Among Wolves
Among Wolves
Gordon Haber's Insights into Alaska's Most Misunderstood Animal
He weathered brutal temperatures in the wild to document the wolves and provided exceptional insights into wolf behavior. Haber’s writings and photographs reveal an astonishing degree of cooperation between wolf family members as they hunt, raise pups, and play, social behaviors and traditions previously unknown. With the wolves at risk of being destroyed by hunting and trapping, his studies advocated for a balanced approach to wolf management. His fieldwork registered as one of the longest studies in wildlife science and had a lasting impact on wolf policies.
Haber’s field notes, his extensive journals, and stories from friends all come together in Among Wolves to reveal much about both the wolves he studied and the researcher himself. Wolves continue to fascinate and polarize people, and Haber’s work continues to resonate.
This book, compiling Gordon Haber’s lifetime dedication to studying and protecting wolves, is an immensely important addition to the literature. He knew each one as an individual, observed the disruption of social bonds every time a pack member was killed. Among Wolves will enable those who were not fortunate enough to meet him to be inspired by his amazing stories, as I was. And it will help all those involved with wolf conservation long after his tragic death. Gordon was a hero, and I am sure the wolves howled when his plane crashed—animals know.'
Culled from [Haber's] published articles, research notes, and tweets, combined with the reminiscences of friends and colleagues, this volume, created by Alaskan writer Holleman, is the final word on the groundbreaking research Haber conducted on the Denali wolf packs for four decades.
The book peels back the layers of misunderstanding of the wolf, revealing a fascinating, complex, socially evolved animal that deserves our admiration and protection, not our fear and hatred.
This extraordinary collaboration between Alaska writer Marybeth Holleman and the late world-renowned wolf biologist Dr. Gordon Haber is informative, gripping, passionate, and revealing. It takes readers deep into the culture of Denali National Park's wolf family groups through Haber's 40-plus-years of exacting observations, and then deep into the mire of Alaska wolf politics.
Holleman deserves credit for creating comprehensive introductory material and a well-organized book (gleaned from Haber’s journals and notes). Readers will share Haber’s intimate experiences with the Toklat wolves of Denali National Park and Preserve and those of the Yukon-Charley region of east-central Alaska. Reading Among Wolves gives us an appreciation not only for Haber’s subject but also for the man himself.
Among Wolves is a rich addition to Canis lupus literature. It includes a great deal of new and intimate information on wolves. At the same time, this very readable book brings transparency to the figure of Gordon Haber, revealing to us, mostly through his own words, the intelligence and compassion of this remarkable man.
Introduction
Scientist and Advocate for Alaska’s Wolves
The First Two Years of Life of an Alaska Wolf
1 My Good Fortune: Working among Alaska’s Wolves
Snapshot: Savage River Wolves – Gary Baker
Snapshot: Flying Gordon – Troy Dunn
2 The Heart of Wolf Society: Wolf Family Bonds
Snapshot: First Snow – Johnny Johnson
Snapshot: A True Field Scientist – Troy Dunn
3 A New Biological Year: Attending Young Pups
Snapshot: Teklanika Den – Karen Deatherage
4 It Takes a Family: Raising Pups Cooperatively
Snapshot: Son – Troy Dunn
5 Going with the Flow: The Daily Lives of Wolves
Snapshot: Just One More Turn – Troy Dunn
6 Why Wolves Howl: The Many Social Values
Snapshot: A Sign of Intelligence – Johnny Johnson
Snapshot: Passing By – Troy Dunn
7 Hunting Traditions: Wolves, Their Prey, and Scavenging
Snapshot: Pups at a Sheep Kill – Priscilla Feral
8 Toklat’s Switch to Hares: Survivors Seize an Opportunity
Snapshot: Toklat’s Hare Hunting – Troy Dunn
9 Companions and Competitors: Ravens, Hears, and Other Wildlife
Snapshot: Wolves with Bears – Troy Dunn
10 Natural Fearlessness: Wolves and People in Denali National Park
Snapshot: Dr. Gordon Haber – Jonathan B. Jarvis
Snapshot: The Hamburger Drop – Johnny Johnson
11 Park Wolves in Danger: The Denali Buffer Solution
Journal Notes: State-Snared Wolves
Snapshot: This Guy is Hard Core – Joel Bennett
Snapshot: Mortality Call – Barbara Brease
12 Science Gone Awry: Alaska’s Wolf-Killing Programs
Journal Notes: Snowmachine Hunt
Snapshot: Wolf Summit – Priscilla Feral
Snapshot: Picking Pilots – Troy Dunn
13 Endangered Species: The Problem with Delisting Northern Rockies Wolves
Snapshot: Scientist as Advocate – Rick Steiner
14 Toklat’s High Value: The Case for Unexploited Wolf Groups
Snapshot: Last Phone Call – Barbara Brease
Significant Findings of Gordon Haber’s Wolf Research
Epilogue
From Bad to Worse: An Update on Haber’s Wolves
References
Acknowledgements
Index
