Autumn in Daleszyce forest
Summary of wolf monitoring from forests in Daleszyce area.
From the beginning of September to the end of November 2021 we continued the monitoring of the wolf family in the daleszyckie forests. We often noted droppings, tracks, urine markings, and remains of wolf prey. We have managed to register wolves many times with the help of photo-traps. Despite the multiple voice stimulation of howling, we have never managed to get an answer from the wolves, which could be related to the changing weather conditions prevailing at that time.
In September, one of the photo-traps registered at the meeting point (rendez-vous) the presence of a wolf family consisting of at least 8 individuals – a reproducing pair, one adult (a young male, probably a descendant from the previous year), and 5 puppies at the age of 5 months. Predators were active both during the day and at night, but were most often recorded at night. Puppies were often recorded, and the largest registered group consisted of 6 individuals (5 puppies and 1 adult individual). Registered puppies looked well fed and vital.
In October and November, wolves recorded themselves for photo-traps much less frequently, and they were always single individuals active at night. However, we recorded a lot of droppings and tracks of 1-3 wolves. In the vicinity of the wolf paths, we also found the remains of wolf prey, mainly roe deer, but also wild boar and deer.
At the beginning of October, employees of the Łagów Forest District photographed 4 wolves at night (using a photo-trap), two of which looked like grown puppies. The photos were taken near the place where we recorded wolf puppies in September.
Author: Tomasz Bracik, Mariusz Wlazlo, Lukasz Tomasik