Hunting and Food   Home Habitat Hunting and Food Social Behavior Communication Howling Courtship and Mating Birthing and Maturation Parenting Management Literature Wolves spend most of their waking time either eating or hunting. Hunting is a continual process, after a meal is finished a new hunt begins. Wolves will travel an average distance of 36km between hunts. Prey can be located by either scenting, tracking or chance encounter. Scenting is the most used method since their sense of smell allows them to catch the scent of wildlife prey when within about 300m downwind (Mech 15), and some livestock from as much as 3 km. Once prey is located, it is stalked, slowly at first, but more quickly as the gap closes. At about 30m the prey usually detects the wolf and either runs or makes a stand. If the prey decides to stand and fight instead of bolt it is a rare occasion that the hunt continues, those that bolt are often the ones that are killed. Once the prey bolts the wolves rush in and attack as a group, nipping and biting at the hind quarters and shoulders. Upon overtaking the prey all wolves begin eating and the meal is finished within minutes (C&F 466). A wolf’s diet consists mainly of big game and only very small portions are rodents and other small animals, the most common prey are white-tail, moose and caribou. Only rarely do wolves attack domestic animals, but when they do it is usually animals such as cattle, horses, dogs and cats ( C&F 465).