Wolves in the NWT

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Wolves (Canis lupus) are a member of the Canidae (dog) family and look like a large husky dog. Adult males average about 35 - 40 kg, while females are smaller, at about 30 - 35 kg. Length of males, from nose to the tip of the tail, varies from 1.5 to 2.0 m, with females from 1.4 to 1.8 m. The tail is nearly one-quarter of the total length. In Canada, the largest wolves are from the northwest, while the smallest occur on the arctic islands.

Wolf colour varies from pure white to black, with accompanying shades of cream and brown. The most common colour is grey. Although all colours occur throughout the wolf’s range, white is most common on the arctic islands. Grey and other darker shades predominate on the mainland. The wolf’s coat is thick; composed of long coarse guard hairs and short soft underfur. In the NWT the coat is shed only once, in late spring. By winter the short new pelage grows into a silky coat, with the underfur appearing in autumn.

Distribution

Wolves were once distributed throughout Canada. They are now extinct in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland, the settled and agricultural parts of Quebec, Ontario and the western provinces. In the NWT, they are still found on most of their traditional range. Although relatively abundant, their exact numbers are unknown.

Densities are lowest on the arctic islands, and highest in areas on the mainland where barren-ground caribou winter. The only places where there is prey but no wolves are Coats and Southampton Islands in Hudson Bay.

Red shaded area - High Arctic Wolves Grey shaded area - Tundra Wolves Blue shaded area - Boreal Wolves Blue-Grey shaded area - Overlap

In the NWT three different groups of wolves can be distinguished based on behaviour and distribution. Wolves that live below the treeline or in the mountains, that depend mostly on non-migratory prey like moose and bison, and maintain regular territories are commonly known as timber wolves. Wolves that live on the arctic islands, and prey mostly on caribou, muskox and arctic hare are called arctic wolves. Wolves that travel above and below the treeline on the mainland of the NWT, depend largely on barren-ground caribou, and do not maintain regular territories are commonly known as tundra or caribou wolves.

Behaviour

One of the most interesting aspects of wolf behaviour is howling. Howling may be a wolf’s message to pack members of its whereabouts. A howl may summon pack members to a nightly hunt or adults may howl to find a lost pup. It may also be that wolves simply enjoy howling, alone or in groups. People who have observed group howls attest to the wolves’ obvious pleasure in the occasion and to the marvellous sounds of the wolf voices in harmony.

Pack or group howling is not a haphazard affair. It is initiated by one wolf, not necessarily the pack leader, but the animal with the most active inclination to howl at that time. As each wolf comes in, it is at a different pitch, possibly by design, but probably only because each has a different voice range. This produces the wild harmony which once heard is never forgotten (Rutter and Pimlott 1968). Another well-known characteristic of wolves is their tendency to form packs, which may contain from two to sixteen members, although four to seven is more common. Occasionally large groups of up to 30 - 40 wolves have been seen. Together the wolf pack will travel, hunt, breed, raise pups, and in most cases maintain a certain area as their home territory. Pack members are generally close relatives - usually one set of parents, their pups and possibly one or two aunts or uncles. The social structure of a pack is complex and tightly knit, with each member knowing its own rank or position.

Territories are marked out by scent posts such as rocks, stumps, logs, ice chunks or any conspicuous object that can be marked by urine. Other packs or lone wolves coming into contact with a scent post are thus alerted and may avoid the area, although there is probably some overlap among territories. Throughout the winter, wolf packs are on the move, traveling many kilometres, feeding where they find prey and resting when they are tired, or when extreme temperatures and storms cause them to seek refuge. Winter travel routes include game trails, ridges, seismic lines and frozen waterways. In deep fluffy snow, wolves find traveling difficult and any easier route, including roads or snowmobile trails are preferred.

The size of winter range for timber wolves within the treeline varies considerable from area to area, and is largely dependent on prey density. In areas where prey is scarce, a pack would have to range far to locate animals, and fewer packs would be able to thrive there. In Alaska winter range has been estimated from 100 km2 for a pair of wolves, to 12,000 km2 for a pack of ten. On a per wolf basis, this varies from 50 km2 to 120 km2.

Tundra wolves are associated with migratory caribou and have a less developed territory than wolves that depend on non-migratory prey. This is because caribou migrate over long distances and there would be no advantage to protecting an area that may not have any caribou during part of the year. In the central Northwest Territories, wolf winter range may be defined by the distribution of caribou. In early spring when caribou group together to begin their northward migration, the wolf density in those areas may be as high as one wolf per 10 km².

Survival

Different populations of wolves prey on different species depending on what is available. The main prey of all wolves on all ranges is large game. Within the treeline in the NWT, this includes bison, moose, deer and caribou. Tundra wolves feed almost exclusively on caribou, however muskoxen are also taken.

Arctic wolves hunt both caribou and muskoxen. Depending on the area and time of year, a wolf’s diet may also include hares, foxes, small rodents, beaver, muskrat, birds, fish, eggs or even small quantities of grass and other vegetable matter.

Because wolves prey on animals much larger than themselves, they have had to develop rather sophisticated methods of catching their prey. To hunt bison, which is the most important food of wolves in the Wood Buffalo National Park area, the wolves may not kill an animal until several days after the first attack, when its weakened condition makes it less dangerous. A full-grown male bison stands nearly 2 m high at the shoulder, weighs up to 1000 kg and is a formidable opponent for a wolf. Generally only very old animals or young calves fall victim to wolf attack.

Wolves accompany nearly all caribou herds most of the year. Under most circumstances a caribou can easily outrun a wolf. The wolves therefore rely on surprise and group hunting to compensate for their lack of speed. For example, one animal may position itself strategically out of sight behind a hill or in a valley, while others single out a caribou and drive it towards the ambush. The first wolf then springs out for a quick high-speed chase. However, in most cases, wolves simply chase a large herd of caribou, on the alert for any animal that stumbles or appears weak. Old and ailing caribou, or a calf which hesitates a second too long, are often victims. The wolf is an opportunistic hunter, and a healthy animal caught off guard is as susceptible to attack as any other.

In spring, the caribou herds move to their calving grounds, which are often located in relatively high, bleak and windy areas. The calving grounds are poor sites for denning wolves and therefore the low density of wolves affords the cows and calves some measure of protection at a time when they are very vulnerable to attack. Nevertheless, there are some wolves on the calving grounds that will prey on calves. Caribou calves mature quickly and can soon run with their mothers to escape predation. Muskoxen, which are found on some arctic islands and on the mainland NWT, are an alternate prey for wolves. Under most circumstances a full-grown muskox can defend itself by charging and hooking at the wolf with its horns or kicking with its hooves. In a group, muskoxen form their unique, semicircular defence when threatened by wolves. Adults face outward with calves and yearlings bunched in the middle. The wolves circle the group attempting to break up the formation or scare out individual animals. If the herd is well organized, moving together to close ranks, the wolves will eventually give up. However, muskoxen that become separated from the herd are more prone to predation. 

Reproduction

In the NWT wolves mate in late March. The gestation period is 60 to 65 days with litters of four to seven pups born in late May or early June. About 3 weeks before the birth of the pups, the female completes digging her den, which may have been started 2 to 3 weeks before. In many areas wolves will reuse old dens that are in ideal locations and have been used for generations.

Most wolf dens are burrows in the ground, usually in sandy soil. They may be new, or they may be enlarged dens of other animals, particularly foxes. Sometimes, rock caves or shallow surface beds are used. On the tundra and on the taiga, where permafrost makes digging difficult, wolves often den in sandy eskers, or creek and riverbanks. Dens usually face south, are situated near water and in a high area which can be used as a lookout. Wolves often use the same den throughout the denning period, however, some wolves may have several dens in their denning area. If the dens are threatened or disturbed by people or bears they can quickly move the pups to a new location.

Wolf pups are born blind and deaf. They are darkly furred, their heads are rounded, ears are small and noses blunt. They weigh about 0.5 kg each and are completely dependent on their mothers. For the first 3 weeks of life, the pups remain inside the den. Then, when their eyes are open and they can crawl about, they begin investigating the den opening and the outside world. A wolf family may move more than once when the pups are very young, but with the exception of these moves, pups do not travel far from home during their first summer.

Usually in each wolf pack, one pair is dominant and normally these animals breed. As wolves become adults and are sexually mature, they will separate from their natal pack and start their own pack. In some cases more than one adult female in a pack may have pups. In this situation, the pack may remain together or split into separate packs. Other pack members may care for the pups, taking turns feeding them and babysitting.

Feeding the pups occupies much of the adults’ time throughout the summer. An old Russian proverb states that "The wolf is kept fed by his feet." Adults may travel as far as 25 or 30 km to bring back food. Food is carried by mouth, or swallowed and carried in the stomach, which acts like an "internal packsack". Food is regurgitated by the adults in response to the pups biting at the corners of the adult’s mouth.

When the pups are about 2 months old, the family may leave the den and move to an open grassy plain, an old burn or a marshy area. In this "loafing spot" or "rendezvous", the wolves feed, rest and play until the pups are old enough to travel. Wolves in some areas remain at the den until they are ready to travel with the adults. The den may give the pups some protection if grizzly bears are in the area. The pups develop strong attachments to each other as they play, and as they grow older the social bond between pups and adults strengthens. A wolf family may stay together for years, hunting and traveling as a pack. Although more pups are born every year, pack size does not always increase. This is likely the result of high mortality of pups during their first year.

When wolves reach mating age, usually during the second year, rivalry for mates may cause the pack to split. Pack members may leave and start a new family or single wolves may disperse by themselves. Although the term "lone wolf" is commonly heard, it is unusual for a wolf to live alone for long and single wolves often join or form new packs. However, existing packs are not always amenable to new members and may attack, injure or even kill a stranger.

Harvest Levels

Wolves in the NWT are classified as both a big game species and a furbearer.

Big Game Species

Currently in the NWT, wolves are managed mostly by controlling the hunting season for resident and non-resident hunters. Residents are allowed to harvest any number of wolves in accordance with the number of tags held. Non-residents must hunt with a licenced outfitter and only in specific areas. Most outfitters that guide wolf hunts are in the Mackenzie Mountains. General Hunting Licence holders (including all natives, most Metis and a few long-time non-native residents) may hunt during any season.

The numbers in the following chart have been taken from the annual NWT Resident Hunter Survey performed by ENR. Non-resident harvest numbers have been collected from Regional ENR offices.

Year	Resident Harvest	Non-resident Harvest	Total
1992/1993	35	7	42
1993/1994	74	7	81
1994/1995	95	15	110
1995/1996	57	14	71
1996/1997	75	11	86
1997/1998	40	17	57
1998/1999	24	9	33
1999/2000	12	11	23
2000/2001	4	14	18
2001/2002	36	15	51
2002/2003	27	11	38
2003/2004	10	12	22
2004/2005	25	39	64
2005/2006	20	52	72
2006/2007	7	50	57
2007/2008	6	22	28
2008/2009	17	28	45

Furbearer

Wolf pelts from the NWT are considered superior to those at auction from other jurisdictions. Their fur tends to be of a higher quality due to an abundant food supply and a relatively undisturbed habitat. For these reasons, NWT prime fur is sold for top dollar at auction.

Year	Harvest	Average price per pelt	Total Value
1992/1993	93	$167	$15,562
1993/1994	121	$215	$26,057
1994/1995	119	$218	$25,989
1995/1996	59	$243	$14,355
1996/1997	86	$286	$24,601
1997/1998	175	$173	$30,376
1998/1999	62	$270	$16,746
1999/2000	75	$144	$10,834
2000/2001	95	$223	$21,267
2001/2002	170	$297	$50,504
2002/2003	79	$176	$13,977
2003/2004	143	$169	$24,200
2004/2005	110	$161	$17,710
2005/2006	127	$172	$21,844
2006/2007	130	$175	$22,750
2007/2008	54	$159	$8,586
2008/2009	96	$138	$13,248

Wolves in the NWT are harvested in compliance with the Agreement on International Humane Trap Standards. The NWT has committed to implementing these standards and enforcing the use of certified humane traps.

For more information on the types of humane traps used in the NWT, visit the Humane Trap Research and Development web-site.

Northwest Territories Trapping Regulations

Management

Throughout its range, the distribution, habitat and ultimately the numbers of wolves has been greatly affected by human settlement and development. In the NWT, where a small number of people occupy a vast area, most of the land has remained undeveloped. In the mid 1900s a wolf control program was implemented in an attempt to increase prey populations for human consumption. The last wolf control program in the Northwest Territories was in 1977 - 78.

The current policy of ENR is that there will be no wolf control unless it is clear that a bison, muskox, moose or caribou population is threatened because of wolf predation. Such programs, however, will only be successful when carried our in conjunction with controls on hunting, if hunting has been identified as a contributing factor to decline. Wolf hunting and trapping is restricted to winter which protects the wolf when it is raising pups or when its fur is not in prime condition.

Wolves are extremely resilient and can usually survive the pressures of hunting and trapping, providing they have sufficient prey. Thus wolf management is directly related to caribou and other prey management. It can be concluded that the future of the wolf in the NWT depends on the future of the caribou and other prey species. Wolves are an important and natural part of ecosystems in the NWT.