2024-2025 Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem Wolf Population Report
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During April 2024–April 2025, we studied the wolf population in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem (GVE), Minnesota to understand wolf population dynamics and how changes in population dynamics are connected to or influence predation behavior, wolf pup survival, and changes in prey density. To estimate wolf population size and assess wolf population dynamics, we used locations from GPS-collared wolves to estimate the size and distribution of wolf territories in the GVE, and deployed 378 trail cameras across the GVE from December 1, 2024 to April 10, 2025. We estimate wolf population density in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem was 44.7 wolves/1000 km2 in 2024–2025, a 19% decrease in wolf population density from last year (2023–2024 density: 55.1 wolves/1000 km2) and a 31% decrease from two years ago (2022–2023 density: 64.8 wolves/1000 km2). Average pack size in 2024–2025 was 4.05 wolves/pack, a slight decrease from 2022–2023 and 2023–2024 when average pack size was 4.2 wolves/pack and 4.3 wolves/pack respectively. Thus, the decrease in wolf population density can be attributed predominantly to a substantial increase in territory size in combination with a considerable decrease in recruitment. Despite the recent decrease in the population, all evidence indicates that the wolf population in the Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem is a fairly stable, high-density wolf population.
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Gable, Thomas; Homkes, Austin; Heny, Sophie; Bump, Joseph. (2025). 2024-2025 Greater Voyageurs Ecosystem Wolf Population Report. Retrieved from the University Digital Conservancy, https://hdl.handle.net/11299/277298.
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