The Rise of Wolf 8: Witnessing the Triumph of Yellowstone's Underdog (The Alpha Wolves of Yellowstone, 1)

The Rise of Wolf 8 is a wonderful book. When one thinks back 40-50 years, there was little out there to read in regard to wolves, other than professional research publications, or David Mech’s two wolf publications, until Barry Lopez’ Of Wolves and Men. Now we have books such as Rick McIntyre’s The Rise of Wolf 8 which presents a very intimate look at particular wolves in Yellowstone National Park. The author has taken a plethora of observational notes and woven them together to create a very readable and enjoyable narrative of the lives of individual wolves, and the packs to which they belong. That said, the book demands continual reading unless the reader keeps his or her own separate genealogical record of the different wolves that compose the lion’s share of McIntyres’ story. In other words, if one were to read a few pages a day spread over 2-3 weeks, there’s a good chance the reader would lose track which wolf was which. The wolves central to the book are: 8, 21, 40, 42, and perhaps 163. However, the author’s narrative will maintain the readers interest, to the point of rekindling the research of the late Gordon Haber, in the book assembled from Haber’s notes by Marybeth Holleman - Among Wolves, where Haber hints at cultural development in wolves. McIntyre makes the reader feel as if they are present viewing these wolves between their 1995 reintroduction and 2000. To borrow a portion of Henry Beston’s quote, “ In a world older and more complete than ours, they move finished and complete, gifted with the extension of the senses we have lost or never attained, living by voices we shall never hear,” McIntyre provides insight to the reader on how this quote is so true. I heartily recommend Rick McIntyre’s The Rise of Wolf 8.

My first visit to Yellowstone in the fall of 2019 unleashed a desire to learn more about the wolves. We were lucky enough to witness wolves throughout the Lamar Valley and found the experience to be quite exhilarating. While attempting to learn as much as possible about the reintroduction of the wolves into Yellowstone a helpful guide told us about this book. Wow... so glad we purchased this book! Once I started reading I could not put the book down. He shares the personalities and behaviors of the wolves in such a way that you come to love them. Reading this book you will also learn about the impact the wolves had on the eco system in Yellowstone and it only increases your respect and love for the wolves. I have so much respect and appreciation for the many people who have dedicated their lives to putting the howl of the wolf back into Yellowstone! We seemed to be hooked. Second visit in the spring of 2020 we saw more wolves. The pictures I included are two wolves from the Molly pack. We watched them for hours as they carefully made their way across the river to join the rest of the pack. We also had the opportunity to watch the wolf pups at Slough Creek. We had the good fortune to meet Rick during this particular visit. There he was sharing his knowledge with all that had gathered for a glimpse of the wolves. Glad we had the chance to shake his hand and say thank you! We are going back this fall and already planning a winter trip. It is a story that you just don’t want to end. A big thank you to Rick for all of the personal sacrifices and hard work he has given to share this story with us! Looking forward to his second book coming out later this month as well as many more trips to Yellowstone to observe the story as it continues to unfold.

This is the first book in Rick McIntyre's set of books about Yellowstone's wolves and is honestly the best book to start with. The story details the beginning of the wolf re-introduction in Yellowstone and provides a great amount of detail in a manner that is easy to understand and engages the reader. It's an easy read and provides a glimpse into the triumphs and struggles that the wolf population in Yellowstone (and everywhere in the West honestly) encounters on a yearly basis. If you're going to Yellowstone to watch wolves, I recommend starting here and reading the entire set of books by Rick, they are great.

Unless you have no feelings for animals at all, I predict that most of those of you who read this will be deeply moved. The author meticulously details exactly what he saw in the behavior of many wolves he carefully observed over a period of years. This book centers around the life of an undersized male with the heart of a lion. A wonderful tale! Set aside enough time to dive in and enjoy.

Fascinating read if you have an interest in the survival of wildlife species. Have casually followed the habitat and survival of wolves for years. This read reassured me that their existence is well worth the effort. Thank you Rick McIntyre!

Not only is Rick one of the most perceptive observer of wolves, his narrative skills and writing style put you in the field with him, with spotting scope, with the splendor of Yellowstone as a back drop, gazing at wolves and observing their interactions. I am fortunate to have learned from Rick and attempted to model his observational skills to my students. Although I will never fully succeed at that skill, I have gained a deepening respect, not only of wolf behavior but also their complexity of existence. One day while in the field, I heard Rick tell my students that “wolves are a lot like us.” He then related a tale of a wolf and its relationship to another pack with encyclopedic accuracy. No one tells a passionate story like Rick McIntyre. This book is an extension of those extraordinary skills, putting the reader, there, at that place and time. Joseph Allen, SUNY at Buffalo, Retired

Good read

First book in a great series by the author about the Yellowstone wolves. Tone is a bit like a David Attenborough documentary, combining factual observations with reverence for the remarkable wolves. Feels like you’re actually there observing and getting to know individual wolves, their characteristics and stories. Very easy to read, though if you take a break for more than a few days, you may forget which wolf is which, since they have mostly numbers rather than names. But you won’t want to take a break. You will probably steam through it quickly and move on to the next book in the series. Then you will read them again. And again. Inspiring, humbling, sad and joyful, you begin to understand how our ancestors learned from observing wolves the benefits of a social structure and why we love our dogs. Sad that so many wolves are now being killed since they were delisted due to political agendas. We have much to learn about and from wolves.