Algonquin

I spent the winter of 2007 tracking wolves and moose in Algonquin Provincial Park for a project studying predator/prey interactions

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Our very first day on the job we trapped this wolf to put a GPS collar on it	After we collared it and took all our measurements and samples, we administered a drug to speed the reversal of the immobilization drugs	Photo shoot as Karen moves the wolf away from our work area as it regains consciousness	"The Hydro Line" cuts through almost the entire park and provides a good means of North/South transit
A lake near Basin Depot on one of our first excursions into our study area	We followed the signals of the McKaskill pack to this small lake and bog in hopes of finding their tracks	Kilometer 18 on Major Lake road, one of our most traveled routes	Our tracks cut into the fresh snow along this old logging road
om and Kiira as we stop to sort out jumbled tracks of the Cauliflower pack	We followed the tracks until they crossed a small lake, counting 5 wolves in this group	I slammed on the brakes when I saw this small browsed tree in the sun!	I would often walk to this dock at a nearby staff house after work in the evenings
Two moose (one collared) that Tom and I were following for scat samples	Trying to locate a collared moose from the Lookout trail along Highway 60	Picture-perfect winter day near the Mew Lake campground	Tom, Karen and Kiira try to download the GPS data off the Potter pack.
There was supposedly a kill just out on the ice here, but it was too thin for us to explore and we had to leave empty-handed	A fairly fresh moose kill that Kiira and I investigated, showing the tell-tale hemorrhaging on the inside of the hide (indicating a kill rather than scavenge)	The Madawaska River with hoar frost from the river steaming overnight	As part of our certification for Ice safety and rescue we had to jump into a hold in the ice twice and simulate a rescue
Travis, husband of "Karen Moose" definitely provided the most dramatic and entertaining display!	We were supposed to check out a kill on the other side of the river, but when Kiira tested the "ice" it was found to be unsafe.	Almost every week an "aerial flight" was done to locate collared wolves and download GPS data	Between bouts with nausea, I was able to snap away this picture of the 8-wolf Sunday pack as we passed overhead
A view of one of the many many lakes in Algonquin	This kill was only 200m from the road, but because the Oxtonque river was in the way, we had to walk nearly 3km out of our way to get there!	Crossbills like this one were a very common sight in the winter, often on the road where their slow reaction time causes many to be hit	Myself, Kevin and Mike preparing "beaver soup" to lure an uncollared pack into a convenient trapping location
A Pileated Woodpecker that allowed me to get very close	This road-killed deer was to be used as wolf bait along with our beaver soup	Danielle and I went on a crazy adventure to get to a moose kill, with three-hour bushwhacking snowmobile ride to begin with. This was one of the calmer moments...	Kiira shows how huge a moose is with a leg and pelvis from a kill we found
Crossing an open boggy spot with a group of students from Fleming college to do deer presence transects	Gray Jays are always up for a feeding! This one was banded, the subject of many studies and very used to people	I couldn't walk past this without taking a picture!	I did a deer transect in the Pine Lake area near the end of the season. With milder temperatures and less snow, alot more rocky outcroppings were visible
The ice hanging of this rock wall made for some interesting shots	More ice pics....	A beech tree with a surprising amount of leaves still hanging on it	This trail went through a hardwood forest near the town of Whitney and was close enough for a leisurely walk on days off
A view from the Barron Canyon trail	Mike and I were to look for a couple hard-to-find packs in the north end of our study area	This white wolf crossed the road as Mike and I were driving along Barron Canyon road	The wolf showed hardly any fear of our vehicle and actually trotted along the road in front of us for a couple hundred meters
We ended up only doing one camping trip this season, and it just happened to be a -35 degree night! Good thing the truck was nearby!	Along an old rail bed near the Achray campground	Unlike the day before when temperatures were in the -20's, this day's snowmachine ride was comfortable and enjoyable	A view across the lake from the Achray campground
Twilight on the Spruce Bog trail. I had the day off and needed to get outside	Leatherleaf bog north of Basin Lake. Kiira and I were investigating one of the many clusters where nothing was found.	Filling out the data for this cluster	We found nothing here but in all likelihood it was a bed site as the wolves like open areas with clear views for resting
Kevin crosses a small stream with a homemade bridge (recycled from a nearby beaver lodge)	The grasses next to the lake had been frozen over by a thin layer of ice. Both Kevin and I took a few minutes for pictures.	One of the nicest bed sites I saw all winter. This rocky ledge had a view of the entire area. I would have slept here too!	Always one for a laugh, Mike skated on our backyard lake in his boxers on one of our last days
The Madawaska River north of Whitney after the snowmelt. It was the first day warm enough to just sit without getting cold	Clark Lake, right behind our house on one of our last evenings	We set up the tent for a change to take refuge from the cold winds that evening.	The following pictures were taken by Kevin Downing, another volunteer on the project.
Sunset over Clark Lake	Two wolves were collared in our time there and thankfully everyone got to see one. This was Wolf 205 from the Potter pack	The ubiquitous logging trucks seen within the park	Great closeup of a Gray Jay
Kevin and Mike had a little too much fun with a carcass drop! This is not normal.	A snow-covered stream	Mike doing telemetry	Red Squirrel and his stash
Project leader Karen and her dog, Leo (named after a paternal uncle Leonard; or Aldo Leopold depending on who you ask)	A bog somewhere	During the helicopter flight they saw a few wolves on the ice	This brave guy turned against the helicopter as it neared!