Wolves eat almost any animal they can catch.  Many of the animals they hunt, such as caribou and elk, are faster and stronger than wolves.  Therefore, wolves must be quick, tireless, and clever to catch them.

          Wolves hunt at any time of the day or night.  When the members of a pack gather to begin a hunt, they greet each other with howls.  Their howling may become very loud, and it warns other wolves to stay out of the pack's territory.

          Wolves roam through their territory until the find prey.  they then choose a particular animal and move in on it by traveling toward it in the direction opposite that from which the wind is blowing.  This method prevents the animal from smelling the wolves.  The wolves quietly inch closer to their prey, perhaps in single file.  Then they break into a run, and the chase begins.

          Wolves hunt and chase many more animals than they can catch.  If wolves can catch their prey, they attack the rump or sides of the animal.  They try to wound the animal and make it bleed until it weakens.  then they grab the victim by the throat or snout.  Wolves can usually kill a large animal in only a few minutes.  But the entire hunt may take several hours.  Te wolves may give up the chase if the animal is very strong, such as a healthy moose.  They also may abandon the hunt if the animal is exceptionally fast.

          Sick, injured, or aged animals that lag behind their herds make easy targets for wolves.  The wolf helps strengthen the herds of its prey by killing such animals.  An old or unhealthy animal can be a burden to its herd.  For example, an aged caribou eats food that other caribou need to raise heir young.  A sick elk may infect other members of the herd.  By eliminating such animals, wolves perform an important natural function.