Of the 48 contiguous states only Minnesota has a wolf population large enough to maintain itself. Wolves have been reported at scattered locations around the United States, including Isle Royale, in Lake Superior, and in Michigan, Montana, Wisconsin, and Wyoming. Government plans to reintroduce wolves into what was once their native habitat have met with opposition from ranchers and hunters. The basic social unit of wolf populations is the pack, which usually consists of a mature male and female plus offspring one or more years of age. Pack size can reach 36, but usually two to eight individuals are present.
Members form strong social bonds that promote internal cohesion.
Order is maintained by a dominance hierarchy. The pack leader, usually a male, is referred to by behaviorists as the alpha male. When two wolves meet, each shows its relationship to the other by indicating dominance or submission through facial expression and posture. Additional modes of wolf communication are howling and other vocalizations and scent marking. Scent marking involves deposition of urine or feces on conspicuous objects along travel routes, usually by dominant wolves.