I have wondered about that over the years but IMO ,we have lots of video of collared wolves traveling with a pack. Seems there was video just in the last couple days on here of wolf R2L traveling with his pack. Can't recall which state it was.

Dispersion is a normal occurrence and if by chance pups get collared it would be understandable that they would eventually be traveling alone


Back in 2010 if I recall correctly, an entire pack came out of Yukon-Charley and was harvested....two of which were collared. I suspect that food, instinct to breed, and old age are some of the reasons we see solitary wolves. It may also be a temporary condition and we just don't have a large enough geographic frame to see the whole picture.

Two winters ago a pack came out of the west side of McKinley park and the majority was harvested. At least one was collared. In both instances these were federally collared critters and the Parkies were not at all pleased.

Pretty healthy life for a wanderer weighing in at just under 100 lbs. obviously a good lone killer.
The pack that has been around my place had one with a collar. Wasn’t the alpha male. I’d see it clearly thru glass when they crossed the ice out front.

Osky

I have trail cam photos of wolves in packs, occasionally with collars. I kinda doubt that it would be an issue for the pack to have one or more of them wearing a collar.

I do have trail cam pics of one exception, it is a female with a leg missing and a collar. She is always alone. I have pics of her at two bear baits about six miles apart. The biologist says she has a fairly small home range compared to most but I think that's her handicap rather than her collar. The video below has more info starting at about 1 minute.

Here’s one whose area seems a little more normal. In Quebec. Was taken to the south where the line stops. Wonder what made it move? Kicked out, start new pack, loss of food supply. Area of about 70 square klicks. FRT posted this pic on another site.

That's interesting. It makes you wonder if they are more vulnerable to harvest when they get out of the area they know well.

I do think too much is spent collaring wolves in Ak. The last four wolves I’ve caught have been collared. Pelt is relatively worthless. Caught two together from a small pack. Interestingly wolves here have developed small groups (packs) that regularly cross through each other’s territory, and commonly come in contact, but don’t merge into larger packs.

It does look ridiculous when I see two cubs, and a Robinson trying to haze them out of heavy cover. Severely hampers the best part of the trapping season for me, plus tax dollars being burnt collaring the same packs year after year.

Who said this wolf traveled alone ?

That guy must have been a good caller

we had one collared in the u p of Michigan and right after it headed to green bay wis, and went all over northeast Wisconsin at least 140 miles to green bay.

They should all go to Wisconsin!

Could’ve been harvested in its home turf and took a ride in a vehicle. But apparently that area has had the caribou herds decimated by FN & no moose. Maybe no food.

Too bad he didn’t encounter a 200 gr piece of lead earlier in his travels…. Reintroducing wrong species into habitats is simply crazy. May just as well introduce coastal brown bears to Florida.

I freeking HATE the thought of a wild animal that's roaming that has been touched by a human.