The first of 13 full moons for 2023, known as the Wolf Moon, debuts Friday. The name is fitting since wolves are particularly loud and active in the first months of the year as they search for mates ahead of the February breeding season. There is no scientific evidence that wolves consciously howl at the moon, but they are nocturnal animals that do point their faces to the sky projecting their howl upwards to carry farther. Imagine the natural acoustics of a snow-covered landscape under a full moon on a cold and silent January night.
Are there still wolves in Missouri?
Gray wolves have been extirpated (no longer here) from the state since the early 1900s because of overhunting and loss of habitat. However, occasionally a gray wolf wonders into northern Missouri from Minnesota or Wisconsin. The last red wolf to be found in Missouri was recorded in 1950. There is a red wolf breeding facility associated with the St. Louis Zoo, but there are no plans to reintroduce wolves in the wild in Missouri.
The Missouri Department of Conservation invites people to join them this Saturday for one of three Cold Cordage sessions and learn the art of making cordage, twisting plant fibers from native prairie plants to make string or cord. It’s not hard to imagine making rope in front of a roaring fire on a cold winter night while wolves howl at the moon looking for mates. Registration is at https://mdc.mo.gov/events?combine_event=&location=1392&county=All®ion=702
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