Quarterly Wolf Highlight
Wolf B2L
Our 'Quarterly Wolf Highlights' provide a brief synopsis on what we have learned about a wolf that we are currently or have previously studied in the hopes of illuminating the dynamic and interesting lives of these animals.
Unlike most wolves throughout our study area, we have been able to study the majority of Wolf B2L’s life. Born into the Bug Creek Pack in the spring of 2020, somewhere deep within the pack’s territory, B2L’s story reflects how dynamic the lives of wolves are in northern Minnesota. Even though we did not start studying Wolf B2L until the summer of 2022, we have been able to piece together much of this wolf's life.
It all began in 2021, when we made our first concerted effort to study wolves in the Bug Creek Pack—a group of wolves we had not studied before.
Midway through the summer of 2021, we collared a yearling male in the pack, Wolf P1T. Once we began tracking his movements, we learned where the pack’s territorial boundaries were and placed trail cameras throughout the area. Gradually, we became acquainted with the pack. Over time, we learned the pack was led by a very distinctive looking breeding pair. Even though neither of these wolves were collared at the time, each of them was able to be identified fairly easily compared to other wolves in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem.
In 2022, we collared the breeding male of the pack, Wolf B5E, who was the father of Wolf B2L. Wolf B5E was an older, rugged wolf: large, muscular, and marked by a noticeable scar on his back right knee. The breeding female, Wolf B2L’s mother, has never been collared, but her unique whitish coat color, striking facial markings, and white-tipped tail (most wolves have black-tipped tails) made her easy to identify on camera.
Left/Top: The breeding female of the Bug Creek Pack with the whitish eyebrows and white-tipped tail.
Right/Bottom: Grizzled old Wolf B5E before he was collared and tagged.
Early Encounters with B2L
That same summer (2022), we collared Wolf B2L. At first glance, he seemed average: a large (80 lb) 2-year-old wolf with a typical appearance. When we collared him, we did not know what pack he belonged to because he was collared near the boundary of two wolf packs. However, Wolf B2L returned to the heart of the Bug Creek Pack’s territory shortly after we collared him and it became apparent he was a member of the Bug Creek Pack.
During the following weeks, his movements were rather ordinary for a young wolf. He frequently ventured outside the Bug Creek Pack territory, and we suspected he was preparing to disperse, as many young wolves eventually do. When young wolves start making frequent forays out of their natal pack’s territory, it often means that this wolf is looking to leave the pack to search for other opportunities and a mate.
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Two year old wolf Wolf B2L when he was first collared and a member of the Bug Creek Pack.
​A New Territory and a New Life
Our suspicions proved correct. By late 2022, Wolf B2L dispersed from the Bug Creek Pack. He wandered around for a short while but all of his movements were fairly close to the Bug Creek Pack territory. As fate would have it, Wolf B2L settled in a territory easterly adjacent to the Bug Creek Pack territory. Wolf B2L was now the breeding and dominant male of his new pack, which we called the Vermilion River Pack. In wolf terms, this was lucky: dispersal is often the most perilous stage of a wolf’s life, and most wolves spend many months or years as dispersing individuals, but Wolf B2L was able to quickly find a territory. We do not know if he usurped the former breeding male of the Vermilion River Pack to become the breeding male, or if Wolf B2L and his mate simply formed their own pack and carved out their own territory.
Either way, B2L was now the breeding male of the newly formed Vermilion River Pack. By Spring 2023, Wolf B2L and his mate produced their first litter of pups, and Wolf B2L stepped naturally into his role as a provider. ​
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A shot of the flowing Vermilion River, the namesake for Wolf B2L's newly established pack. This river was within the pack's territory, and created a natural border between the Vermilion River pack and their adjacent rivals.
Beaver Country
Wolf B2L’s hunting behavior offered insight into the often cryptic predation behavior of wolves in beaver-dense ecosystems. Between April 15 and October 31, 2023, we investigated his GPS locations and documented 51 kills: 38 beavers, 11 white-tailed deer fawns, 1 adult deer, and 1 goose.
Based on these predation statistics, Wolf B2L killed roughly 695 kg (1,532 lbs) of prey over 6.5 months - about 3.5 kg per day. An estimated 82% of that biomass came from beavers alone. In other words, Wolf B2L was living predominantly on beavers for over half the year.
Because Wolf B2L was the breeding male, it’s safe to conclude that the Vermilion River Pack pups were raised largely on beaver meat. The pack had four pups in Spring 2023 and reared all four pups through fall. Three pups survived their first winter, an impressive success rate. While not all wolves in our study rely so heavily on beavers, some, like Wolf B2L, appear to specialize on this abundant prey. ​
​An Unexpected Change
On July 9, 2024, we collared B2L’s mate, who became known as Wolf Y7S. Just two months later, Wolf Y7S died of starvation, leaving B2L alone in his territory. Then, on December 26, 2024, he abruptly left for the Kabetogama Peninsula, the remote interior of Voyageurs National Park. Whether seeking a new mate or escaping pressure from neighboring packs, Wolf B2L began another chapter in his interesting life. ​
Wolf Y7S, the breeding female of the Vermilion River Pack, and Wolf B2L's mate.
The Mithrandir Pack
Not long after his arrival on the Kabetogama Peninsula, Wolf B2L joined the Mithrandir Pack and became the breeding male. The Mithrandir Pack was originally named after Wolf V083, the first breeding male of the pack whose gray colored fur slowly over time turned white - just like Gandalf (also known as ‘Mithrandir’ in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings). By spring 2025, Wolf B2L and the new breeding female had produced a litter of five pups, one of which growled at researchers approaching the den. A spirited little guy!
Up until this year, Wolf V083 had been the most prolific ‘beaver hunter’ we had studied. Ironically, his successor, Wolf B2L, outdid him this year. ​
Two of the pups from Wolf B2L's first litter as a breeding male within the Mithrandir Pack.
A Wolf Worth Following
Wolf B2L has lived in 3 different territories over the course of 4 years, been a lone wolf on two occasions, and had 2 different mates, one of which died suddenly. His multiple dispersals, adaptability, and persistence have provided us with invaluable insights into wolf ecology, behavior, and resilience in our study area.
Right now, Wolf B2L still roams the Kabetogama Peninsula. We’re interested to see what the next chapter holds.​
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Wolf B2L scent-marking in front of one of our trail cameras. Notice how well you can see and read his ear-tags in this shot!