The Family That Eats Together, Stays Together

📽 by Dina Yarbrough (@dinayarbrough on IG)

Yellowstone’s wapiti lake wolf pack gorge themselves on a mule deer

Wolves can consume 20 to 25 percent of their body weight in one sitting. For a wolf that weighs roughly 100lbs (45kg) that translates into 20 to 25 pounds (9-11 kg) of flesh in a single feeding session.

When wolves hunt, they typically aim to bring down their prey as quickly and efficiently as possible. Bringing an animal down doesn't necessarily mean that it has been killed, but rather significantly weakened, especially when it comes to larger animals like bison and elk. The fact that their quarry might still be alive doesn't deter the pack from digging in.

Note: this mule deer is long gone. I can say that with confidence because unless she was born with gills, she can’t breathe underwater.

You might notice that one or two of these wolves are wearing a tracking collar, as part of ongoing research and management efforts in YNP. Among other things, the collars allow researchers to track the movements of individual wolves and the information gleaned from their use provides vital insights into understanding how these predators operate.

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