Watching wolves in the Lamar Valley can be challenging. Because the road is heavily traveled on the north side of the valley the wolves are mostly seen on the south side of the valley which can be 1 to 2 miles away. Viewing with a spotting scope vs binoculars can make a big difference in the enjoyment. This morning we were following 6 members of the Junction Butte pack getting close to the border of the Lamar pack’s territory. I think one of the younger males spotted a herd of Pronghorn and decided to chase. The older, more experienced wolves would have known it was a fruitless effort. It was no contest. The Pronghorn are very fast. From Wikipedia: “A Pronghorn can run 35 mph for 4 mi, 42 mph for 1 mi, and 55 mph for 0.5 mi. It is often cited as the second-fastest land animal, second only to the cheetah. It can, however, sustain high speeds longer than cheetahs.” The video is poor because it was at the extreme range of our scope but it still shows how fast the Pronghorn can run. Wolves seldom catch Pronghorn. They have to work everyday for their food. Squirrels are not below them when they are hungry.
We went to Slough Creek later in the morning, when the hoards of tourists arrived on the road. In the quiet we saw a Peregrine Falcon, A Great Blue Heron and three Pronghorn.
