2. The Rocky Mountains in Wyoming and 

 Idaho; and 



3. (more commonly than the other two areas) 

 the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and north- 

 ern Wisconsin. 



While formely common in most of North 

 America from the Polar ice cap south to middle 

 Mexico, there were probably very few or none in 

 California or the southeastern United States. 



RANGE MAP 



Present range is delineated by shading (Mech 

 1974a; McBride 1978). Critical habitat is taken 

 from the official listing (43 FR 9607, 9 Mar. 

 1978). 



STATES /COUNTIES 



Alaska: All. 



Arizona: (?) 



Idaho: Fremont, Clark, Lemhi. 



Michigan: Chippewa, Iron, Keweenaw, Mackinac, 

 Marquette. 



Minnesota: Aitkin, Becker, Beltrami, Carlton, 

 Cass, Clay, Clearwater, Cook, Crow 

 Wing, Dakota, Hubbard, Itasca, 

 Koochiching, Lake, Lake of the Woods, 

 Mahnomen, Marshall, Norman, Penn- 

 ington, Pine, Polk, Red Lake, Roseau, 

 St. Louis, Wadena. 



Montana: Beaverhead, Flathead, Glacier, Lewis 

 and Clark, Madison (?), Park (?). 

 Pondera, Teton. 



New Mexico:(?) 



North Dakota:(?) 



Texas: (?) 



Washington:(?) 



Wisconsin: (?) 



Wyoming: Fremont, Park, Teton. 



HABITAT 



The gray wolf has no particular habitat 

 preference except areas of relative wilderness 

 where human habitations are scarce (Stabler 

 1944). Mech (1974b) suggests that wild land is 

 not actually preferred, but is the only place to 



survive human persecution. 



Olson (1938) observed that wolves use a 

 variety of habitats, depending on prey items and 

 season of the year. De Vos (1950) studied wolf 

 movements in Ontario and concluded that topog- 

 raphy was also important; all topographies and 

 habitats are utilized except deserts and high 

 mountain tops (Mech 1974a). McBride (1978) 

 and R. Rausch (personal communication), how- 

 ever, also include deserts and high mountain tops. 



FOOD AND FORAGING BEHAVIOR 



Predominant prey in Alaska depends on loca- 

 tion. Sitka deer {Odocoileus hemionus sitkensis), 

 moose {Alces alces), and caribou {Rangifer taran- 

 dus) are of greatest value, with numerous other 

 species also taken (Murie 1944; Rausch 1967; 

 R. Rausch, personal communication). 



Gray wolves in the United States and Canada 

 prey on white-tailed deer [Odocoileus virginianus), 

 moose, snowshoe hare [Lepus americanus), 

 cottontail rabbit [Sylvilagus floridanus), beaver 

 [Castor canadensis), various rodents, carrion, and 

 livestock. The white-tailed deer is the single most 

 important food source, particularly in winter 

 (Young and Goldman 1944; Thompson 1952; 

 Weise at al. 1975). 



In Wood Buffalo Park in Canada, bison are 

 taken (Pimlott 1967). Tundra wolves in Canada 

 have a winter diet almost exclusively of caribou. 

 Summer diet varies and includes fish, small birds, 

 and rodents (Kuyt 1972). 



Wolves in Mexico prey almost exclusively on 

 livestock, particularly weaned yearling cattle, 

 burros, and colls. Natural prey levels are low over 

 wolf range (McBride 1978). 



Wolf predation is largely restricted to mal- 

 nourished, young, old, or otherwise weakened 

 individuals (Murie 1944, Crisler 1956, Mech 1966, 

 Pimlott 1967, Mech and Frenzel 1971, Mech 

 1975, Wolfe 1977). Studies by McBride (1978) 

 and R. Rausch (personal communication), how- 

 ever, indicate that wolves in Mexico and Alaska 

 take healthy animals in preference to unhealthy 

 ones. 



Wolves use a variety of hunting techniques. 

 Murie (1944) and Mech (1966) describe many 

 hunts, including ambushes, chases, and stalkings. 

 Wolves often stalk the prey until it makes a move, 

 and then chase at 56.3 to 64.4 km/h for up to 3 

 km (Mech 1970). 



