Mongolian wolves are skilled and resourceful hunters, respected by Mongolians, but also disliked for their preying on livestock.  The mongolian word for wolf is chon.
In the Mongolian Epic The Secret History of the Mongols, wolves are portrayed with respect for their power, stealth, and tenacity. Today in Mongolia, wolves are still very respected. It is believed that no one can see a wolf unless he or she is that wolf’s equal, and you cannot kill a wolf unless it chooses to submit to you. A large part of why Mongolians respect wolves so much stems from their way of life. Historically, Mongolia has been a nation of herders and hunters, and in both, wolves are very influential. As herders, Mongolians had to respect a wolf’s ability to kill their animals and disrupt their lives. As hunters, Mongolians respect wolves because of their ability to be such powerful and successful hunters.
Wolves will eat almost anything they can catch. They usually hunt in packs but sometimes might be on their own. A pack of wolves can take down animals much larger and stronger then themselves. Wolves are very intelligent creatures, maybe the most intelligent animals besides humans.
Why Wolves Hunt
Wolves are strict carnivores, meaning that they only eat meat. To stay alive all animals require to eat some sort of food to provide energy and nutrients for their body. Wolves do not kill for sport, but for survival.
What Wolves Hunt
 Wolves hunt just about everything that will provide a meal for them. Depending on the area in which they live and the time of season they hunt everything from large birds to large mammals to small ones. For more information on what wolves hunt and eat, look at the wolf feeding page.
Some of the things that wolves hunt include.
-Deer
-Moose
-Caribou
-Elk
-Rabbits
-Birds
Wolves usually prey upon the sick, weak, and old animals that they come across. It is much easier for them to hunt these animals then it is a full grown healthy one. By killing off the weak animals, wolves help strengthen the herd of which they take their weak prey from. Old or unhealthy animals can be a burden to its herd. For example, an aged caribou eats food that other caribou need to raise their young. A sick elk could infect other members of the herd. Wolves eliminate such animals performing an important natural function.
When Wolves Hunt
Wolves hunt at any time day or night. Wolves hunt when they are hungry but if they are not successful they can go without food for many days and even weeks.
Where Wolves Hunt
Wolves usually hunt in packs. Each pack has its own territory in which it hunts and lives. The pack defends and guards this territory from other intruding wolves. The territory size depends on the availability of prey. If prey is scarce, the territory may cover as much as 800 square miles (2,100 square kilometers). If prey is plentiful, the area may be as small as 30 square miles (77 kilometers).
Some wolves are not in packs, these wolves are called lone wolves. They hunt by themselves while wandering around. They usually target smaller, weaker creatures to hunt. At some point the lone wolf might join another lone wolf and form its own pack to hunt with.
How Wolves Hunt
 At the beginning of the hunt the members of the pack gather together greeting each other with howls. These howls will warn off other wolves in the area to stay out of the packs territory. The pack will then roam through their territory until they find prey. After finding and choosing a particular animal, they move in on it from the opposite direction the wind is blowing. This prevents the prey from smelling the wolves coming, becoming alert, then running away. The wolves will quietly close in on the prey, sometimes in single file. Soon they will break into a run and the chase begins.
If the wolves are able to catch their prey, they attack the rump or sides of the animal. Nipping and biting they try to wound and weaken the animal. Most of the bigger animals wolves hunt have horns on their heads. These horns are used for defense against such animals as wolves. When attacking the wolves will bite at areas away from the head of the prey avoiding the sharp horns. After the animal has been weakened the wolves will take the animal down by grabbing it by the throat or snout. Wolf hunts can last only a few minutes or as long as a few hours or more.
After the hunt, the wolves will gorge on the kill if it was successful. They have large stomachs, enabling them to eat 20 pounds (9 kilograms) of meat or more. If the hunt is not successful the wolves will continue on searching for new prey, maybe one that is weaker, providing an easier kill. Wolves can go without food for weeks at a time.
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