Breeding & Hunting

Wolf_pic.jpging
Wolves breed in late winter (february/march), and give birth two months later in dens close to where they were born or where previous litters were born. The average litter is 4-6 puppies. By summer the puppies can leave the den, and can hunt with the pack by their first birthday.

By late summer or fall, the pack spends more time with the puppies near the den site. Often, a babysitter will watch the puppies while the mother hunts with the pack. The pack will store meat at a cache site near the den.

Hunting
Wolves hunt older animals, males, and calves more often than female prey. Most hunting takes place at dusk, dawn, or at night. Only 10% of hunting attempts are successful. If the prey is fast or chooses to stand and fight, the pack will almost always give up. The pack will go days or even weeks without eating, though they attempt to hunt every day or every few days.

Wolves will often start a stampede to expose the weak and vulnerable animals. Then the pack will catch their prey and bite its neck and body until it dies of blood loss or shock. They will immediately eat the organs and then the meat. Males will bring pack pieces of meat to the den, and females will eat well and then regurgitate for the pups.