During the present study we were able to witness a number of hunts from the air and piece together others based on tracks. The following descriptions are quoted from the field notes of Mech:
"26 January 1967. About 3/4 mile N.E. of Alice Lake.
"Jack Burgess [pilot] and I were following a pack of 8 wolves, when at 4:15 they veered from their former line of travel, about 30°. They were then about 200 yards from 2 deer. They began wagging their tails when about 175 yards from the deer. One deer, on the edge of a steep bank, was lying, but one was standing about 75 yards N. of it in open hardwoods. The wolves continued toward the latter deer.
"This deer remained standing in the same place until the wolves approached to within about 100 feet of it. The lead wolf stopped, when that distance from the deer, and the others caught up but also stopped when within about 25 feet behind the lead wolf. By this time the deer, whose body was facing away from the wolves, had its head turned back over its shoulder toward the wolves. The wolves and the deer remained absolutely still while staring at each other, 100 feet apart, for 1-2 minutes, while we made several circles.
"Suddenly the deer bolted, and instantly the wolves pursued. I am fairly certain that it was the deer that bolted first, but could be mistaken. The action was almost simultaneous. The deer headed toward the other deer near the top of the high bank. This animal had been lying but had arisen when the wolves were about 150 yards away.
"The lead wolf followed in the deer's trail, but the others cut toward the bank. This flushed the second deer (near the edge of the bank), which ran down the bank. Meanwhile when the first deer reached the edge of the bank, it headed due W. along the top of it. Only the lead wolf pursued this animal. The other deer had headed down the bank to the S.E., and at least a few of the wolves followed it.
"We could not watch both deer, so we continued following the first. The deer had no trouble in snowdrifts, but the wolf was hindered by them. The wolf followed the deer for about 200 yards along the top of the bank, and then gave up after losing ground. The wolf had run a total distance of about 250-275 yards. He then lay down and rested.
"We noticed at least 3 wolves stopped part way down the bank in the trail of the second deer. However, we did not see the remaining wolves or the second deer.
"Eventually (after about 5 minutes), these wolves joined the first, and all rested. At 4:25 p.m., one wolf started toward a third deer, which had been lying under a tree while the former chase took place. The deer was about 150 yards from where the wolves rested, and it had stood before the wolf started toward it. We could not see whether the deer or wolf bolted first, but suddenly both animals were bounding away. The wolf chased the deer about 125 yards and gave up after losing ground. The other wolves followed slowly in its trail, and all assembled and rested. The deer continued running for at least 1/4-mile."
"27 February 1969. 2 miles N. of August Lake.