Facts to Know when Hunting;
1. Wolves do not chase prey until the prey flees. Wolves need the stimulus of a running animal to give chase.
2. Wolves concentrate on the flank (side), rump, hind quarters, shoulders, back, neck, and muzzle when attacking prey. They steer clear of the legs and try to avoid the hooves.
3. Wolves do not kill by biting the neck as felines do. The Wolf's prey dies due to blood loss. Tearing and ripping at the prey vest achieves success in a hunt. Taking hold of the prey's flesh while trying to bring it down also helps.
4.In real-life wolves usually begin feasting on prey as it is dying though still alive, but we as Sweet Mystics will show respect for the prey's life and wait for death to occur before feasting.

Hunting Rules

a)Please do NOT over hunt within TimberMyst.
c) Honored Guests are equal to Pack.

Small Hunts;

1. All Members, Assessments and Honored Guests may hunt small prey with the presence of Pack Member or Full Assessment.
2. Only Pack Members and Full Assessments control small prey movements, using :: ::.
3. Pack Pups, Pup assessments, and out of pack pups over 3 months may hunt small prey if accompainied by a Pack Member, OR a Full Assessment with permission of a Pack Member. (revised 10/7/04)
4. Visitors may hunt small prey with a pack member, the member may control prey movements. Visitors may also hunt small prey alone within the territory with a member controlling the prey movements.(revised 10/7/04)

Medium Group Hunts;

1. 2 or more Pack Members are needed to hunt medium prey with permission of Alpha, Beta, or Sweet Mystics Hunter. Full Assessments may then join the hunt.
2. Alpha, Beta, or Sweet Mystic Hunters control medium prey movements, using :: ::. Wolves that are in training as Hunters, Deltas, or wolves that would like further experience may control prey movements, using :: :: with permission from the Alpha(s) or Beta(s).(revised 10/7/04)
3. Pack or Full Assessment pups 6 months to 8 months may only hunt in Medium hunts if accompanied by Alpha, Beta, or Sweet Mystics Hunter.
4. Visitors and 'Assessments in Waiting' may hunt only if invited by Alpha, Beta, or Sweet Mystic Hunter. Knowledge, or witness of pack hunts should be acquired before joining a hunt.
5. If a Group Hunt is already taking place and you join the channel, you cannot join in the middle of the hunt. You must stay in the clearing.



Big/Huge Group Hunts;

1. Only Alpha or Beta call Group Hunts. That means that big/huge prey will only be hunted with the permission of Alpha or Beta.
2. 3 or more Pack members are needed to hunt big/huge prey.
3. Alpha, Beta, or Sweet Mystic Hunters control big/huge prey movements, using :: ::. Wolves that are in training as Hunters, Deltas, or wolves that would like further experience may control prey movements, using :: :: with permission from the Alpha(s) or Beta(s).(revised 10/7/04)
4. Pack Members and Full Assessments may join when Group Hunts are called.
5. Pack or Full Assessment pups 9 months to 12 months may only hunt in Big group hunts if accompanied by Alpha, Beta, or Sweet Mystics Hunter. Wolves must be 12 months or older to hunt in Huge hunts.
6. Visitors and 'Assessments in Waiting' may hunt only if invited by Alpha or Beta. Knowledge, or witness of pack hunts should be acqiure before hunting.
7. If a Group Hunt is already taking place and you join the channel, you cannot join in the middle of the hunt. You must stay in the clearing.

If rules continue to be broken after fair warning, hunting privileges will be taken away.

How to Hunt in TimberMyst;

1. The Lead Hunter will initiate a hunt and scent the air howling to call a Group Hunt. A lone hunt can be intiated by the Members/Full Assessments for other Assessments and pack members acting out the prey movements using :: ::. See Rules Page for example
2. When prey is found, the highest ranking wolf present and hunting will tell the 'Order of Attack'. Ex: Alpha, Beta, Sweet Mystic Hunters, Pack Members, Assessments
3. Locating, Stalking, and Chasing of prey will be acted out as well as the prey movements. Depending on size of prey Alpha, Beta or Sweet Mystic Hunter will act out prey movements using :: ::
4. When the rush is initiated, the 'Order of Attack' will take place. Prey will be acted out accordingly. The Order of Attack is the initial attack and continues in order until the animal collapses.
5. After the kill is made, a small gathering of the hunters takes place followed by the feast otherwise the kill will be dragged back to Myst Tree within the clearing. 'Order of Feast' starts with highest ranking, followed by Pack and Assessments, Honored Guests and Visitors.
6. The remains are buried at Myst Tree. The Lead Hunter will memo #soulwolves with an update of the food supply.

Reacting to Competition;
1. When competition is sensed Alpha, Beta, or SM Hunter may commence an attack or ignore. This will be acted out by Alpha, Beta and ranked Hunters. Use your own judgement and knowledge of wolves VS non-prey species. For Example: wolves will tolerate bears on most occasions, though they will sometimes chase a bear or be chased by a bear. The fox however is almost always attacked and killed by wolves.
2. There is NO 'Order of Attack' when hunting non-prey species. Attack at chance.
3. 3. Any Member or Assessment can join in on the attack at anytime until the animal flees or is killed. Pups 6 months or younger must stay back. However, if the competition is a Big species, all pups (under 12 months)are advised to stay back.

Prey Species in TimberMyst

Small:

Mouse
Snake
Fish
Squirrel
Meekrat
Raven
Arctic_Hare

Medium:

Buck
Doe
Mountain_Sheep
Bison_Calf
Beaver
Caribou_Calf
Fawn

Big:
Boar (Feral Pig)
Musk_Ox

Caribou

Huge:
Bison

Moose

Competition

Fox-small
Wolverine-medium
Coyote-medium
Lynx-medium
Cougar (Mountain Lion)-big
Brown Bear-big

More Info

Prey Species

Other Animals

General Habits

Eating Habits

Although the wolf can eat large amounts of food in a short time, such quantities are not always available, so the predator may have to go without eating for several days at a time. A wolf can consume almost twenty pounds of prey at a feeding. This food is digested quickly, so the wolf probably eats several times a day when large amounts of food are available. A wolf is well adapted to fasting as it is to feasting for these reasons. Growing wolves need two or three times as much food per pound as do adults, for food is used by pups not only for heat and energy, but also for growth.

Hunting Behavior

As long as a wolf's stomach is empty the creature is ready to eat and therefore to kill; however, the animal is also prepared to wait until it finds prey that can be killed safely and without undue effort. Wolves hunt merely by traveling widely over their range until they meet up with prey. Wolves are active mostly at night, especially in the summer. However during winter months wolves hunt both at night and during the day.

Locating Prey

1. Direct Scenting- locating prey by odor, direct scenting is generally one of the most common methods of detecting prey. Wolves must usually be directly downwind of an animal. Whichever way they are traveling, when their route crosses the wind flowing from the direction of the prey, the lead animals suddenly stop. All pack members then stand alert with eyes, ears, and nose pointed toward the prey. If the wolves are in an open area, they may then carry out a group ceremony with the animals standing nose-to-nose and wagging their tails for a few seconds. If they are in deep snow, they usually just pile up behind the leader and point toward the prey. Then they veer abruptly from their route and head directly toward the prey.

2. Chance Encounter- encountering prey merely by chance. Neither direct scentng nor tracking is used. Chance encounter seems the main factor in hunting Dall Sheep where the sheep flee to the mountains and wolves patrol the hills hoping to surprise a sheep at a disadvantage. Other chance encounters include when wolves patrol the high grounds until they locate elk or caribou on the slopes below and then rush them.

3. Tracking- following their prey's track; usually very fresh tracks. The pack strikes out on a fresh scent trail. When about 250 yards crosswind, they stop and scent the air. The first animals lay about 200 yards from the prey and rest, while the rest of the pack catch up. Then they continue along the trail, noses to ground. Two wolves remain downwind and about 25 feet ahead of the trackers. When the first two trackers reach 25 feet from them, the prey usually becomes alert. Meanwhile, the rest of the wolves catch up.

The Stalk

Direct scenting and tracking both allow sensing of the prey for long distances out of view of the wolves. As they close the gap between themselves and their prey, the wolves become excited but remain restrained. They quicken their paces, wag their tails, and peer ahead intently. Although they seem anxious to leap forward at full speed, they continue to hold themselves in check. This stage of the hunt is the stalk. When this approach is used, the wolves sneak as close to the prey as they can without making it flee. At times they can come very close, apparently because wolves move directly upwind (in the case of direct scenting) and approach slowly and alertly.

The Encounter

This is the point when the prey and predator confront each other. Prey responds three ways:

1. Approach the wolves- seldom

2. Stand its ground- Moose and Elk show this behavior most often. When an animal has detected wolves but fails to flee, it faces the approaching predators. As soon as the wolves see that their quarry has sensed them but is not running, they stop their stalk. Either a stalk results if the quarry is not facing the wolves, or a hesitant approach if the quarry is facing them. Wolves prefer not to be eyed when approaching their prey. When large prey such as moose stand their ground, they usually can fend off wolves, so standing is a form of defense with them. A deer that stands its ground will do so merely as a stopgap effort; sooner or later it will have to run.

3. Flee- As soon as the prey and the wolves notice each other, the wolves stop advancing. The whole situation is tense and it appears that both prey and the wolves are ready to bound away at an instant. Wolves do not rush until the prey does. Wolves need the stimulus of a running animal. A nonmoving creature seems to inhibit the rush response. As soon as prey runs, the wolves almost always chase.

The Rush

The flight of the prey during the encounter stage of the hunt almost always results in an immediate rush. The rush is the most critical stage. If the wolves fail to get close to their quarry during this stage, the prey runs off at top speed, and the predators may never get close to it. If they close the gap between predator and prey within a few seconds of the rush, they may get a chance to attempt an attack. Or, if they do not come quite close enough to actually attack, they may at least gain enough ground to give them a good start during the chase.

The Chase

This is a continuation of the rush, in which the prey flees and the wolves follow. If the wolves catch up to their quarry, they may attack. If they fall behind, they give up quickly. The hunting technique of wolves is based on the sudden-rush tactic wherein stalking and a quick burst of speed, followed by a short chase, are the main factors in overcoming prey. When attacking, wolves avoid the hoofs and concentrate on the parts of the body farthest from them-- the rump, flanks, shoulders, neck, and nose.

Selection of Prey

Wolves must hunt often and test many animals before finding one they can catch and kill. Most of the individuals that wolves do capture must be disadvantged in someway, for they would have escaped if they were not.

A prey animal could be disadvantaged in several ways:

1. Surprised by wolves where its escape route is cut off.
2. Psychologically or behaviorally inferior
3. Poor sense of sight, hearing, or
4. Newborn, inexperienced, malformed, sick, old, wounded, starving, or crippled

Age Selection

Wolves kill primarily animals less than one year old or those that have lived at least half the usual life span for the species in the wild. During winter wolves prey primarily on the youngest and oldest members of most primary prey species. In the summer calves and fawns compose a high percentage of the food supply.

Selection By Sex

One might think that with large prey it would be easier for wolves to kill females because they often are smaller than males. On the other hand, even the large males must grow old some day and at some point in their lives become vulnerable. It can be said that wolf predation may exert a certain amount of selection for one sex or the other in various species and in different seasons. In most cases the year-round mortality from wolves probably occurs evenly on both sexes.

Selection by Physical Condition

Wolves kill mainly the youngest and oldest animals, probably because weak and inferior indivduals are the only ones that the predators can kill under normal conditions. However many of the middle-aged animals killed by wolves were injured, diseased, or parasitized because these indivduals were also easier and safer to capture and kill.

When the Opportunity Arises...

Although wolf predation generally selects out the young, sick, old, weak, injured, and diseased members of prey, one needs to avoid the conclusion that wolves perform such services intentionally or purposely. Without even knowing it, the wolf culls out the weak animals leaving the strong to survive.

The wolf is an opportunist. Whatever meat is available the animal will eat, including refuse, carrion, bait, and fresh prey. There is no reason to believe that the wolf would purposely refuse to eat prime, healthy animals and choose only the inferior ones. Thus selection for the young, old, and otherwise inferior individuals can be thought of as a very mechanical process. It is the wolf's natural tendency to kill whatever prey it can- when the opportunity arises.

For more info go to the Rules Page