An Experience with the Junction Butte Wolf Pack

I think most people put a list together, if only in their minds, of the wildlife they want to see when they visit Yellowstone National Park. Black bears, grizzly bears, moose, birds of prey, and elk to name a few. Still, one animal tends to jump off of anybody’s list and that’s wolves. There was a time when wolves were absent from the Yellowstone ecosystem but were reintroduced in 1995 with the release of 14 wolves into the greater Park. Yellowstone now has a population close to 100 inside the park.

I’ve learned that part of wildlife photography must include taking in the moments and experiences, not just capturing photos. This early October trip had such an encounter as we came across the Junction Butte Wolf Pack in Lamar Valley. They were probably 200 yards away, or more, and even with the Nikkor 600mm lens with the built-in 1.4 teleconverter it was a stretch. So, I didn’t get “wall worthy” photos but it sure was amazing to see them stalking bison and moving across the valley.

The Junction Butte Wolf Pack is one of the more frequently seen wolf packs in Yellowstone’s northern range. The current size of the pack is estimated to be about 24 wolves. The wolves we saw this day were black and I wondered why there were some black versus grey wolves. From what I read, the black wolves have a genetic mutation that gives them the dark coat and it is thought it originated in domestic dogs and passed to wolves through ancient interbreeding in North America. The same genetic trait that gives the black coat also improves some immune functions.

So, a bit of background on the wolves we came across and got to view for awhile in Yellowstone. An incredible experience worth sharing even without the close crop picture.