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Wolf Project
AITRC, in partnership with the Native Village of Tazlina and generous contributions from Ahtna Inc., is leading the first known tribally managed wolf capture and collaring project in Alaska! Funded through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Tribal Wildlife Grant program, this research addresses critical data gaps related to wolf range, distribution, and seasonal diet within Game Management Unit (GMU) 11.
Blood samples are used for disease screening and contaminant analysis.
These samples help identify viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens, as well as exposure to environmental contaminants. Blood testing provides early indicators of health issues before visible symptoms appear and supports long-term monitoring of population health.
Background.
The Wolf Research Project examines how wolf packs use the landscape, where they travel throughout the year, and what they rely on for food across seasons. This work focuses on wolves within Game Management Unit 11 (GMU 11) and National Park Service boundaries north of McCarthy Road. The study was developed to provide baseline data to support long-term management of wolf populations and healthy ecosystems.
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As part of the project, wolves are captured and fitted with GPS tracking collars to better understand pack movements, territory size, seasonal habitat use, and interactions with prey across the broader landscape. These collars provide high-resolution location data that allow researchers to document travel corridors, seasonal range shifts, and patterns of landscape use throughout the year.
The project also incorporates biological samples from trapper-harvested wolves collected in Game Management Units 11, 12, and 13. These samples expand the study’s seasonal diet and health components by allowing researchers to examine diet composition, body condition, disease exposure, and other indicators of wolf health across a wider geographic area than collaring alone would allow. Together, the collaring work and harvest sampling provide a more complete picture of wolf ecology across the region.​
In November 2024, AITRC successfully captured and GPS-collared nine wolves, establishing the foundation of this AITRC-led research effort. The project is supported by an approved Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee protocol through the National Park Service, along with research permits from the National Park Service, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and Ahtna, Inc.
Why Study Wolves in Ahtna Territory?
Information about wolf populations and ecology in this region is limited. Much of the previous research conducted in Alaska’s interior occurred decades ago and did not focus specifically on the eastern portion of Ahtna Territory.
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Through this project, AITRC is working to establish baseline information on wolf distribution, pack dynamics, and diet that can support long-term stewardship and wildlife management decisions in the region.
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Understanding how wolves move across the landscape and what prey species they rely on throughout the year provides important insight into broader ecosystem dynamics within Ahtna lands.
Capture and GPS Collar Deployment.
​Wolves are located through aerial surveys and safely captured using established wildlife capture techniques. One to three wolves per pack are fitted with GPS collars to track differnt patterns throughout the year. Maintaining multiple collars within each pack helps reduce data loss if individual wolves disperse or collars fail.
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These collars provide valuable information about:
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Seasonal movement patterns
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Pack territories and overlap
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Habitat use across the landscape
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Potential kill sites and den locations
Data collected from the collars helps researchers identify areas where wolves spend significant time, which may indicate feeding sites, rendezvous sites, or denning areas.
Field Monitoring and Site Investigations.
GPS collar data are analyzed to identify clusters of location points. ​When GPS collar data shows wolves spending extended time in one location, we may visit those sites to investigate. During the 2024–2026 field season, AITRC's wildlife technicians conducted systematic site investigations at clustered GPS locations. These investigations focused on identifying kill sites, rendezvous areas, and denning locations.
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Field teams travel by foot, snowmachine, ATV, or aircraft depending on seasonal conditions and access. At these locations, staff document prey remains, collect scat samples, and deploy trail cameras to record wildlife activity.
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These investigations help connect movement data with what is actually occurring on the ground, providing insight into prey species, hunting behavior, and pack activity.
AITRC also works with local trappers to collect supplemental biological samples in GMU 11, 12, and 13!
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Together, these biological samples provide a detailed picture of wolf health and disease presence, seasonal and long-term diet patterns, environmental conditions, and overall ecosystem stability. By combining field observations with laboratory analysis, AITRC builds reliable, science-based information to support wildlife stewardship across Ahtna’s Eastern Territory.
Biological Sample Collection.
In 2025, our wildlife team traveled to the University of Alaska Fairbanks to conduct a necropsy on a GPS-collared wolf after its collar transmitted a mortality signal indicating no movement. Examination of the carcass determined the wolf had been killed by a brown bear, based on field investigations and trauma patterns.
Wildlife Biologist Sterling Spilinek accompanied a local pilot during an aerial flight to investigate wolf movements in the area.
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Trevor Alexander and Ethan Vollema, 2025-26 wildlife technicians, conducting samples from trapper-harvested wolves.
Collared wolf caught on our trail cameras!