Tlicho Wildlife Workshop Theme: Wolves

Wolves are often a topic of discussion, particularly in relation to caribou.  Tundra wolves are largely dependent on the Bathurst caribou, and there are some concerns about the number of caribou they kill each year. There are also concerns about safety when wolves come too close to a community.  Understanding wolf populations and behaviour –and the role they play in the dynamics of the ecosystems they inhabit –is essential for managing wolves in the Tłįcho region.  But partly because wolves are secretive and range over large areas, there are significant gaps in our knowledge about them. 

At the Tłįcho Wildlife Research Workshop in Gamètì February 20-21, 2013, ENR biologist Dean Cluff introduced a discussion on wolves with a presentation on research underway in the region to monitor tundra wolf population and trends.  What are the dynamics between wolves and caribou?  How are wolves responding to the changes in caribou population? Learning more about tundra wolf population numbers and trends in relation to changes to the Bathurst caribou population will help researchers understand the role of wolves in the caribou’s population dynamics.

Dean described his work surveying wolves on the tundra at denning sites in spring, and reported that in recent years, he has seen fewer active dens.  Collaring wolves last winter enabled biologists to track their movements and to learn more about their behaviour, but there are still unanswered questions and their exact population size is unknown.  

To get at a more complete picture of wolves in the region, participants were asked to share their on-the-land observations of wolves –where they have seen wolves, how many wolves they have seen in a pack and what their behaviour was—and whether they have noticed any changes over time.  

Dean also discussed the incentive program that was put into place to help increase the harvest of wolves as one measure to reduce the mortality of Bathurst caribou.  Because of cultural and social values associated with wolves, the incentive program has not worked as well as expected.  One of the questions posed for small group discussion was how to improve the program’s effectiveness.   A number of ideas were brought forward in a very productive session, with ideas ranging from training workshops for youth on wolf pelt preparation to fencing around community dumpsites to prevent attracting wolves. 

Fact Box

• Based on their behaviour and distribution, three different groups of wolves can be distinguished.  (See map in Gallery below) Two of these groups are found in Wek’èezhìı:  tundra wolves and timber wolves. 
• Tundra wolves travel above and below the treeline and depend largely on barren-ground caribou.  Unlike timber wolves, they do not maintain regular territories.  Tundra wolves are also referred to as “caribou wolves” because they follow migrating caribou when they move from summer ranges on the tundra to winter ranges in the boreal forest and back again the following spring.
• Timber wolves live below the treeline or in the mountains, and depend mostly on non-migratory prey like moose and bison.  They maintain regular territories.
• Arctic wolves live on the arctic islands, and prey mostly on caribou, muskox and arctic hare.

In Gallery:  Map showing Wolf Distribution, NWT – created by ENR, GNWT.  This map shows the distribution of tundra and boreal wolves (both found in Wek’èezhìı) and high Arctic wolves. 

Red shaded area - high Arctic wolves
Grey shaded area - tundra wolves
Blue shaded area - boreal wolves
Blue-grey shaded area - overlap