Every season is a struggle for survival in Yellowstone National Park.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Predators and prey regularly find themselves in life-or-death battles, only one\u00a0instinctive\u00a0decision away from a\u00a0life-ending injury or\u00a0escaping\u00a0to fight another day.<\/p>\n
One of those struggles played out on the Blacktail Plateau in northern Yellowstone on Sunday. A large pack of wolves spotted a lone bison that\u00a0had become separated\u00a0a little too far from its herd and rushed to make the most of the moment.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was an opportunity,\u201d said Andrea Baratte, a wildlife biologist and Yellowstone Adventure Tours guide who\u00a0captured video of the hunt\u00a0<\/a>through a spotting scope. \u201cThe Rescue Creek pack was traveling along, saw the bison that was a little singled out, and started running toward it.\u201d<\/p>\n As soon as the bison saw the approaching danger, it turned and kicked hard.\u00a0<\/p>\n One wolf caught a back leg squarely to its chest, which knocked it into the air, only for the wolf to quickly land on all fours and literally hit the ground running.<\/p>\n Most wolf-bison hunts are unsuccessful, and Baratte said this was one of those failed attempts.<\/p>\n \u201cThe bison quickly caught up with the herd, and the whole chase ended,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Faced with the heavy, horned heads of an entire bison herd, the wolves backed off and\u00a0all\u00a0warily went their separate ways.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Adapt And Overcome<\/p>\n When wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone in 1995, biologists hoped they would cull and control the park\u2019s overwhelming number of elk.\u00a0<\/p>\n The 14 gray wolves transferred into the park were conditioned to hunt elk, in part because biologists placed elk carcasses in their acclimation pens as they adjusted to their new home.<\/p>\n Since 1995, the number of elk in Yellowstone has dropped significantly, and changes in their behavior and movement have had wide-reaching impacts on the park\u2019s biodiversity.<\/p>\n Yellowstone\u2019s wolves quickly diversified their diets as well.\u00a0<\/p>\n Bison carcasses were always scavenged, but some of the park\u2019s packs are targeting bison more often.<\/p>\n \u201cWolves generally attack the easiest, most abundant prey,\u201d said ecologist, author, and bison advocate George Wuerthner. \u201cBison are very large animals. That\u2019s a lot of calories, if you can bring them down. It\u2019s always worthwhile, but with a greater risk.\u201d<\/p>\n A wolf pack\u2019s hunting strategy for bison isn\u2019t much different from that of elk, deer, or moose. Wolves will persistently harass bison herds until one individual, preferably young or injured, breaks off and exposes itself to attack.<\/p>\n \u201cWolves usually try to attack these animals from the rear, coming in behind them and grabbing their butts,\u201d Wuerthner said. \u201cOne or two wolves will drag it down from the back, then other wolves will try to grab the throat to finish the animal off.\u00a0<\/p>\n “The first thing is to disable them by getting their back legs.\u201d<\/p>\n There are several wolf packs with distinct territories in Yellowstone, but not all of them are bison hunters.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s the bigger packs that tend to go after larger prey, whether it’s moose or bison,\u201d Wuerthner said. \u201cPacks of at least a dozen, because the more animals you have, the better your chances of bringing down a bison.\u201d<\/p>\n The Rescue Creek pack currently has around 16 wolves, which are frequently seen hunting and hanging out between the Blacktail Plateau and Tower Junction.\u00a0<\/p>\n That\u2019s potentially enough to successfully take down a bison, but it\u2019s not something they frequently attempt to do.<\/p>\n \u201cIt depends on the pack,\u201d Barette said. \u201cSome packs specialize more on (bison) than others, and that\u2019s mostly in the wintertime. From my personal observations, I wouldn\u2019t say I see the Rescue Creek pack specifically targeting bison.\u201d<\/p>\n The Wapiti wolf pack in the Lamar Valley successfully hunts bison in winter.\u00a0<\/p>\n One successful hunt in February 2025<\/a>\u00a0sent a panicked bison sprinting into a group of watching tourists, but nobody was injured.<\/p>\n Hard Knock Life<\/p>\n For wolves, the cost of a failed bison hunt can be deadly. Wolves might be smarter, but a single bison can easily outweigh all of its would-be killers\u00a0combined\u00a0and will always have the advantages of size and strength.<\/p>\n Baratte couldn\u2019t tell if the wolf kicked by the bison was seriously injured. It certainly didn\u2019t seem to affect it in the moment, as it immediately recovered from the blow and ran after the fleeing bison.<\/p>\n \u201cI was too far away to tell,\u201d he said. \u201cI would say we were about 3\u00a0miles away. I couldn’t tell if that wolf was limping away or anything for my distance, but it was hard to say from my range.\u201d<\/p>\n Wolves can survive surprisingly powerful blows from bison, elk, and moose. However, that doesn\u2019t mean they get away unscathed.<\/p>\n \u201cOlder wolves almost always have broken bones when they’re autopsied,\u201d Wuerthner said. \u201cIf you live five or six years, the chances are you’ve been kicked, had to heal up a rib, or even broken a leg more than once.\u201d<\/p>\n Predators avoid injury at all costs, even when it means missing out on a meal. That\u2019s why the Rescue Creek pack quickly gave up their pursuit of the bison once it reached its herd.<\/p>\n Headfirst<\/p>\n Elk and moose are kickers. They use their front and back legs to keep predators back and might land a blow if they\u2019re lucky.<\/p>\n Bison are capable of kicking, of course, but they prefer to tackle their problems head-on.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of times, bison will form a defensive circle,\u201d Wuerthner said. \u201cThe outer perimeter is the mature animals with their calves in the center. That will intimidate any threat from going inward. It\u2019s just intimidation.\u201d<\/p>\n Intimidation is a potent weapon.\u00a0<\/p>\n While the downturned head and sharp horns of bison usually\u00a0aren\u2019t enough to intimidate selfie-seeking Yellowstone tourists<\/a>, wolves won\u2019t bother once they\u2019re face-to-face with one bison, let alone a defensive circle.<\/p>\n The strategy is more often seen in herds of musk oxen in the Arctic Circle, where wolves are among their primary predators.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the bison don\u2019t break or indicate they\u2019re afraid, the wolves will say, \u2018It\u2019s not worth my time, I don’t want to die today,\u2019 and move on,\u201d Wuerthner said. “Bison aren’t afraid to use their horns.”<\/p>\n A bison kick could be seen as a last resort, a desperation strategy. It means they\u2019re attempting to outrun their pursuers or reunite with friends with wolves already nipping at their heels.<\/p>\n \u201cIf a predator gets behind them, kicking their rear feet is a really effective strategy,\u201d Wuerthner said. \u201cThey\u2019ll do whatever it takes to fend off a wolf.\u201d<\/p>\n Always Spectacular<\/p>\n Live wolves and dead bison are big business for Yellowstone. Most people will never see a wolf pack successfully kill a bison, but bison carcasses are a year-round attraction for wolves, grizzlies, and tourists.<\/p>\n Now that winter\u2019s over, the carcasses of bison that died during the winter are thawing out. The rotting flesh attracts\u00a0every opportunistic animal<\/a>\u00a0in the park, leading to incredible scenes of\u00a0conflict<\/a>\u00a0and\u00a0cooperation<\/a>.<\/p>\n Barette and his Yellowstone Adventure Tours didn\u2019t see a successful hunt that day, but nobody was complaining. The natural drama of Yellowstone rarely disappoints.<\/p>\n \u201cSeeing the interactions between wolves and prey is always fascinating,\u201d Barette said. \u201cIt\u2019s these two big forces of nature interacting with each other. It\u2019s always spectacular.\u201d<\/p>\n Andrew Rossi can be reached at arossi@cowboystatedaily.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n