The movements of female wolf No. 10 during the post-release phase were
markedly different from those of the pack. In fact, this wolf apparently
skipped the relatively sedentary post-release phase of movements that
the pack displayed, and immediately dispersed (Fig. 20).
By the morning after release, No. 10 was 10 miles (16.0 km) southeast of
the release point and by late afternoon was an additional 5.5 miles (8.8
km) southeast (March 13). On the night of March 15 this wolf crossed
four-lane Highway 41, and on the 16th was found 1-1/4 miles (2.0 km)
south of the Marquette County Airport, approximately 32 miles (51.5 km)
from the release site; she had traveled a minimum of 36 miles (57.9 km)
to get there. However by March 20 she had returned to within 4 miles
(6.4 km) of the release point, and by the 24th was within a quarter mile
of the site.
The other three wolves had already dispersed westward and were near
Prickett Dam, some 40 miles (64.0 km) away. It is not known whether No.
10 tried to locate them. Her locations indicate that she did not,
although she may not have been able to find or follow their route. From
April 2 to 15, No. 10 made a second exploration southward, again
returning to the Huron Mountain area. She also made a third such trip on
June 14 to 22, even crossing Highway 41 again.
[Illustration: _Fig. 18.--Exploratory and Settled Phases in the
movements of Wolves No. 11, 12, and 13_]
[Illustration: _Fig. 19.--Movements of No. 11 after the death of No. 12
and 13_]
From the time of release until the first week in September, there seemed
to be a pattern to the movements of Wolf No. 10. She made nine trips of
about 40 miles (64.0 km) each, starting near Huron Mountain, extending
southeasterly about 20 miles (32.0 km), and then returning northwesterly
to the Huron Mountain area (Fig. 20).
[Illustration: _Fig. 20.--Movements of Wolf No. 10_]
During March, April, and the first week of May Wolf No. 10 made three of
these trips roughly paralleling the Lake Superior shore, and she
remained in the Huron Mountain area for several days between trips. From
late May until mid-July she made four such trips but did not remain long
anywhere. During that time she gradually moved westerly to near the
Dead River Basin. In late July she made another trip to the Dead River
Basin area after a stay near the Big Bay dump. These trips enlarged No.
10's range considerably.
Early in July, Wolf No. 10 moved almost directly south from the Huron
Mountain area to the Silver Lake area, again expanding her range to the
west. From September 5 until October 10 she remained in the Silver Lake
area, and there was no apparent pattern to her movements then. After the
wolf was located on September 15 near a bait that bear hunters had put
out on the west edge of the Mulligan Plains, a ground check was made. No
evidence of the wolf was found at the bear bait, consisting mostly of
fish, and no signal was heard there. A signal was picked up in the
southwest corner of the Mulligan Plains, and the wolf was flushed from
her bed about 80 yards (75 m) away.
On October 10, this wolf began a westward move, and on October 22 she
was found south of Herman, 25 miles (40.2 km) west of Silver Lake. On
October 24 she was located 6.5 miles (10.4 km) to the northeast, near
Dirkman Lake. By October 26 she had moved 12 miles (19.3 km) southeast
to within a mile of the town of Michigamme. From there she gradually
moved northeastward. She was shot near Van Riper Lake during deer
hunting season, probably on the morning of November 16.
During the westward move, this wolf had increased the size of her range
by 87 square miles (222.7 km^2), about a 30% increase. She seemed to be
heading back to the Silver Lake area when she was killed.