Note: This continuing story is a work of informed speculation. It tells the imagined experiences 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.
Amber-Eyes is first to wake as the rest of her family slumbers. She has been roused—not by a sound but by a silence—as if the world had stopped. The morning light itself seems muffled, little more than a whisper.
She raises her head, popping out from under the blanket of snow that covers her. Amber can now look upon a scene unlike anything she has known before. Both land and sky have turned white.
Though the temperature this morning is well below freezing, she is unaffected and unconcerned by the cold. Even her snowy covering is no burden, serving as an effective layer of insulation.
She was, in fact, tailor-made for conditions far more harsh than these. Her gray wolf physiology was designed during an age when continent-wide sheets of ice covered much of her world.
The warm coat she wears was woven on the same evolutionary loom as those of the woolly mammoth, muskox, and cave bear. Its outer layer is composed of long, moisture-repelling guard hairs that protect her from wind, rain, and snow. Underneath them is a thick, soft layer of shorter hairs that insulate her in temperatures as low as -40°.
Snow began falling silently during the night, and continues to come down. Through a gauzy curtain of feathery flakes she sees a landscape that appears to have been erased. What was once a broad valley of grasses, shrubs, pinyon, juniper, and scattered ponderosa trees has all but disappeared, hidden under a foot of fresh snow.
Amber-Eyes looks around the disorienting panorama, sniffing in every direction. There is very little scent held by this snowy air, yet she finds the experience strangely delightful. Just then, Little Wolf and Green-Eyes also awaken. Their heads pop up from under their own snowy blankets, and it is now their turn to gape in wonder at the unfamiliar surroundings.
Greenies’ reaction is typically joyous. She stands and yips excitedly. With wild eyes, she leaps and whirls about the belly-deep powder. Little Wolf comes to his feet next. He glances at Amber with his own mischievous glee, then shoves his nose deep into the downy softness. He digs furiously—pops back up with his face coated in white—then races off in a mad dash. Green-Eyes bolts after him, and the two wolf pups quickly become pale grey blurs amid the cascade of falling flakes.
Amber-Eyes barks excitedly, then bounds away in pursuit of her siblings.
Roused by the commotion, Big Gray sits up, emerging from under his wintry quilt. A yawning Black Wolf follows suit. They can just make out the vague shapes of the pups running after each other among mounds of snow-covered sage and rabbitbrush.
Mother Wolf then stands and shakes vigorously. The three adults sniff at the air. They cock their ears and look about. Unlike the pups, this is not their first winter, but this abruptly snow-covered world requires a bit of sensory recalibration. Satisfied that all is well, they yawn and stretch, and exchange tail-wagging morning greetings.
Suddenly, out of the whiteout comes a hurtling form. It is Little Wolf, who barrels into his mother in a spray of gossamer flakes. She snaps at him and he runs off, just as the sisters go flying by. Inspired by this playfulness, Mother Wolf gives her mate a nip on his flank, and she races off into the snowfall. Big Gray eagerly obliges. He yelps and runs after her, with Black Wolf joining the fun close behind.
Meanwhile, from under the sheltering branches of an ancient ponderosa on the ridge above, a raven quietly observes the scene. He croaks and fluffs his feathers, casting a discontented eye at the wolves rushing back and forth. Perhaps—the raven thinks in the way that ravens do—if he is patient, the wolves will eventually get to more productive activities.
As the snow finally lets up and the storm moves on, the last shreds of ragged clouds disappear, revealing a sky as clear and blue as an alpine lake. The transformation is startling, with sunlight now shining brightly on a dazzling winter landscape.
For the young wolves, winter is a thrilling new experience. The adults know that it also brings new opportunities, particularly in terms of hunting. Snowy conditions in the high country have already moved the elk down into their lower elevation habitat. Here, the elk cows and calves seek safety in larger herds. As snow begins to accumulate even on this winter range, deep drifts and hidden hollows can become traps, making escape more difficult, and improving hunting success.
Winter also favors wolves by limiting elk to browsing on withered and woody plant material with reduced energy content. Such poor forage is a steady drip of debilitation that takes an increasing toll on plant-eating animals as the season of scarcity grinds on.
The big gray and coal-black female have returned from a tour of the perimeter of their new winter territory, each of them urinating in the same spot in several locations. The message in these “markings” is clear, and is intended in particular for the bold coyotes which formerly lived here: No trespassing.
During this traverse, the pair also made an exciting discovery—a large elk herd is grazing in a nearby field.
There is an obvious energy to the parental pair as the family reassembles. Amid the yipping and eager whining, the pups understand without question that playtime is over.
Through the glistening snow-covered meadow moves the wolfpack on the hunt. Big Gray leads the procession, up and over a forested ridge. They cross a quiet road without incident, and eventually come to an opening beyond the trees. Here, in an otherwise empty fenced pasture, a herd of elk is spread out and pawing through the new snow for what dried grass can be found underneath. Some distance away, a curl of smoke rises from the chimney of a small ranch house.
The herd is composed of elk cows and first-year calves, with a few yearling males in the mix. All appear to be fat and healthy after a summer of good grazing in the high mountains. Sniffing at the air, Mother Wolf notes only a breath of gentle breeze this morning, though it is not in the pack’s favor.
It favors the elk, and an alert matriarch immediately senses the danger. She turns and starts quickly trotting down the valley, initiating an instant general flight by the entire group.
This flight is the flame that ignites the pursuit predators, and just that quickly, the chase is on.
The wolves race across the pasture to intercept their fleeing prey, kicking up snow as they fan out. Nature’s life-or-death test has begun. It is now simply a matter of which individuals will be first to lag behind the herd.
But the elk are running hard and fast. Even the youngest ones are strong enough to keep up, and they are pulling away. When healthy and well fed as they generally are at this time of year, elk can easily outrun a wolf, and that is just what they are doing.
The wolves continue to fall behind, and Mother Wolf knows this is not their day, these are not their prey. She slows and pulls up, as does her mate and Black Wolf. The adults have considerable experience in these matters, and they understand the wisdom of picking their battles. The pups, on the other hand, are too invigorated by the chase to give up yet. Amber-Eyes and her siblings gamely race on, pursuing the vanishing elk into the woods.
The three adults return to their snowy meadow, and are bedded-down, enjoying the sunshine. Though their bellies remain empty, hunger is no stranger to gray wolves. Rather, it is a stone that sharpens their skills, and Mother Wolf knows the family will hunt again tonight.
A movement in the distance catches her eye. She raises her head. Amber-Eyes is finally coming home, with Greenie and Little Wolf following close behind. The coal-black female is always relieved to see her pups returning from their adventures.
Then she comes to her feet in surprise.
Big Gray has seen them too. He rises and sniffs in their direction. Black Wolf gives an excited yip. The approaching pups are all wagging their tails, but they cannot respond to the vocal greeting because each is carrying in their mouth a large portion of an elk calf carcass.
The pups have made their first independent kill.
Amber, Greenie, and Little Wolf reach the rendezvous. They drop their prizes, and the wolves all gather joyfully, with much jumping on each other, pawing, and happy muzzle licking. The pups have already fed, of course; what they carried home through the snow is for the adults.
As Big Gray and Black Wolf eagerly tear into their meal, Mother Wolf pauses in her own feeding to look up.
She sees her three young ones resting comfortably and contented after their exertions. She sees three wolves who began the day as carefree pups playing in the snow, ending it now as skillful hunters making a vital contribution to the pack.
What she sees is the future of her family.
"Through a gauzy curtain of feathery flakes she sees a landscape that appears to have been erased."
Beautiful sentence.
Another wonderful story.
It is so refreshing to know that these stories are based on knowledge of wolf behavior, the ecosystem, the re-introduction, and so much more. Clint, you are a fantastic storyteller, with the added touch of a smart and thoughtful scientist. Thank you!