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Contributed Talk

Session: : Predation And Predator-Prey Interactions 1

COS 158-4 - The ethology of wolves foraging on freshwater fish in a boreal ecosystem

Wednesday, August 9, 2023
8:45 AM – 9:00 AM PDT
Location: E144
Abstract: Through GPS-collar locations, remote cameras, field observations, and the first wild wolf to be GPS-collared with a camera-collar, we provide a description of when, where and how wolves fish in a freshwater ecosystem. From 2017 to 2021, we recorded over ten wolves hunting fish during the spring spawning season in northern Minnesota, USA. Wolves ambushed fish in creeks at night when spawning fish were abundant, available, and vulnerable in shallow waters. We observed wolves specifically targeting sections of rivers below beaver dams, suggesting that beavers may indirectly facilitate wolf fishing behavior. Wolves also cached fish on shorelines. We documented these findings across five different social groups at four distinct waterways, suggesting that wolf fishing behavior may be widespread in similar ecosystems but has likely remained difficult to study given its annual brevity. The spring spawning season coincides with low primary prey (deer) availability and abundance, and when packs have higher energetic demands due to newly born pups, indicating spawning fish may serve as a valuable pulsed resource for packs. We demonstrate the flexibility and adaptability of wolf hunting and foraging behavior, which provides insight into how wolves can survive in a myriad of ecosystems.