seeing wolves (1 Viewer)

[snowyowl]

I suspect that Rangers would probably have a problem with people using that within the park.

I wasn't in a park, I was in the North West Territories.

 

[Maroon Jay]

When I was in Algonquin Park in Ontario, many years ago, the park rangers organized night trips to listen to wolves. They would call them and the wolves would answer. Everyone was told be very quiet and not talk or slam their car doors. I found it amazing that a big convoy of about 40 or more cars could park and get out of their cars without a sound. The wolves did answer the rangers call. I don't know if they still do this there or not.

 

[Steve Babbs]

Take a look at India, the rupee rate is fantastic at the moment, Great value for your money, ive seen a few wolves around Kanha Tiger reserve, in the outer area's of the park, so no need to enter the park unless you want to see Tigers, flights from the UK about £500 to the centre of India via Delhi or Bombay, February a good time to be in India. try and avoid Dewalli time unless you like powder, which i think is at the end of March.

Any trip outside Europe, is going to have to be in the UK school summer holidays for me.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Any trip outside Europe, is going to have to be in the UK school summer holidays for me.

Get a divorce and go over the Christmas break :t:

To tempt you, I have seen Wolves three times over Christmas - in Gujarat (India) and Algonquin (Canada) two days before Christmas, Damarand (Iran) on New Year's Day.

 

[Steve Babbs]

Rather like my marital status.

 

[Jos Stratford]

Rather like my marital status.

Wolves are rather like your marital status? Interesting marriage :-O

 

[dantheman]

I know Jos won't like me posting this ... ( soz, ) but, we lucked in on a wolf in southern Lithuania a couple of months back ... couldn't say the site would be worth a stake out, however, you never know.

However, we did see lots of scats on a trackway in a forest in the north towards the Latvian border.

Presumably the boundary between different groups? We were there in the daytime, but a nearby hunter's tower had a clear view of the track concerned ... a dusk or dawn stakeout would have been fun I'm sure. Of course no guarantee the wolves are at that spot anymore, but a local birder had seen wolves in the forest many times (and lynx four times) over the years ... so they are definitely there. And possible.

Just throwing that one in the mix ...

 

[Jos Stratford]

I know Jos won't like me posting this ... ( soz, ) but, we lucked in on a wolf in southern Lithuania a couple of months back ... couldn't say the site would be worth a stake out, however, you never know.

However, we did see lots of scats on a trackway in a forest in the north towards the Latvian border.

Presumably the boundary between different groups? We were there in the daytime, but a nearby hunter's tower had a clear view of the track concerned ... a dusk or dawn stakeout would have been fun I'm sure. Of course no guarantee the wolves are at that spot anymore, but a local birder had seen wolves in the forest many times (and lynx four times) over the years ... so they are definitely there. And possible.

Just throwing that one in the mix ...

The forest in the north has both Lynx and Wolf, but generally Lynx avoid the Wolf areas to some degree. I have seen Lynx here, but after a lot of work and visits. There are a number of places in LT with good numbers of Wolf, but habitat is not good for seeing them. That said, there are a few key areas where a good deal of effort could well produce a result. Lynx is a very hard task in LT - national population is not much above 50 animals, mostly concentrated into three large forest blocks, one of which is on the border of Latvia, the other two blocks rather further south. Woodland/forest link the blocks to a degree.

I saw a very wolf-like dog at the location of your sighting in spring, and once since. Possibly even a cross, can't say for sure.

 

[Jos Stratford]

PS despite the good population of Wolf in LT, it is the last place I would recommend to try seeing them - in addition to most inhabiting forest areas not friendly to sightings, they are also heavily hunted and I would suppose more timid than in many areas.

Hunting quota is argued about annually, but annual quotas can be up to 50 or 80 animals if I remember correctly, an appalling number given the total population (also debated) is perhaps 250 to 300 animals.

Lots of bad press and threats of action in the EU against Sweden for Wolf hunts, but somehow Lithuania sweetly whistles along hammering its population.

 

[snowyowl]

When I was in Algonquin Park in Ontario, many years ago, the park rangers organized night trips to listen to wolves. They would call them and the wolves would answer. Everyone was told be very quiet and not talk or slam their car doors. I found it amazing that a big convoy of about 40 or more cars could park and get out of their cars without a sound. The wolves did answer the rangers call. I don't know if they still do this there or not.

I remember going out on one of those nights. It was a lot of fun.

 

[dantheman]

Thought this may be interesting (scroll down to near end of page) -

http://www.birdwatching.com.ua/watching-programs/


Looks a bit out of date, and have no clue as to success rate, costs etc, but the Carpathian Mountains are meant to be good regardless.

 

[Steve Babbs]

, but the Carpathian Mountains are meant to be good regardless.[/QUOTE]

They are; I've had a couple of very enjoyable trips there.

 

[kittykat23uk]

If you are going to Yellowstone, focus on Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley areas for wolf. It breaks my heart that at least three of the wolves that we saw have been shot, one illegally, the others with permits last season. Yellowstone.net is a great resource for planning your trip.

I also saw Indian Grey wolf this year at Velavadar in Gujarat but no striped hyena.

I think Denali in Alaska is supposed to be good for wolf too.

Tibet looks to be great for really fluffy looking wolf. But I would imagine would be a pig to organise.

 

[Jos Stratford]

If you are going to Yellowstone, focus on Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley areas for wolf.

Agree, but just ask the 'wolf watchers' for best areas at the time - you will find them in deckchairs at key sites (wolf-watchers, not the wolves!) and are fairly organised groups with plotted logs of daily activities of the packs they are watching.

I also saw Indian Grey wolf this year at Velavadar in Gujarat but no striped hyena.

Had both Wolf (about ten over my visit) and Striped Hyena here.

I think Denali in Alaska is supposed to be good for wolf too.

Not currently. Wolf and Lynx numbers heavily dependent on Snowshoe Hare numbers - the hare numbers are at the absolute bottom of the seven-year cycle at present. Three to four years ago, hare numbers were high and both Lynx and Wolf were fairly easy. This year, I didn't even see a Snowshoe Hare, let alone Lynx or Wolf. Talking to rangers and drivers, there have been almost no Lynx sightings all year and Wolf are, at best, very hit and miss. There is a pack on the plains below Polychrome Pass, but they are difficult (they had made a kill some days before my visit, but were driven off by a bear). Elsewhere, none are being seen basically.

I did however see Wolf on the northern part of the Dalton.

 

[kittykat23uk]

Ah thanks for the up to date info Jos. :t:

I think we were very unlucky not to see striped hyena in Velavadar tbh, really miffed about that

 

[kittykat23uk]

Here's a link to Coke's Tibet trip, he got some cracking images of wolf and fox:

http://www.cokesmithphototravel.com/wildlife-of-the-tibetan-plateau-.html