Wolf Encounter! Sax-Zim Bog in February; Winter Finches; Birding; Virtually Live 34 S3E9

[@g57462]

Wonderful video, very entertaining, thanks for the excellent job 👏 👍

[@SparkyStensaas]

Thank you so much!

[@piccadillypie]

Great video - thanks Sparky!

[@SparkyStensaas]

Thanks Kevin!

[@dwightlindahl1765]

Another great video! Really enjoy the content, format and music. The wolves in the area are typically not just a single lone wolf. Just because they aren't side by side doesn't mean they are completely on their own. Have been running trail cameras up their for a long time. The packs aren't typically big, 3-7 is fairly common. For some reason pup survival doesn't seem to be great imo. But that's more the norm than not with wolves from what the trail cameras show. Think that's pretty typically of wolves in general. In the winter they use the ditches and rivers like highways. Especially ditch intersections. They rarely are all together for extended periods of time. Right around dusk they'll typically locate howl and if you're around a well used ditch line that they run their boundaries on and it's not to hard to hear them if you're in the area they are hunting/traveling. They'll traverse a somewhat regular pattern along their territories unless the groceries get slim. After examining a lot of scat over the yrs it's been eye opening how diverse their diets are. One would think most scat would have a high percentage of deer hair. But it seems fascinating how little deer hair is in their scat vs beavers, hares, bear and other critters hair/fur. They still eat a lot of deer but it seems to be subsidized with a lot of other critters. Deer seem way more tolerant of them than bears, especially sows with cubs. The ditches are very easy to see if wolves are using them or not. Tracks don't lie. Heavily used ditch trails can be fun spots to park and listen on calm evenings right around sunset and right before it gets dark. They don't always go full blown howling, but a lot of times you can hear subtle low range calls. Lots of coyote tracks are usually areas where there won't be a lot of regular wolf activity going on. There were a lot of wolves in the area before the bad winters back around 2014-ish. Deer numbers crashed and 3 of the packs really took a big hit and they pretty much starved to death from what I could figure. Pups become nonexistent. Younger wolves died. Then the one alpha male and female were the last ones left. Assuming the male died first surprisingly . The last time the trail cameras caught an image of the female she looked thin and sickly. Sad to seem them starve. Then there were zero sightings or trail camera images of any wolves, or deer, for about 3 years after years of pack populations that were far over carrying capacity for the habitat. There's a small pack of three around now and that one you saw looks like one of the 3, but hard to tell. Have 15 trail cameras in the area and won't be pulling cards till spring, so should be interesting to see what's around. The deer numbers have rebounded somewhat and guessing it should be easy hunting for the wolves this winter with all the snow. Am assuming the 3 will probably have pups showing up at some point this summer. The snowshoe hare population has been incredible this winter and that should help out a lot of predators. Have had a lot of gray and red foxes, as well as a big uptick in the coyote population since the wolf population went way down. But assuming that will change after this winter and wolves having better grocery selections throughout the winter and start gaining some traction being able to produce, feed and care for pups. Thanks for the video and what a treat it is to see a wolf and get a camera on it in an area that is not conducive to seeing a predator like that for long periods with how flat and thick the vegetation is.

[@SparkyStensaas]

Fascinating information Dwight! Would you be interested in giving a talk at the Welcome Center this fall or winter? I did find a little rendezvous, howling site along Nichols Lake Road, a few days ago. It looks like the whole pack came together.… From the abundance of tracks. In the heart of the bog, I see more wolves than coyotes. In fact, I’ve seen more wolves in Sax-Zim than Coyotes in my 40 years of birding up here. I imagine the Kodys have to tread lightly between the boundaries of the wolf packs. Your a deer scat analysis is interesting. I have certainly heard that they eat a fair number of beaver… But I did not know about black bears. Would love to chat and pick your brain more in person sometime. Sounds like you have lots of fascinating, photos and information! My email is [e-mail].

[@SparkyStensaas]

PS Dwight …here is a link to another Sax-Zim wolf encounter from a couple winters ago kzbin.info/www/bejne/gYLdpYGqgrGZpsk

[@Bob_Duchesne]

As mentioned in a previous video comment, I'm FINALLY knocking Sax-Zim off my bucket list. Arriving Monday for three days. A wolf would be cool. Owls would be cool. But, honestly, I just love bogs, and what better bog is there than THIS?

[@SparkyStensaas]

Great Bob! Owls have been nonexistent this last week but who knows. Walk to end of Gray Jay Way….It has been a hotspot with Boreal Chickadee, Snowshoe Hare, Ermine (occ.) Have a great trip!

[@garyshackelford4474]

Your footage at around the 3:00-minute mark is an excellent example of the effect of shimmering heat waves (this time emanating from the car) on image sharpness. Sometimes, though, you just have to accept this to get an image at all! Excellent video as usual.

[@SparkyStensaas]

Yes! And in my latest video (from Glacial Ridge NWR), there is Snowy Owl footage that was shot outside the car that shows the “heat” shimmer on a -20 below zero day when you’re even outside the car.

[@rerolley]

My wife had to play the dead skunk song when I mentioned your 2nd sign of spring.

[@SparkyStensaas]

Ha! Funny

[@nathanw2982]

So intriguing how the wolves in Sax-Zim always seem to be lone wolves. You've commented on this before. I wonder whether there are more around and you only see one at a time, or whether they really spend time alone like that during the day.

[@SparkyStensaas]

Good questions! After the video came out, I talked with a guy who’s been studying them via trail cam in the area and he thinks most packs are only 3 to 7 and that they don’t travel together, but are spread out.

[@rylee1262]

We love Pee Wee Ermine! 😍 Thanks for the shout out Sparky!

[@SparkyStensaas]

Awesome Rylee!

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

I saw one lone wolf also crossing 53 around sax-zim

[@SparkyStensaas]

That’s cool! Any do you see a wolf is a red letter day!

[@voidisyinyangvoidisyinyang885]

@@SparkyStensaas yes since seeing the wolf look at me as it crossed the road suddenly made me realize in a flash I had left my wallet back on my land. Kind of strange.

[@steveking6204]

Sure looks like it could be a coyote to me....

[@SparkyStensaas]

Nope. I am very familiar with both. I have seen hundreds of coyotes and dozens of wolves over the years. Wolves are much much bigger, blockier head and muzzle, have longer legs, a unique “floppy footed” gait, and always show the “white eyebrows” (in gray morph). And when viewed from 75 feet away, there is no question.

[@mfrankling28]

Hello from London UK love the videos

[@SparkyStensaas]

Great! More coming

[@ritasandstrom4101]

My cat really enjoyed watching this video - she says Thanks! 😉

[@SparkyStensaas]

Ha! Did she like the birds or the bunnies?

[@ritasandstrom4101]

@@SparkyStensaas Both!

[@naturewithgabe]

👏 another great video Sparky! I got to do a short visit to the big last week and had a wonderful time. All the friends group has done up there is absolutely wonderful. Keep up the great work. Next time I hope to make a Sparky sighting in the bog!

[@SparkyStensaas]

Thanks Gabe! Glad you had a good time in SZ!

[@ryanmarshik8971]

Love the he sweater! Wolf encounter was very cool-liked how you kept the camera rolling as you slowly backed up. Felt like I was there👍

[@SparkyStensaas]

Bridget’s first attempt at knitting a sweater!