First footage of wolves scavenging a cougar kill in Minnesota—and likely eastern North America
The first video evidence, to our knowledge, of a wolf scavenging a cougar kill in Minnesota—and likely eastern North America. No doubt wolves in our area are aware that cougars are around, and this wolf scavenged this cougar’s kill multiple times in the days after the kill was made.
Wolves are excellent scavengers and will readily take advantage of free meals such as this, especially during the snow-free months when calories are harder to come by. Of course, this is almost certainly not the first time a wolf has scavenged a cougar kill in the eastern US in recent history—it has probably happened many times, just has not been documented before.
One of the reasons we are keen to understand cougars in the area is because cougars are the only predator in our system that directly competes with wolves in a meaningful way: in particular, they both rely on the same prey (deer and beavers), and cougars will kill wolves (and vice versa).
Wolves do not directly compete for food with the other predators in our area (black bears, lynx, coyotes, and bobcats), except for a short period when deer fawns are young and vulnerable, because these other predators do not hunt larger prey like wolves do.
We need your support for this research! We are only **29%** away from our fundraising goal, a portion of which will be used to study and document the cougars in the area—and hopefully capture direct or indirect interactions with wolves (such as at kills like this).
So support this research by donating here: https://crowdfund.umn.edu/campaigns/VWP2026
Lastly, huge thanks to the Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund (ENRTF) and 10,600 private donors for supporting the Voyageurs Wolf Project. And thanks to the ENRTF for supporting our recent effort to understand deer survival in the area. Their support was critical to this observation—without it, we would never have captured this footage.
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@catsatdusk6710
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
I'm surprised the cougar didn't come back
@craigkowalczyk3516
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Surprised there’s even a single deer left with those predators roaming the woods.
@thereforeayam
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
gotta eat while one can, even with a weird light flashing
@jimedmondson315
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Beautiful cougar. Not at all like the ones that frequent the happy hour at my local watering hole.
@GreyWolf_006
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Wow great videos . Thank you 🫡
@BigBear3535
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
At 0:57, there is a bird in the background making a loud cacacacaca type noise. Can someone tell me what bird that is?
@JoeSpacePirate
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Tastes like chicken.
@sturmovik1274
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
If the wolves are aware of how dangerous a cougar is, that means there've been at least a few direct confrontations. Now THAT would be some excellent video.
@jimmiizzy6283
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
A wolf all day long, "Ya, I'll eat that."
@jeffinphx517
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
I wonder if the cougar had made another kill and left those remains?
@chriscurtis3150
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Have there been any footage of the wolves and cat fighting or trying to?
@aljordan2698
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
I’m sure they’ll be all extinct soon! Heard Somali’s love dog and cat meat!!
@mikhailhutchcraft7711
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Let's hope the cougars make it all the way out east
@der6519
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
That Cougar would have made quick work of that lone wolf.
@dougmurray7684
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
I assume this is a Red wolf? I would think a cougar or mountain lion would have it all over on the wolf in a tussle. Not sure about a Grey wolf though. Much larger animal.
@ajspuhler
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
cronch cronch cronch
@patrickjeffers7864
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Yo I'd be pissed if somebody ate my food..cougar gotta get it back in blood 😩
@johnmorganjr769
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Sleep near your leftovers!
@thuggoe
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Incredible
@glemire7511
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Eating outdoors where dirt on your food is treated like the usual condiment.
@carlzapffe7858
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Look at the way the wolf’s tail is curled down between his hind legs in an expression of fear and submission‼️
@jeffreyhansen4446
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
That was the last deer up there now the wolf and the cougar will have to eat each other
@354sd
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
How can wolves eat bones and dogs aren't supposed to?
@zarmindrow5831
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Pretty rare stuff. I've seen werewolves do that but never regular wolves.
@4xzx4
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Such a cute wolf! Looks like just a bigger coyote. ❤️😆
@bradrosdobutko6494
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
beautiful cougar and in northern mn voyageour park which borders northwest ont. fort frances to atikokan area if they are that far north they will definately move further north into ont. with time
@abilliongazillion356
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
cold meat, cold bones, all while looking over your shoulder, lucky to have it.
@patrickpryal9344
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Pretty soon there won't be any deer or moose left in NE Minnesota !
@nachgeben
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
There is so much to be said about the digestive systems of both these animals and their domestic cousins. It's amazing to me how they can feed on things dead for a day or more and come out just fine.
And this is like the far more awesome version of all the times I had to chase down my dogs after they discovered my barn cats' kills 😢
@stuartrollings602
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Liked n hyped! ❤ I guess bones are better than nothing! 😂
@DwightStJohn-t7y
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
those are polite Canadian wolves just down from Manitoba: it's called 'thread the needle" and he's really good at it.
@ilikeminecraftgaming9331
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
The breaking of the bone are like ASMR!Lol!😂
@heathermathers9747
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
This video in the daylight, of the wolf scavenging the cougar kill shows what we see on carcasses here on Vancouver Island – the hair of the deer has been scruffed off – it seems cougars dont like fuzz up their noses when they bite through the hide ?
@blueroses4112
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
0:22 There’s something grotesquely hilarious about the wolf trying to drag this gangly half-carcass through the sticks and brush 😅
@dw3094
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
I was hoping to see the cougar show up!
@camp44mag
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Fascinating. And crunchy.
@wendycampion4717
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Great footage. My question is, why was the deer tagged in the first place. Was it for this moment of video? (Including the cougar), then ok , cool. Did I just answer my question? 🤔😊🙏🇦🇺
@WolfMage888
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Wolf form of door dash!?!?! 😂
@clarkdavis3588
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Thanks so much for posting your videos.
@sunset6010
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
They are 🌟 STUNNING 🌟
@dalepotter6918
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Such a beautiful wolf
@sven1946
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Known fact that wolves follow big cats around to find their hidden kills . Big Cats are twice the predator Wolves are smart enough to take advantage of their skill
@JeffVikings63to26
June 12, 2026 at 9:29 pm
Wolves are very nervous! The Wolf is no longer king of Minnesota's jungle