Wolves at a Glance

Wolf education
Sept.25,2009
As today draws to a close,there have been no wolves harvested in Idaho or Montana.
"Wolf packs typically include a breeding pair, their offspring, and other non-breeding adults. The average pack size is 8.1 animals.
Wolves are capable of mating by age two or three; sometimes form lifelong bond.
Wolves can live 13 years and reproduce past 10 years.
An average of five pups are born in early spring. They and are cared for by the entire pack. For the first six weeks, pups are reared in dens.
Dens are often used year after year.
Pups depend on mother's milk for the first month, then weaned and fed regurgitated meat brought by pack members.
By seven to eight months, pups begin traveling with the adults.
After a year or two, wolves may leave and try to find a mate and form a pack.
Lone, dispersing wolves have traveled as far as 600 miles in search of a new home.
Wolf packs live within territories that they defend from other wolves.
Territories range from 50 square miles to more than 1,000 square miles.
Wolves travel as far as 30 miles in a day to hunt.
They trot at about 5 miles per hour, but they can run as fast as 40 miles per hour for short distances"