This happens very quickly, and though the wound generally looks relatively harmless,the animal dies from a few second to a minute. Presumably vital nerve tracks are destroyed in addition to the carotid artery. Wolves do not have to learn how to do this. As this method of killing is very quick,wolves can kill many animals in rapid succession if the opportunity presents it self as for instance, in a sheep pen. But the big animals die slowly.
Wolves wear down their quarry by a long pursuit running at forty five mph.