Tucked in the valley of Jackson Hole, Wyoming, the National Elk Refuge provides a critical winter habitat for one of the largest elk herds in North America. This winter, a new pack of gray wolves also made the refuge home. Locals called the group the “Jackson Five,” but recently Grand Teton National Park officially deemed them the Blacktail Butte pack, named after a geological feature within their territory.
Wolves, which were reintroduced to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem in the 1990s, have an integral role in balancing the ecosystem on the elk refuge. They help regulate populations, which prevents overgrazing and allows native plants to thrive. Their kills also benefit scavengers like bald eagles and coyotes, who make the valley their winter home.
The Lower Gros Ventre pack has persisted for 14 years in the area of the elk refuge, but when one of the pack’s females broke off with a lone male, they set out to establish their own group. After giving birth to three pups (only two of which survived) and being joined by a yearling male, the group of five began gaining the attention of biologists and wildlife observers.
Wildlife guide Billy Fabian (@strategist.to.naturalist on Instagram) with Jackson Eco Tours has often seen the pack hunting elk on the refuge. “It’s been an incredible winter for wolf watching here in Jackson Hole with multiple packs highly visible, both on the Refuge and in Grand Teton National Park,” said Fabian. “As a result, we’ve regularly had the chance to observe the wolves hunt, play, mate and interact with one another and other species in interesting ways. Having a front row seat to view wolves, elk and other species in the wild just a few miles from downtown Jackson is one of the things that makes Jackson Hole such a special place.”
Finding territory
In Wyoming, a wolf pack is defined as a group of two or more wolves that establish themselves in a definable territory, but newly formed packs tend to be more prone to failure, according to Ken Mills, a wolf biologist with Wyoming Game and Fish Department. An average of 4.5 packs form and dissolve each year, as obtaining suitable territory is a competitive endeavor. Most suitable territory is already held by established packs.
So far, the Blacktail Butte pack has split their time between the elk refuge and in Grand Teton NP. As with many new packs trying to carve out territory, they stick to marginal wolf habitat, but this comes with inherent risks. Living on the borders means an “increased risk of mortality through interactions with humans, livestock, and even from neighboring wolf packs,” said Mills.
While the future of the Blacktail Butte pack is yet to be seen, observing these wolves at work has been a highlight for many wildlife watchers.
Wondering why wolves are so important?
Long-time Yellowstone wolf biologist Doug Smith addresses the most common questions and concerns about wolves in the GYE.
