Winter monitoring of wolf families - summary

Winter monitoring of wolf families from the southern part of the Świętokrzyskie region.

During last winter, from the beginning of November 2023 to the end of March 2024, we continued monitoring 6 wolf families in the southern part of the Świętokrzyskie region. We recorded numerous traces of wolf presence in the form of: feces, tracks, lairs, urine marking and scratching the ground, and remains of wolf prey. We also recorded howling and managed to record wolves many times with the help of photo traps installed in the field. The largest group recorded was 7 individuals. We were able to confirm the presence of wolves in each of the 6 monitored families.

Despite short periods with lingering snow cover, we were able to conduct predator tracking in the snow several times. We tracked from 1 to 7 individuals, and the maximum distance of continuous tracking was about 6 km. At the end of January, we also encountered fresh traces of calving. In March, the number of recorded wolf tracks was noticeably smaller than in the earlier winter months, and we confirmed the presence of wolves mainly on the basis of droppings and tracks, as well as photo trap recordings (we recorded 1 to 3 individuals).

✅ In the JĘDRZEJÓW forest district, we confirmed the presence of at least 2 wolves, probably a breeding pair, on the basis of tracks in the snow, found lairs, traces of intensive urine marking and fresh signs of fecundation.

✅ Near Szydłów in the CHMIELNIK Forest District, one forester saw one wolf crossing a forest road. Despite conducting tracking during the lingering snow cover, we were unable to come across any signs of wolves.

✅ In the forests of the STASZÓW forest district, forestry staff recorded the presence of 1-3 individuals (tracks and visual observations).

✅ In the vicinity of RAKÓW in ŁAGÓW forest district, we recorded at least 2 different wolves with the help of photo traps.

✅ In the forests near ŁAGÓW, we found the presence of 6 individuals on the basis of tracks in the snow.

✅ In the Daleszyce forests (the area of the DALESZYCE and ŁAGÓW forest districts), we confirmed the presence of 7 individuals (including a possibly breeding pair). Wolves in this complex were intensively marking the area. We also recorded signs of calving and heard wolves howling. The presence of wolves was also registered by photo traps set up in the area.

Author: Tomasz Bracik, Mariusz Wlazło, Paweł Gola