Plateau by Sierra Club party.

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Last Updated: 14-Oct-2011