Tag: Wolves

Should last-place teams troll opponents *before* games? Who’s to say

Nottingham’s Forest’s social media team may want this one back

Trolling an opponent on Twitter can be a delightful exercise, riling up opposing fans while giving your own supporters a little extra edge.

But — and this is important — it’s an infinitely better exercise to do after a win, and it’s an especially terrible idea to do it pre-game if you are a last-place team.

That is a lesson that Nottingham Forest’s social media team learned the hard way this weekend.

Prior to Saturday’s match at fellow strugglers Wolves, Forest posted a picture of striker Emmanuel Dennis on the field at Molineux surrounded by wolf cubs with the caption: “playtime.” The post was eventually deleted, but the damage had been done.

After Wolves inevitably won the game 1-0, their social media team was ready to pull the trigger on an incredibly justified response: “playtime’s over.”

Cooper: Tweet ‘wasn’t helpful’

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper admitted what everyone already knew to be true: That post perhaps wasn’t the best idea ever.

“I was asked about it in the press conference afterwards but I wasn’t aware of it. Then I was notified about what happened afterwards,” Cooper said.

“It wasn’t a good thing from the club and it wasn’t helpful. But it’s been dealt with. The important thing is about learning from it.”

Forest has now hopefully learned that the time for riling up an opponent is after a victory, not before a game. But with one win in 10 so far this season, the next trolling opportunity for the newly promoted side may not be for a while.

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Christian Pulisic capitalizes on Chelsea start, scores in 3-0 win over Wolves

Good news, USMNT fans!

Christian Pulisic is doing what he can to get off the bench at Chelsea.

Given just his second start of the season by new Chelsea boss Graham Potter, Pulisic capitalized, scoring the second goal as the Blues romped to a 3-0 win over Wolves.

The goal is Pulisic’s first for Chelsea in the 2022-23 season, and notably saw him stationed on the left wing in what was Potter’s second Premier League game in charge since moving over from Brighton in September.

Kai Havertz gave Chelsea the lead deep in first half stoppage time, but they still had work to do to rob Wolves of hope of taking a point at Stamford Bridge.

That’s where Pulisic made his mark. Initially facing a one-on-two, the U.S. men’s national team star worked inside to play a give-and-go with Mason Mount, whose pass on the turn appeared to catch Wolves unprepared. Pulisic was ready, though, and from an acute angle he clipped the ball over the approaching José Sá, a clinical finish to a superb sequence.

Chelsea would put the game on ice in the final minutes, with Armando Broja making it 3-0. The win keeps the team in the top four, and for Pulisic, a goal and a start is a great sign after a worrying start to the year saw his role at the club reduced to utility substitute under Thomas Tuchel.

The goal makes Pulisic just the third American to score 20 Premier League goals, joining USMNT legends Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey.

Watch Pulisic’s first Chelsea goal of 2022-23

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Raúl Jiménez went full pirate after scoring for Wolves

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate’s life for Raúl

Raúl Jiménez produced an early-season celebration of the year contender on Tuesday, going full pirate after scoring for Wolves in the Carabao Cup.

The Mexico international scored eight minutes into the match against Preston, which Wolves would eventually win 2-1.

After scoring Jiménez removed his headband, which also looks a lot like an eye patch, and put it over his face. Crucially to the celebration, the forward had also stored a hook in a bag next to the goal, which he put on to complete the full pirate motif.

Asked about the celebration in a video on Wolves’ official Twitter page, Jiménez said: “I was planning since the preseason having this kind of thing, so I hope I can score more and do it more times.”

The interviewer asked an important follow-up, quizzing Jiménez on whether more pirate regalia, like a parrot on his shoulder, could be added for future goals.

“You need to wait for me to score again and let’s see what’s coming next,” Jiménez replied.

Wolves fans, and the rest of us, will hope we don’t have to wait too long.

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Watch: Yellowstone wolves chase nosy bear up a tree

A tour company that operates in Yellowstone National Park has shared footage showing two male wolves chasing a black bear up a tree.

A tour company that operates in Yellowstone National Park has shared footage showing two wolves chasing a bear up a tree.

“Black bear wanders into the wrong neighborhood,” Yellowstone Wolf Tracker wrote this week on Instagram.

The footage, captured by a Wolf Tracker guide, shows the bear leaping onto the tree and scrambling several feet up to escape the older male wolves. (If footage doesn’t appear below, click here.)

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cg5Nqqgvdfg/

If viewers swipe to the the second clip they’ll see one of the wolves baring its teeth.

ALSO: Humpback whale picks up unintended passenger; photos

A commenter asked if the bear or wolves were hurt during the confrontation and Wolf Tracker responded: “All okay! Just some friendly disagreements.”

The disagreement began when the bear approached the wolves’ freshly killed bison. “They chased and harassed this bear up the same tree for close to half an hour!” Wolf Tracker wrote.

The wolves belong to the Junction Butte Pack, which roams the park’s northern range.

–Black bear image is generic, courtesy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Can you spot the coyotes in this lush Yellowstone meadow?

A photographer has shared an image he captured last week in Yellowstone National Park, showing a lush green meadow in which two coyotes roam. Can you spot both animals?

A photographer has shared from last week in Yellowstone National Park, showing a lush green meadow in which two coyotes roam.

Can you spot both animals? (One is easier to locate; the answer is revealed at the bottom of this post.)

Melvin Laureano snapped the image Aug. 3 at dusk while on a photo hunt for more iconic park critters.

“I went to Hayden Valley before sunset hoping to see the pack of wolves, but I saw this pair of coyotes instead,” he told FTW Outdoors.

©Melvin Laureano

Laureano shared the image as a quiz to a Yellowstone-themed Facebook page. Several people said they spotted both coyotes after expanding the image.

ALSO: Sea lion’s wild ride on humpback whale captured in photos

Hayden Valley, which straddles the Yellowstone River, is a prime destination for tourists hoping to view wolves, bears, and elk.

But coyotes, which are often seen in pairs, can be spotted anywhere in the park, especially in meadows and other grasslands.

Laureano said this was his first visit to the park and added: “I was so amazed with its beauty.”

He said he did not see wolves but that’s a common refrain, as wolves often remain in cover and spotting them is generally a hit-or-miss proposition.

The image below shows the location of both coyotes.

©Melvin Laureano

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Brenden Aaronson doesn’t quite score Leeds winner in Premier League debut

PL Goal Accreditation Panel won’t let folks have some fun

Brenden Aaronson started his Premier League career with a bang, being heavily involved on both goals as Leeds came back to beat Wolves 2-1 at Elland Road on Saturday.

Jesse Marsch gave Aaronson and fellow U.S. men’s national team midfielder Tyler Adams starts as Leeds started the season off with a win. After last season’s final-day escape, it’s exactly the kind of result they need to make sure the threat of relegation is much lower this time around.

Aaronson was initially credited with Leeds’ 74th minute winner, a move that kicked into high gear when Adams turned upfield and split the defense, bypassing three Wolves midfielders.

Mateuz Klich tidily kept play moving upfield, slipping Patrick Bamford into space on the left, and from there the striker crossed low for the onrushing Aaronson to fire home what stood as the match-winning goal.

But wait! The Premier League decided Aaronson and USMNT fans couldn’t have a perfect opening day, as they eventually ruled that Wolves defender Rayan Ait-Nouri actually got the final touch. Just like that, Aaronson’s debut goal became an own goal.

Aaronson was also a major factor on Leeds’ first goal, though he won’t get credit for an assist. Leeds had an attack break down inside the Wolves box, only for Aaronson to show the tenacity Leeds was looking for when they brought him in, re-pressing to win the ball back immediately. That pressure saw the ball pop loose to Jack Harrison, who teed Rodrigo up for a 24th minute equalizer.

Aaronson went 84 minutes on the wing for Leeds, while Adams played the full 90 as a defensive midfielder in his Premier League debut.

Watch Aaronson not quite score

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Raúl Jiménez is out for ‘a number of weeks’ with knee and groin injuries

The Mexico striker will miss out on the start of the Premier League season

Raúl Jiménez will be out for “a number of weeks” with injuries to his knee and groin, Wolves have announced.

The Mexico international striker suffered the injury during last weekend’s friendly against Besiktas, and will now miss the beginning of his team’s 2022-23 Premier League campaign.

“Raul came off in the game against Besiktas after he stretched for the ball and felt something in his knee and his groin,” Wolves head of performance and medicine, Dr Rob Chakraverty, said in a statement.

“Scans reveal that he has suffered a medial collateral ligament injury to his knee and a minor strain of his adductor. Neither injury is very serious but he is expected to be out for a number of weeks.”

Jiménez scored six goals in 34 league appearances last season after recovering from a horrific skull fracture the previous campaign that nearly ended his career.

Wolves begin their Premier League campaign on August 6 against Leeds.

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Watch: Yellowstone wolves, bears not welcome at ‘bison funeral’

Recent footage captured at Yellowstone National Park shows what appears to be a bison funeral, with wolves and grizzly bears being kept out.

When a bison dies in Yellowstone National Park, it’s not long before the carcass attracts top predators such as wolves and grizzly bears, and much smaller scavengers.

But quite often an apparent mourning process plays out, during which all other critters wisely keep their distance.

The accompanying footage, captured last weekend by Julie Argyle Wildlife Photography, shows several wolves and two grizzly bears roaming a bison carcass perimeter closely guarded by bison.

Argyle wrote Tuesday on Facebook:

“When a bison dies in Yellowstone, most of the time the herd that’s in the area will come to pay their respects and surround the dead bison and protect it for hours. This was definitely the case the other day.

ALSO: Moose chases grizzly bear in wild scene caught on video

“As you can see in the video, wolves tried to come in and were chased away several times and two grizzly bears also tried to come in. None of them were allowed to get close to the dead bison until hours after it happened. Nature has an incredible way in life and death.”

Bison can be seen nudging the carcass, while others stand guard. While this behavior may not be considered rare, it’s rarely observed since it can occur far from roads and trails.

Argyle told For The Win Outdoors that she captured the footage in Lamar Valley while shooting through a spotting scope from a distance of 1,000 yards.

She did not know how long the “bison funeral” lasted because a storm swept through the valley and she left in near whiteout conditions.

The bison carcass appeared to be that of an adult and the cause of death was not known, Argyle said.

Yellowstone is home to more than 5,000 bison, which are social creatures that form large herds during spring and summer.

The immensely powerful animals can weigh as much as 2,000 pounds and run at speeds up to 30 mph, so they warrant a great deal of respect.

Lonely Yellowstone wolf cries out during rare close encounter

A Yellowstone National Park tourist enjoyed a rare encounter last week involving a lone wolf that paused on the road to howl as he drove past the animal.

A Yellowstone National Park tourist enjoyed a rare encounter last week involving a wolf that howled plaintively from the road as he drove past the iconic predator.

Justin Byerly’s footage, posted below, shows the dark-colored gray wolf trotting in the same direction on the other side of the road, and pausing to issue a skyward howl.

Byerly, of Woodlife Photography, told For The Win Outdoors that he encountered the wolf between Norris and Mammoth at about 2:30 p.m. That in itself is somewhat rare, given that wolves are most active at dawn and dusk.

Byerly did not see other wolves. “However, I believe it was calling to his other pack members to give his location,” he said.

The wolf is collared so it’s known to park biologists. Byerly believes the wolf belongs to the Wapiti Lake Pack.

ALSO ON FTW OUTDOORS: Grizzly bear charges within feet of trail-cam; ‘Look at those claws!’

He said he drove past the wolf to a pullout so he could watch it catch up as he was parked (see accompanying images). Byerly then left to explore the park.

A friend later told him that the wolf stayed on the road until a caravan of about 10 vehicles followed, then it vanished into the woods.

Justin Byerly/Woodlife Photography

Yellowstone’s wolves are most commonly spotted in Lamar Valley and Hayden Valley, and sightings typically involve distant animals. Close encounters involving lone wolves crying out for company are extremely rare.

Last Christmas Day, a different photographer captured footage showing a solo wolf howling into a snowy wilderness during a dawn encounter. That wolf also was said to belong to the Wapiti Lake Pack.

In December 2021, Yellowstone estimated the number of wolves living inside the park at 95 individuals – a 23% decline from 2020. The decline was due largely to relaxed hunting regulations outside the park, primarily in Montana. (Yellowstone wolves can be legally shot by hunters if they venture beyond park boundaries.)

In February 2022, toward the end of hunting season, the park estimated the number of Yellowstone wolves to number 90 individuals.

Hunting pressure continues to impact Yellowstone wolves

For those who may be wondering, the number of Yellowstone National Park wolves killed by hunters this season has increased to at least 23.

For those who may be wondering, the number of Yellowstone National Park wolves killed by hunters this season has increased to at least 23.

That’s the highest number of park wolves harvested by hunters in one season since the predators were reintroduced in 1995-96.

All 23 wolves were legally harvested after they had wandered outside park boundaries, mostly in Montana.

The high number is attributed to the easing by Montana of hunting regulations for 2021-22. New regulations increased quotas and eliminated buffer zones.

A Montana hunter/trapper can harvest as many as 20 wolves, with restrictions. A legal wolf is any male or female, including pups.

Members of the Junction Butte Pack. Top image shows a Wapiti Lake wolf. Credit: Yellowstone National Park

The overall Yellowstone wolf population is now an estimated 91 animals.

In a tally maintained by the park, 18 of the 23 wolves were killed by hunters in Montana. Three were harvested in Wyoming; two in Idaho.

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Packs most impacted: Phantom Lake (as many as 7 wolves killed); Junction Butte (6); Wapiti Lake (2), 8 Mile (2), and Bechler (2).

Four wolves were collared: 1234M of the Wapiti Lake Pack; 1109F, an older female recently dispersed from the Junction Butte Pack; 1238M of the Mollie’s Pack, and 1266M of the Wapiti Lake Pack.

Four pups were among the Yellowstone wolves harvested outside the park: two from the Bechler Pack and two from the Junction Butte Pack.

In early January, park officials issued a statement to the AP saying the high number of wolf kills represented “a significant setback for the species’ longterm viability and for wolf research.”

A state review is initiated after 450 wolves are killed, or when quotas are reached in either of seven regions. Otherwise, Montana has not backed off; the general hunting season runs through March 15.

–Note: This post is intended as an update for park aficionados and does not delve into the politics of wolf management or the reasoning behind changes of hunting regulations.