Watch 3 Yellowstone Wolves “Test” a Couple Bull Elk
I've learned something new today. Sometimes wolves in Yellowstone National Park "test" elk. I always thought it was called hunting, but I was wrong as a new video proves.
Jackson Hole EcoTour Adventures shared this recent encounter in Yellowstone. It shows 3 wolves checking out a couple of bull elk. The guide does a good job providing play-by-play on what you'll see. As he mentions, the video itself was shared with them by naturalist and fellow tour guide Laura Krusheski. Spoiler alert: no bull elk were harmed in this video and the wolves are fine, too.
It's interesting that he mentions that older elk are prime targets later in winter. The perception is these wolves were just testing these elk to see if one might have a limp or show some sign of weakness that would indicate a kill would be possible.
The guide also mentions that many believe these wolves might be remnants of the Huckleberry Pack. That makes sense based on something I saw shared by Wyoming Game and Fish that mentions members of this pack have been more visible in the park recently. Game and Fish lists around a dozen wolves currently a part of that pack.
It doesn't matter if you love or loathe the wolf population in Yellowstone. These animals are a fascinating part of the ecosystem in the park and it's hard to imagine that land without them now that they have been reintroduced for the past 25 years.