Wolf V094: The Rise and Fall of the
Half-Moon Pack
By Maeve Rogers
Outreach and Education Specialist
Voyageurs Wolf Project
Slide 1: The Half-Moon pack on the move. Lead by wolf V094, the breeding female, and their pups.
Slide 2: Wolf V094 being greeted by one of his hungry pups. The pup was trying very hard to solicit food from V094 by licking his mouth!
Slide 3: The Half-Moon adults. Wolf V094 followed by Wolf 2217 and the breeding female.
In late 2019, a new group of wolves invaded the Bowman Bay Pack territory, ultimately taking it over as their own. Now displaced, the Bowman Bay Pack was forced to leave the area and eventually settle further south, where they claimed another pack’s range. This newly established pack, known as the Half-Moon Pack, was led in part by a breeding male with a striking appearance— his thick, mottled winter coat and battle-worn scars, including a prominent one across his muzzle, set him apart.
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We first collared this grizzled wolf in 2020, assigning him the research ID V094 and identifying him as the breeding male of the newly established Half-Moon Pack. During the winter of 2019-2020, the pack consisted of four adults. In the spring of 2020, the pack had four pups, all of which remained alive until late summer of 2020. As the breeding male of the Half-Moon Pack, V094’s life was like that of any other wild wolf - defending a territory, finding a mate, raising pups, and hunting prey, all in the pursuit of survival. From his early days as a 4-year-old, 77-pound male to his current status as an old wolf around 9 years old, V094 has led a life that exemplifies the challenges and resilience of wild wolves.
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Members of the Half-Moon Pack traveling across a frozen beaver pond during the winter of 2023. The wolf on the right is the breeding male (V094) and the one on the left is Pup 2217. The two wolves in the backgrounds are pups.
One of the most intriguing chapters in the Half-Moon Pack’s story came in 2022, when we documented a rare instance of plural breeding. Trail camera footage captured two breeding females in the pack, both clearly nursing litters, and we confirmed via genetic analysis that V094 was the father of both litters. This phenomenon, while more common in places like Yellowstone or Alaska, is exceedingly rare in the Great Lakes region.
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The younger of the two breeding females has an equally fascinating story. Tagged as a pup in the Bowman Bay Pack in 2018, she joined the Half-Moon Pack instead of leaving the area with her natal pack when the Half-Moon Pack took over. Over time, she rose from a subordinate female to the breeding female, a transition that occurred after the older breeding female disappeared in late 2022. This change illustrates the fluid and unpredictable nature of wolf pack dynamics.
Pregnant Wolf 2217 (left), who gave birth just days after this photo was taken, is followed by Half-Moon pack's breeding male, wolf V094 (center), and his mate, the breeding female (right), who have led the pack since its formation in late 2019. You can see in the photo that she has given birth to pups and is nursing based on her distended nipples.
Wolf V094 has been a persistent wolf in our research, shedding light on the intricacies of wolf predation and reproductive behaviors—central themes of the Voyageurs Wolf Project. Despite living in close proximity to people, his presence went entirely unnoticed. His range overlapped human activity more than most wolves we studied, yet few would have guessed a wolf was thriving right alongside them.
Over the years, his physical condition evolved. His teeth, a critical tool for hunting and survival, began to show the wear and tear of a life spent taking down prey and crunching bones. By 2024, he had lost three of his four canine teeth, and his incisors were significantly worn, a testament to the rigors of a wolf’s life. At nearly nine years old, V094 is elderly by wolf standards. Most wolves only live 3 to 5 years, with few reaching the age of V094. Those that do often face significant challenges due to worn teeth and declining physical condition. Despite his age, V094 remains an impressive figure with a robust skull, grizzled appearance, and large frame. When we last re-collared him in the summer of 2024, he weighed 84 pounds—one of the largest wolves we’ve studied.
Wolf V094's teeth during capture in 2020.
Wolf V094's teeth during capture in 2024.
As researchers, we can’t help but feel a surge of excitement when we capture and collar a wolf like V094. As a breeding male with an established pack, his life offers a valuable window into the intricate social structures, survival strategies, and ecological roles of wild wolves—critical data that would be far less accessible when studying a lone wolf or yearling.
Fall of 2020: Wolf V094 (right) scent-marking along an ATV trail accompanied by one of his pups.
Despite maintaining control of their territory for several years, the Half-Moon Pack has recently experienced a decline. In the fall of 2024, V094 appeared to have been forcibly removed from the territory he originally established. Pack turnover like this is common among wolf packs, even those with older, established members. Following his departure, the Half-Moon Pack appears to have disbanded, though the exact reasons remain unknown. Wolf packs often break apart due to the loss of key individuals or pressure from rival groups, with the latter seeming most likely in this case. In a way, V094's fate is both fitting and ironic—years earlier, he and his pack took over this very territory after forcing out its previous occupants. Now, he too has been pushed out, a reminder of the ever-shifting nature of wolf pack dynamics and the constant competition for space and resources.
While the Half-Moon Pack may no longer exist as a cohesive unit, the story of V094 is not yet over; we will continue to monitor his movements and interactions.
Wolf V094 examining a trail camera before being collared in May of 2020.
Wolf V094 after being collared in May of 2020. We deployed a GPS collar on him along with ear-tags to further identify him. This original collar ended up dying in the fall of 2021.
Wolf V094 after being recaptured in 2024. We were able to replace his GPS collar and ear-tags.