A Mountain Made of Elk

COLORADO WOLF STORIES IX

Photo by Clint McKnight

Note: This continuing story is a work of informed speculation. It tells the imagined experience of a family of gray wolves who represent the 10 actual wolves captured in Oregon and released in Colorado in December 2023 as directed by a state voter initiative.

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As twilight settles across the high country, an eerie and electrifying call rises from the valleys below, a wailing screech that penetrates every corner of the forest. The bugle of the Rocky Mountain elk is the signature sound of the changing season, one that cannot fail to arrest the attention of all who hear it.

And for this message, the gray wolf is all-ears.

The coal-black mother wolf peers at the bugling bull from a discreet distance, downwind, obscured in the undergrowth of the aspen woods. The bull’s musky scent is heavy in the air as he unleashes another drawn-out call; a warning for all potential rivals to steer clear.

With his imposing antlers and powerful frame, the bull himself is not an object of interest for the wolf. It is his breeding harem of some 20 elk cows and calves which holds the female’s attention.

She stifles a whimper of excitement as her exquisitely talented nose tells her that one or more of these cows is affected by a debilitating illness, known to humans as Chronic Wasting Disease. The weakened animal will be much easier and safer to run down. But which elk is it? And so she observes them carefully, looking for a sign, as the big male urges his harem through the trees.

While the majority of cows and calves look fit and are grazing purposefully, one of the adults appears lethargic. Her head droops, and her somewhat poor body condition is a clear message that rings like a dinner bell to the hungry predator. Mother Wolf turns and locks eyes with her mate, the big gray, who has also been watching from just behind her. He, in turn, is flanked by their three 6-month old pups, and her black wolf brother. All of them see and smell exactly what she does, and all are eager to exploit this opportunity.

Just as the bull elk bugles again, the wolf pack emerges from concealment. The herd immediately bolts, cows and calves running through the forest, crashing through brush, leaping over fallen timber. The wolves are racing in pursuit, until the ailing cow lags behind as expected and is quickly overtaken. The carnivores converge. Within minutes it is over.

Once again, the essential dynamic between predator and prey is carried out in time-honored perfection. There is much more at stake here, however, than merely survival of the wolf pack. The return of this apex predator to these mountains has begun to restore a vital ecological relationship that evolved over millennia to the benefit of both species.

The wolves will feast. They will be made stronger and their family will thrive. Their prey will be strengthened too, as a diseased member of the elk herd is removed, eliminating the potential for her wasting contagion to infect others.

Feeding begins in earnest now as Mother Wolf tears into the belly of the cow, spilling the internal organs which she and Big Gray eagerly consume. Black Wolf begins at the rear, where a natural opening allows easier access into the carcass. The pups each find a place to bite into the hide and start pulling in a kind of tug-of-war game, eventually reaching the muscle beneath.

Regarding the aesthetics of this feeding, nature renders no judgement and offers no apologies. It is simply the way where the wild things are.

As each wolf consumes their fill, they step away and recline or roll in the grass, happy and content with their full bellies. Big Gray lets loose with a long, satisfied howl. He licks at the bloody muzzle of Mother Wolf, and she responds affectionately in kind.

Once the wolves have left the kill site to return to their rendezvous, a quiet calm settles over the nighttime scene. Within moments, however, what will become an orderly procession of forest scavengers begins to arrive.

First is a red fox, which has been observing the feeding wolves from a safe distance with studied patience. Glancing warily toward the opening in the woods through which the wolves disappeared, he begins eagerly gnawing at the cavity in the carcass.

The fox feeds for a time, then abruptly runs away at the approach of a large black bear and her two cubs. The powerful sow tears off a leg and begins eating as her cubs eagerly consume the plentiful cub-sized scraps strewn about the area.

After the bears have left, in the stillness before dawn, a slinky pine marten silently pops up from behind the carcass, then disappears back into it.

At first light there is a flurry of black feathers as ravens and magpies arrive, nipping at the remains and squawking loudly. They feed for a while, then are briefly chased away by the appearance of a coyote. Intelligent and brave birds, they immediately return and resume pecking at one end of the carcass as the coyote begins pulling off chunks of meat at the other.

During the course of the afternoon and evening, the remains are visited by a surprising variety of birds. Gray jay, mountain chickadee, Clark’s nutcracker, and great grey owl are among those taking advantage of the free meal. As ever, the noisy activity draws the attention of a bald eagle. She cautiously assesses the situation from a nearby tree, then descends to expertly tear into the carcass with her sharply hooked beak.

Of all the creatures attracted to this scavenging opportunity, the most unexpected may be a lynx. A solitary and rarely seen cat, he creeps in on his large soft feet one night, feeds for a while, then slips back into the woods, never having once made the slightest sound.

Even Little Wolf returns a few days later. The remains of the elk have been reduced to a battered skeleton and scraps of hide now, but he finds amusement in twisting off part of one of the front legs. He chews on the hoof for a while and snaps at a pestering wasp. Then, taking up his prize, Little Wolf proceeds to carry it home, where the leg will serve as an object of much covetous fun for the three pups.

That evening, under the cover of moon shadows, deer mice emerge from concealment to gnaw quietly at the gleaming calcium-rich bones.

Though the wolf family made this kill to feed themselves, in doing so they have provided meals for dozens of other forest creatures, representing several different animal groups and species, distributing nutrients across the ecosystem.

This enhancement to the mountain’s biodiversity extends to the least of scavengers finding sustenance here: dermestid beetles. The role of these decomposers is to break down the last bits of organic material clinging to the scattered bones.

The beetles scrape away in their dutiful fashion—but even they are not the end of the lineup of beneficiaries. In a sudden blur of blue wings, a Steller’s jay descends, snatches up one of the insects, and flies away.

Thus, the circulation of essential energy continues, rising even into the sky.