Looking For Wolves in Arizona | Filming The Wild
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- In this episode of Filming The Wild, I am back in the White Mountains, looking for wolves in Arizona! Mexican gray wolves were released into Arizona and New Mexico as part of a program to restore this endangered population of wolves here in the Southwest. They are extremely elusive, and hard to find, yet despite this fact I've set out to capture footage of them that nobody else has. This is part of that story! I drove up the other week to with my friend and fellow photographer, Hector Morales who I actually met in Yellowstone while filming wolves there earlier this year. Sometimes, even though you put all kinds of planning and effort into a shoot, things don't always work out, but they just work out differently. This episode was no different, but we did see some pretty incredible sightings!
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Most people will never experience the peace that you get from being up in the White mountains.
It's the best therapy you can get.
Great video and thanks for sharing.
The white mountains are incredible. One of my most favorite places on earth for that reason. I’m glad you enjoyed the video!
Say my friends this is so good for the soul. Thanks for having us along. Awesome!!
Of course! I'm glad you enjoyed the video and felt the presence of the wild!
We see plenty of wolves while elk hunting in September on the NM side. Great seeing these animals in the wild and being able to hear them in the evening and early mornings.
New Mexico is gorgeous. I’ve spent a lot of hours in the Gila as well as just north of Reserve in the Apache National Forest. It’s amazing to see the elk there, some big boy’s over there!
You should try to find some leopards in Arizona, they are very rare but they are out there
I'm unaware of any leopards in Arizona, but we do have a couple of jaguars that are in the southern region of the state if that's what you're referring to?
@@FilmingTheWildlol 🤦🏽♂️
Hector Eagle Eye Morales, that will always be his nickname Lol. Great video and looks like a fantastic time!! Miss being out there with ya Hector. But soon enough my brother. Alan…just great work from your videos I’ve watched! Looking forward to meeting you!
That is the best nickname actually! Fitting! And thanks Gary, likewise! Looking forward to it!
What an awesome trip! We will find these majestic animals soon. How exciting to just be able to get out.
Soon!! Looking forward to it! This was a fun experience too!
Looks like Greer, Greens Peak, maybe Big Lake area.. SO beautiful..
Thank you Mandy! It sounds like you know the area! It's such a beautiful place indeed!
@ Yes.. I was raised up there.. I’m down in San Tan Valley now.. I visit up there as much as I can tho.. By the way, thank you for the video and sharing the beauty up there on the mountain..
@@Mandy123ify Of course! I'm glad you enjoyed it Mandy! It's one of my favorite places in the world honestly. I go up there as often as I can too!
There’s wolves over by Showlow Big Lake area, I used to camp out there in the early 2010’s and we’d go elk watching with a spot light in our cars and we’ve seen Wolves about 3 times out of the solid 8 years of camping that I remember as a kid
Those must have been incredible experiences. I love hearing the elk bugling in the fall and hearing howls mixed in with them. I've seen the wolves a few times in that region as well, and each time it's been an amazing experience!
If your going to follow up any time this winter I’d love to meet up. Do a lot of wildlife photography and I’ve been itching to photograph some Mexican Wolves.
Hey Doug! Funny you should mention that! I’ve been contemplating that actually. It’s a bit tougher as some of the roads are closed in winters up here. So depends on snowfall really. But that would be fun. Do you make it through AZ often? Feel free to reach out: alan (at) reelearthfilms.org would be great to connect!
They are up there. I was coyote hunting in snowflake and we called one in.
They are certainly up there. I’m glad you were able to recognize it, as it can sometimes be challenging to tell the difference between them. Must have been a cool experience nonetheless!
@FilmingTheWild l didn't notice it.. but the guy l was hunting with did
@@colorwlz did he get any photos of it? That would be cool to see.
@FilmingTheWild no we just had rifles and scopes
@@colorwlz gotcha. Cool experience nonetheless!
Fantastic Video. I just found your channel and look forward to going back and watching many if not all your previous videos.
Thank you Mike! I'm glad you enjoyed the adventure! Enjoy they others too!
We saw a collared Mexican grey wolf this fall while elk hunting 30 miles NW of Flagstaff in the Kiabab Natl. Forest. 22:12
That's pretty cool! They are so incredible to watch as they move across the landscape. And in that area it's extremely rare!
I've heard rumor that a Puma made an appearance...
It definitely did, and it's in there too if you watch it! ;)
Great Video and interesting insight into Wolf behaviour. Similar weather to England (always raining 🤣) keep well and stay safe, good luck with your future projects. 👍🇬🇧
Thanks David! I'm glad you enjoyed the video! Wolves are such fascinating species! And yes! I've been to England recently and loved the weather! ha!
Thanks David!
Hell with the Wolves and Lions,Watch out for Sasquatch!!! His Area.!!!
You never know!! I always keep my eyes peeled!
There all around that area. And the wolf's too. I've lived in the area for 40 years. Seen and heard alot of things I can't explain. 😮
Not in AZ bro I’m constantly out in apache sitgreaves and I’ve seen and herd nothing. But I have seen the NM grey wolf and I was shocked.
@sneekydee5446 that's what I thought too until 1994 when my nephew saw two of them watching me fish on the north fork of the White River. I've had alot of things happen in the last 40 years . Just because you don't see them doesn't mean there not there.
@@lonniebrunner483i been out in those mountions all my life and even before they were introduced and I would hear a wolf howl from time to time not coyotes they sound like crys.
Hunting unit 27 here in az in September got a big pack to howl like crazy to some calf calls. Might be good to try calling em and locating them then moving closer to the howls
That must have been quite an amazing experience! I've had them howling up close like that a few times myself and it's absolutely incredible. Such and eerie and haunting, yet purely wild. It feels like a glimpse into the way wilderness should be. Hearing the elk bugling in the late evening and early morning hours, the howls of wolves responding, and coyotes popping off across the landscape. Its what wilderness needs.
@ yeessssss!!!! That’s pure bliss in my world 🙏🏽😁
@@nathanielromero9823 Same my friend, same!
If you are looking for a beautiful place like the white mountains I suggest Cabola National Forest next to Bluewater State Park in New Mexico. I personally saw a Canadian Linx just outside of the park boarder.
Lynx are such incredible animals, I'm glad you had that experience! I've been in Cibola National Forest, its beautiful!
I saw two of them off the road on my way to Big Lake several years ago and I wasn't even looking for them, lucky me I guess.
That would have been an awesome experience! Great eyes!
I must say it awfully noticeable the Mexican wolves don’t have the same depredation issues like the wolves in Colorado do. It’s almost like the people in Colorado knew they were going to have these problems and nobody cared!
I would beg to differ actually. The depredation rates are roughly the same across wolves in the greater Yellowstone ecoregion of Montana, Wyoming, Idaho etc. It's pretty comparable to Arizona/New Mexico, which has had a slightly higher depredation rate than other areas. Colorado has actually taken steps to address depredations by creating one of the best compensation plans in the country where ranchers will likely not feel the affects of wolves like they have elsewhere, at least financially if they are smart enough to apply for reimbursement.
@@FilmingTheWild if only that reimbursement would work across state lines. I think it’s gonna get much worse before people take action.
@@firstinlastout8324 I believe Colorado is setting the example of how states should work to reimburse ranchers in need of compensation. Even the people of Colorado have now raised over $300,000 in addition to other funds specifically to sort the ranching community. Other states should be watching this and implementing this. It’s incredible to see, and amazing for conservation efforts. Other states do in fact reimburse, but it often takes time for the reimbursement to get paid out.
If you want to see Arizona wolf get in contact with me. I run dogs on coyotes I see the Mexican gray in several spots. Two breading pair and three solos. No we do not hunt them we just watch them. I work several ranches from Flagstaff to Kingman up to South rim.
Thanks for the heads up, I'd love to learn more about your experience seeing wolves.
Hope you get to see the wolves, when I go up I see tracks and get to see and hear them. Renno
I usually find tracks, sometimes I hear them, rarely do I see them. Which makes it even more adventurous. Glad you get those experiences too!
Wow very passionate about wildlife and live in AZ as well. Just stumbled upon your channel and what a treat. I’m very interested in wildlife photography and looking to get into it as a hobby. Would love to link up.
Thanks for the comment! I’m glad you have enjoyed the channel so far! What part of AZ are you? I’m often out and about so I’ll keep an eye out!
@@FilmingTheWild I’m in the East valley
@ awesome! I’m based out of the north side of town but periodically make my way to the east side to film here and there.
I live in Phoenix. I summer in Flagstaff. Are there any Mex wolves as far north as Flagstaff and Coconino Natl Forest? Btw, you need to check out this amazing part of AZ!
Hey Linda! I love the area up by Flag! it's beautiful as well! Right now, there are a couple of wolves near flagstaff, north of I-40, but the US Fish and Wildlife Service along with AZ Game and Fish are working to capture them and move them elsewhere due to the 10j Rule which states they can't roam north of I-40.
@@FilmingTheWild thanks for that valuable info! Good to know! Love your content!!♥️
@@Linsuesaz thank you so much!
I live on a ranch in AZ. We have a pack of 8 wolves regularly hunting deer and antelope. not say where I am but it is northern AZ. over 6000 feet I don't want these majestic creatures bothered,
That’s wonderful to hear! I would love to hear more about your experiences! Send me an email if you’d like: alan@reelearthfilms.org
I live in the White mountains. I’ve seen lots of wolves and they now have been spotted as far south as Bisbee,AZ. They are a huge problem and are decimating the elk and deer population. I have witnessed this firsthand. Reintroducing them was a huge mistake for wildlife habitat. Pretty soon they will be as common as coyotes.
I appreciate your comment Josh! I spend a lot of time in the white mountains also, since before the wolves were reintroduced as well. What I’ve noticed, is that the elk have disappeared. But, the numbers are actually increasing year to year. Bringing back a predator that courses the landscape hunting prey introduces something we call the ecology of fear in prey. This is why elk are harder to find now - they are behaving more naturally, and staying away from danger including us. The numbers of elk and deer are increasing per game unit population surveys. So if anything we need more hunters or more wolves. The elk have actually decimated the vegetation in the Apache Sitgreaves National Forest. The lack of low vegetation and forest floor vegetation is astounding compared to other forests of similar ecotypes that do have healthy ecosystems with yet full array of native species.
@FilmingTheWild we need more hunters because if a hunter takes a elk or two that meat is being used by someone that possibly can't afford to buy meat from the market and most hunters i know can't afford to buy meat every week. And wolves kill thousands of dollars worth of cattle theres a reason the Mexican wolves were killed off sure it's good to keep them from going extinct but that's what happens with evolution. Wolves kill just as much or more deer and elk as humans. It's like native tribes ever since the beginning of the earth tribes were fighting over land and hunting ground. Tribes were whipped out and a new tribe moved in thats part of evolution. Wolves kill wildlife that's necessary to the land and area the wolves occupate. Ranchers feed America by rasing Livestock and they depend on selling there cattle. the wolves quite often kill and leave the carcass of the cow, elk, or deer and go repeat until killed off or ran out. Sure some of those kills they eat but they kill more than they need to. And wolves are cool to see but when they're killing your cattle aka income than you have to do something about it. And if you Reintroduce the wolves that's just going to kill more cattle and feed less people. Ranching isn't only for money its to keep the tradition alive. Us ranchers fight to keep the tradition alive and we will continue to do so. Hope I didn't offend you but quite frankly if you tried offend me I wouldn't care so I hope you see it the same way. Thanks for the video!
@@James_C102 Thanks for the info James, I'm always up for good conversation etc. No offense taken! Wolves do kill cattle of course, and yes, it can absolutely affect small ranchers substantially at times when they move in depredate on cattle etc. One of the reasons wolves may kill more than one cow usually revolves around getting bumped off a kill, say when the rancher discovers it and they don't want to be around human presence, so they may kill another. However, studies by biologists and wolf researchers who've spent thousands of hours studying wolves in the wilds suggest a single wolf can consume only the equivalent of 17-20 elk per year (when in a pack, they all share the kill etc, so an individual wolf would eat say 10-20 percent of the kill etc). Therefore a pack of 10 wolves (most Mexican wolf packs are 4-7 animals) would only consume 170-200 elk per year at most. Wolves do kill deer, but deer make up a small percentage of their diet. In Mexican gray wolves, 93% of their diet is elk (based off of scats collected over several years of study) Less than 3% of their scats contained domesticated cattle. And among cattle ranches here in the west where wolves also inhabit the same forest and public lands, wolves equate to less than 1 percent of all cattle deaths. In fact, fewer than 8 percent of cattle deaths are attributed to predators (bear, lion, coyote, wolf, etc). Most cattle die due to the elements, disease, getting into too much lupine, etc. That all being said, yes, for small ranching outfits, the loss of 3 or 5 head of cattle can definitely be difficult to overcome if wolves kill that many in a winter on that particular small ranch etc. Honestly this is where I wish conservationists/wolf lovers would put their money where their mouth is and support a fund that would support cattle operations where wolves move in and create hardships. Lets reimburse at full market value.
@@FilmingTheWild ya when the market is up 4 or 5 cattle can definitely cost upwards of 5k to 6k so that's one big paycheck. And ya bear, lion, wolves, and even coyotes kill Livestock too but lions bears and wolves kill the most cattle out of the 4. Disease also kills a lot of cattle to probably more than predators, but thats why we vaccinate our cattle. And dont for get the overpopulation driving wolves out and causing many deaths of farm animals and pets. Also thanks for the information I sure learned more!
You are upwind not downwind.
Thanks for the comment Jay! We were actually downwind from where the carcass was. The wind was kind of light and variable that day until the storms kicked in. Most of the time while we were in the blind we kept getting the smell from carcass wafting in our direction, hence downwind. Granted, anything that would have come in with half a nose would have smelled us.
Did u just go looking for wolves that are actively hunting, and walk into their den all while unarmed and with a camera instead 🤣 🤣 🤣 🤦🏽♂️
That is correct! We saw 4 of them running through the woods in the distance as well. I always go unarmed into the woods when I go looking for wolves, bears, or mountain lions etc. I do carry bear spray however. Wolves are curious so they'll check you out, but they run off once they catch your scent.