Are there any videos of “subduction wolves” doing their job?

[Deleted]

I have discussed it with Bolushi but I have never seen a video/photo of it firsthand. We talked about in a Discord server how specialized dog breeds can thank the wolf playbook for that. That eventually spiraled down to “bulldogs exploit the subduction role vital in wolf packs where the biggest or bigger wolf will help subduct their prey” But I wanna see some photos/videos or even sources of wolves doing the “subduction” role in the hunt. I’m interested in it because I wanna show some photos to people that are uneducated.

[Hardcastle]

Subjugation... One will grab the head and just hold while others do a different kind of damaging bites to the hindquarters and flanks which don't hold. Maybe tug a little but there's a clear intent to rip the flesh out, while with the "subjugator" they're clearly just holding. You will see them just "anchoring" and lugging while the others do their stuff. It's not as clear cut and stark as gripping dogs, the hold probably won't be held for as long or as "steadfast", but the wolf is clearly holding the prey still so it can't retaliate to the damaging bites of the others.



There's no point drying to "damage" the ear of this boar, it's a hold to control and make the boar helpless so they can work towards the kill.

I have seen it on film many times but not sure where to look offhand.

[Deleted]

There is definitely a video of some big wolf grabbing a big bison by the side of the face and after that it was just fucked.

[Deleted]

Jan 11, 2023 5:58:32 GMT Hardcastle said:

Subjugation... One will grab the head and just hold while others do a different kind of damaging bites to the hindquarters and flanks which don't hold. Maybe tug a little but there's a clear intent to rip the flesh out, while with the "subjugator" they're clearly just holding. You will see them just "anchoring" and lugging while the others do their stuff. It's not as clear cut and stark as gripping dogs, the hold probably won't be held for as long or as "steadfast", but the wolf is clearly holding the prey still so it can't retaliate to the damaging bites of the others.



There's no point drying to "damage" the ear of this boar, it's a hold to control and make the boar helpless so they can work towards the kill.

I have seen it on film many times but not sure where to look offhand.

Yeah. I’d consider how humans use dogs (domesticated wolves) in boar hunts to be the same thing wolves do. Except, more selection and the human ends the hunt with a knife or less commonly a gun. Typically from the videos i’ve seen, the bay dogs will sit and bark, bite and harass the quarry employing a cur strategy. The catch dogs are released after and depending on context, go from either the front or behind and latch/lug the boar. After that the bay dogs jump in and latch onto the boar as well. Then the human comes and dispatches the boar. Also, in dogs, like wolves the biggest most strongest wolf or dog takes on that role of subjugation.

[Hardcastle]

Yeah it is the same. Whether it's a "subjugation wolf" or a gripping dog, the role is the same within the social unit, and the individual canine performing that role is knowingly holding and subduing the quarry for it's team mates to safely kill. They aren't biting the head trying to kill with a head bite, they are intentionally stretching out and incapacitating the target so it can be killed. They are saying "Yep I got him all set up for you, kill him" to their pack mates. It's also the most dangerous job, you are the one putting yourself in harm's way so your team mates don't have to.

I do recall seeing a documentary on the druid pack and they briefly referred to how different pack members have different jobs and they mention how the biggest wolf (not the alpha but the biggest) was responsible for holding the prey still by the head, would lumber in at the end and actually did not and could not keep up with the rest of the procedure. They compared it to a male lion's role in the pride where they kind of show up to some hunts to add muscle and weight for bringing down stubborn buffs and giraffes, but it's just exactly the role of a catch dog (and they also have herding dogs in the pack and scenthounds and sighthound coursers), and tbh the male lion basically fills a catch dog niche for it's social unit as well. In wolf packs the roles become more apparent and clear the bigger the pack is, which is what made the druid pack such an interesting lesson in how a really healthy wolf pack operates. It's like a village with different occupations. A smaller pack and the members all resort to being more generalist and opportunistic.