Factors influencing Homesite selection by gray wolves in Northwestern Wisconsin and east-central Minnesota

Abstract

Preface: One of the most critical aspects of population dynamics in any animal species is the birth and successful rearing of young. Therefore, understanding the characteristics of areas where wolves give birth and rear pups (den and rendezvous sites) is important for proper management. In the Great Lakes region, the gray wolf has made a remarkable recovery, from a small remnant population in northeastern Minnesota to the recolonization of most of northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In this chapter, we review relevant literature on wolf dens and rendezvous sites and attempt to determine those factors most critical in the selection of homesites in the upper Great Lakes region. © 2009 Springer-Verlag New York.