Trail Log 1995-1997 - Lamar at Colorado State University

Spain, surprisingly, as there are in Minnesota (International Wolf, Fall 1995, p. 8).
Hitler loved wolves and named his retreats after the wolf.
Clear but windy, and we took the wolf flight in the afternoon, but it was too windy to find the
wolves. They bolt two antennae on the struts of the wings, one on either side of the plane, and
by switching from left to right antennas, which are pointed a little differently, they can get
something of a directional fix. Then they circle around in tighter and tighter circle until they see
the wolves--about half of the time they find them. But the winds today prevented circling much.
We did see one bald eagle, nice adult in flight.
Trees here are white pine, red pine, and jack pine. Balsam fir, black spruce (in wetlands), white
spruce, tamarack, northern white cedar. Bigtooth aspen, quaking aspen. Red maple, mountain
maple.
Monday. Drove down to Lake Isabella area and showshoed around a campground area and
further in, looking for a reported wolf kill. Eventually found it, a deer carcass. By now, since a
snow two days before, the wolf tracks are obliterated, but Paul Hanson said those who were in
here three days ago found wolf tracks all over the place. A recent track seemed to be that of a
fisher. Common goldeneye ducks on the way back. Stopped in at the Kawishiwi Research
Station, met Mike Nelson, who heads the study, and is doing deep trapping in nets, as part of
the larger wolf program.
Monday night. Lecture at the college. David Tomeo is host, former Outward Bound instructor,
now teaching at the college. Met Andy Hill, a canoe guide in summer and carpenter in winter.
Tuesday. Up early for another wolf flight, and this time we found them. I saw two grey, or
brownish, wolves toward the edge of an open clearing, making a single track in the snow. I got
them in binoculars for about ten seconds, nice view, and they went into the woods at the edge.
Clear day, good sun, and great sight. We circled around several times to try to pick them up in
the woods, but could not find them. The wolves were from the Birch pack, and were seen n.w.
of Crocket Lake (see map). Signals were from female adult 257, male pup 567, male pup 573,
and we saw the female and one pup, they were not sure which.
Returned for Radio talk, interviewed by Mike Hillman, Station WELY.
After the talk, I went upstairs to meet Bill Arthur, an editor for Jim Brandenberg, who gave me
two of Brandenberg's books on wolves. Bill Arthur, 904 S. Central Avenue, Ely, MN 55731).
Lecture in Leo (Luke) Lucas, Wilderness Management class, 1,00-3.00 p.m.
Wednesday, flew home. There was snow in the night, and about 2 inches on the road, so it was
a bit slow. But by Virginia, MN, it has disappeared and, though overcast, no problem.