Synopses & Reviews
The interactions between apex predators and their prey are some of the most awesome and meaningful in natureandmdash;displays of strength, endurance, and a deep coevolutionary history. And there is perhaps no apex predator more impressive and important in its huntingandmdash;or more infamous, more misjudgedandmdash;than the wolf. Because of wolvesandrsquo; habitat, speed, and general success at evading humans, researchers have faced great obstacles in studying their natural hunting behaviors. The first book to focus explicitly on wolf hunting of wild prey,
Wolves on the Hunt seeks to fill these gaps in our knowledge and understanding.
Combining behavioral data, thousands of hours of original field observations, research in the literature, a wealth of illustrations, andandmdash;in the e-book edition and onlineandmdash;video segments from cinematographer Robert K. Landis, the authors create a compelling and complex picture of these hunters. The wolf is indeed an adept killer, able to take down prey much larger than itself. While adapted to hunt primarily hoofed animals, a wolfandmdash;or especially a pack of wolvesandmdash;can kill individuals of just about any species. But even as wolves help drive the underlying rhythms of the ecosystems they inhabit, their evolutionary prowess comes at a cost: wolves spend one-third of their time huntingandmdash;the most time consuming of all wolf activitiesandmdash;and success at the hunt only comes through traveling long distances, persisting in the face of regular failure, detecting and taking advantage of deficiencies in the physical condition of individual prey, and through ceaseless trial and error, all while risking injury or death.and#160;and#160;
By describing and analyzing the behaviors wolves use to hunt and kill various wild preyandmdash;including deer, moose, caribou, elk, Dall sheep, mountain goats, bison, musk oxen, arctic hares, beavers, and othersandmdash;Wolves on the Hunt provides a revelatory portrait of one of natureandrsquo;s greatest hunters.
Review
andldquo;Very detailed. Never before has the predatory behavior of any carnivore been presented in such depth. Wolves on the Hunt is a contribution not just to our knowledge of the wolf but to our understanding of predation in general. The authors, experts in wolf predatory behavior who are in the best position to interpret these data from a scientific perspective, review a great amount of information and add an impressive number of accounts of hunting events observed by very few people. Their interpretations of the appropriate literature are clear and elegant. Very well written, easy to read both for specialists and for the general public interested in wolves and wildlife, Wolves on the Hunt is unique.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;This exhaustive account of wolves hunting and killing wild prey could only be compiled by the foremost wolf biologists of our dayandmdash;Drs. Mech, Smith, and MacNulty. and#160;The easy-to-read book cites all the primary and secondary literature as well as many previously unpublished observations.and#160;Wolves on the Hunt will not only fascinate biologists and those teaching wildlife management but also the general public, including outdoor, environmental, and hunting groups. These detailed observations of predation let us imagine the struggles that our ancestors must have encountered as we competed with wolves to become the earthandrsquo;s supreme hunters of ungulates.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;In reading Wolves on the Hunt you will learn that death has shaped life for millions of years. Youandrsquo;ll learn that no activity is more important to the wolf than predation; and although itandrsquo;s a tough and frustrating habit that often fails, wolves survive only because they refuse to give up. By shedding light on these and other important findings, Wolves on the Hunt will be incredibly valuable to conservation scientists and citizens alike who appreciate wild places and wild things. Itandrsquo;s a great illustration of the constant battle between predator and prey and of dogged determination.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;For all wildlife lovers, this is a must read.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;A gorgeous new book . . . , which represents in one slightly oversized popular volume some of the most comprehensive research to date on the way wolves hunt their prey. . . . Itandrsquo;s written artlessly but directly, with the aim of updating and broadening some popular misconceptions about the way wolves operate in the wild. As a work of natural history, neither it nor anything else can match the lyricism of Barry Lopezandrsquo;s Of Wolves and Men, but as a general-audience monograph, itandrsquo;s one of the most valuable works of science-writing to appear this year. Kudos to the folks at the University of Chicago Press for giving it such a handsome volume.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Fascinating. . . . Loaded with first-hand accounts of the various stages of gray wolf (Canis lupus) hunting, chronicled throughout mostly North America, the book is illustrated with a captivating collection of photographs and informative comparison data charts. . . . A celebration of . . . the emerging knowledge base about wolves.andrdquo;
Review
andldquo;Three experienced wolfy folk, scientists to the bone, with such amazing and lengthy exposure to wild lupines, were always going to produce something fascinating and valuable. I was not disappointed. . . . It reminds us . . . that science, rightfully, replaces assumptions and theories with fact. . . . An important reminder that to love the wolf, it is best to appreciate the whole animalandmdash;whether that be fairytale forest shadow, hunter or socially competent family-orientated creature. This impressive book is one for academics, scientists but also for the curious. . . . A andnbsp;book to admire and one that should make us appreciate that the wolf does not have an easy life, even if it is an apex predator.andrdquo;
Synopsis
For conservationists and lovers of animals, nature, and especially dogs, this National Geographic book shares the surprising understanding of wild wolves gained over six years the authors spent living intimately with them. Delve into Jim and Jamie Dutcher's amazing wolf photography documenting a pack of wolves at the edge of Idaho's Sawtooth Wilderness, illuminating their complex social hierarchy. Here is the alpha pair, leaders of the pack, often the only couple that mate. Here are the pups, born with eyes shut in the spring, tousled by their mother through the first six weeks of life. Here is the omega wolf, lowest ranking wolf in the pack, whose subservience, often playful, alleviates pack tension. Here are moments of cooperation and moments of snarling dominance, moments of communication and affection. Here, too, are heartwarming moments of connection between the Dutchers and the wolves, caught in pictures that remind us how close the links are between wolves in the wild and the beloved family dog.
Short chapters introduce the wolves as individuals, describe the Dutchers' years of coming to know them, and address the complex conservation issues surrounding the near-extinction and now replenishment of the species in the wild. Sidebars explore myths about wolves, including Native American spirit stories, European fairy tales, and modern ranching hearsay.
Synopsis
For animal lovers, nature lovers, environmentalists, and especially dog lovers, this book shares the new understanding gained by six years of the authors' living intimately with wild wolves. Created to complement a traveling exhibition that makes its debut at Chicago's Field Museum in March 2013, it will also appeal to those unable to see the show.
Jim and Jamie Dutcher, award-winning natural history filmmakers, adopted and raised three generations of gray wolves, living close to them in a 26-acre confined area in the Idaho wilderness. The lessons they learned from the Sawtooth Pack, as the wolves came to be called, inform this book and its passionate arguments advocating not only the reintroduction but the protection, respect, and even admiration for this much maligned animal whose descendants are the dogs we call our best friends. Remarkable, intimate photographs and stories share the Dutchers' vision and mission.
Synopsis
Distributed by the University of Nebraska Press for Jeff Kurus, Publisherand#160;
The Tale of Jacob Swift is a photo-fiction story recounting the struggles and triumphs that one swift fox family experiences in raising its son in the harsh but beautiful grasslands of North America. Written by Jeff Kurrus with photographic imagery by Rob Palmer, this book about Jacob is sure to prompt discussion between parent and child regarding the circle of life.
and#160;
About the Author
The photography is stunningly beautiful and the insights that Jim and Jamie Dutcher share with us opens a world of understanding into wolf behavior."
–Apogee Photo MagazineDelve into amazingly intimate wolf photography by Jim and Jamie Dutcher, a couple who spent many years living with a pack of wolves at the edge of Idaho's Sawtooth Wilderness, observing their complex social hierarchy. Here is the alpha pair, leaders of the pack, often the only couple that mate. Here are the pups, born with eyes shut in the spring, tousled by their mother through the first six weeks of life. Here is the omega wolf, lowest ranking wolf in the pack, whose subservience, often playful, alleviates pack tension. Here are moments of cooperation and moments of snarling dominance, moments of communication and affection. Here, too, are heartwarming moments of connection between the Dutchers and the wolves, caught in pictures that remind us how close the links are between wolves in the wild and the beloved family dog.
Short chapters introduce the wolves as individuals, describe the Dutchers' years of coming to know them, and address the complex conservation issues surrounding the near-extinction and now replenishment of the species in the wild. Sidebars explore myths about wolves, including Native American spirit stories, European fairy tales, and modern ranching hearsay.
For animal lovers, nature lovers, environmentalists, and especially dog lovers, this book shares the new understanding gained by six years of the authors' living intimately with wild wolves. Created to complement a traveling exhibition that makes its debut at Chicago's Field Museum in March 2013, it will also appeal to those unable to see the show.
Table of Contents
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
Introduction: The Wolf as a Killing Machine
Chapter 1and#8212;White-Tailed Deer
Chapter 2and#8212;Moose
Chapter 3and#8212;Caribou
Chapter 4and#8212;Elk
Chapter 5and#8212;Mountain Sheep and Goats
Chapter 6and#8212;Bison
Chapter 7and#8212;Musk Oxen
Chapter 8and#8212;Miscellaneous Prey
Conclusion
Appendix: List of Scientific Names of Birds and Mammals Mentioned
Literature Cited
Index
A Note on Accompanying Videos by Robert K. Landis
Videos of wolf-prey interactions, by Robert K. Landis, are available to readers of the print book at the following URL and with these password credentials:
URL:and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; www.press.uchicago.edu/sites/wolves
User name:and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; wolves
Password:and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160;and#160; hunt2015
Readers of the ebook will find the videos embedded in the text.