In our study area, population units of wolves exist as both single
animals (lone wolves) and packs. In a total of 77 observations, lone
wolves constituted 32 percent of the sightings (fig. 25), with packs of
from 2 to 13 members making up the remainder (Table 1). On the basis of
the number of wolves seen, rather than the number of observations,
lone wolves accounted for only 25 (8 percent) out of 323.
[Illustration: _Figure 25.--Only 8 percent of the wolves observed were
lone wolves. (Photo courtesy of L. D. Frenzel.)_]
These figures compare favorably with reports in the literature as
summarized by Mech (1970). In five areas studied, lone wolves made up
from 24 to 60 percent of the observations of population units, and from
8 to 28 percent of the wolves seen. In our study area during 1948 to
1953, lone wolves constituted 43 percent of the observations and 15
percent of the wolves (Stenlund 1955).
The average size of the population units observed during our study
(total number of wolves seen divided by the number of observations) was
4.2, which is significantly larger (95 percent level) than the average
seen in this area (2.8) from 1948 to 1953. This is also larger than
that reported from any other area of comparable size (table 6).
_Table 6.--Mean sizes of wolf population units reported from various
areas_
---------+------------+--------+------------+---------+---------------
| | |Mean size of| Largest | Authority
Area |Observations| Wolves | population |pack size|calculated from
| | | unit | |
---------+------------+--------+------------+---------+---------------
_Number_ _Number_
Alaska 310 1,041 3.4 12 Kelly 1954
Alaska 1,268 4,823 3.8 21 R. A. Rausch[13]
Lapland 118 311 2.5 12 Pulliainen 1965
E. Finland 460 984 2.1 12 Pulliainen 1965
Minnesota 112 318 2.8 12 Stenlund 1955
Minnesota 77 323 4.2 13 Present study
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