Gray-wolf 755 



of animal population. Vernon Bailey's recent investigations' 

 in central Wyoming have shed much light on the habits and 

 number of Wolves. In loo square miles of cattle country in 

 Wind River, where Wolves are fairly numerous, he found in 

 March, 1906, 20 breeding dens of Gray- wolves. 



The State of Wyoming has paid in eleven years for the 

 killing of 20,819 Wolves. As a good third of those shot or 

 poisoned are never found, we are safe to believe that 30,000 

 Wolves have been killed in that time, or 2,600 each year, and 

 yet these numbers are rather increasing, from which I should 

 infer that there are between 5,000 and 10,000 Gray-wolves in 

 Wyoming alone, and that they are in like proportion over all 

 of the cattle country from the Gulf of Mexico to the Saskatche- 

 wan. Taking the lower figures as safer, they would show a 

 total of 500,000 Gray-wolves still roaming the West, although 

 their numbers are unquestionably much less than in primitive 

 times. 



The Wolves are the most sociable of beasts of prey. Not socia^ 

 only do they gather in bands, but they arrange to render each 

 other assistance, which is the most important test of socia- 

 bility. The most Gray-wolves I ever saw in a band was 5. 

 This was in northern New Mexico, January, 1894. The most 

 I ever heard of in a band was 32 that were seen in the same 

 region. These packs are apparently formed in winter only. 

 I think, further, that this species is not gregarious in the sense 

 that the Antelope and Wapiti are. The packs are probably 

 temporary associations of personal acquaintances, for some 

 temporary purpose, or passing reason, such as food-question 

 or mating instinct. As soon as this is settled they scatter. 

 No doubt these same individuals are ready to reunite as soon 

 as a new occasion requires it, and would resent the presence 

 of a total stranger. This I take to be true sociability. 



An instance in point was related to me by Gordon M. 

 Wright, of Carberry, Man. During the winter of 1865 he was 

 logging at Sturgeon Lake, Ont. One Sunday he and some 



' Forest Service Bull. 72, U. S. Dep. Agri., Wolves, 1907. 



BILITY 



