Spring 2001 Denning Report

The following is a brief summary on the denning activity of the Druid Peak pack, the Rose Creek pack, the Tower group, and the Beartooth pair (pack).

Alpha female #42 of the Druid Peak pack was confirmed to have denned very early this year. She was spotted outside the Druid's traditional den site on April 4th. And, as most people anticipated, the Alpha female of the Druids was not the only female in the pack to have denned. Female #105 and female #106, the daughters of Alpha female #42 born in 1997, have both been confirmed to have denned. #105 is using Alpha female #9's old den site and #106 has denned in the Slough Creek area.

Alpha male #21 has been observed traveling the approximate 4 miles each way between Alpha female #42's den and female #105's den. Looks like Dad has his hands full again this year! :-)

The Druid Peak pack have expanded their territory greatly since the surprising birth and survival of 20 pups last spring. Their territory now extends well into the original Rose Creek pack's old territory.

I've just learned that yet another of the Druid Peak pack's females has denned! Female #103, who is also a daughter of Alpha female #42's born in 1997, has just been confirmed to have denned! That now brings the total to 4 dens for the Druids! Wow!!

Alpha female #18 of the Rose Creek pack was confirmed to have denned about 3 weeks ago. The Alpha male of the pack still appears to be #207, the same wolf that female #18 was observed mating with earlier this year. The news on the break-away "Tower" group, the wolves that split from the Rose Creek pack last year, is that the uncollared Alpha female has most likely denned. But this has not yet been confirmed and it may be a while before confirmation can be obtained. I will try to get more info on this pack as it becomes available.

I've been holding out on this report in the hope of learning something new about Alpha female #9, but as of today there is still no denning confirmation on her. Another female who apparently joined up with #9 and her still uncollared mate a little while back, has not been confirmed to have denned either. Female #77 is a disperser from the Rose Creek pack who was born in 1997 and is #9's granddaughter.

I will attempt to contact Mike Jimenez to learn more on the denning of both females in this pack, but it may take time because Mike is so busy now and he is extremely difficult to reach.

It's still too soon to get any kind of pup count, but we should be hearing some numbers within the next couple of weeks, especially on the Alpha female of the Druid Peak pack's litter!