How to Howl Like a Wolf

Co-authored by Patrick Muñoz

Last Updated: September 23, 2024 Approved

In the wild, wolves howl to communicate with other wolves. You can imitate a wolf howl for fun, or you can use the vocalization as a way to determine whether there are wolves nearby. Know that wolves howl most frequently around sunrise and sunset, when they are most active. If you howl in the wild, be prepared for any nearby wolves to come to you!

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Howling Basics

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1
Howl to find out if there are wolves nearby. In the wild, wolves howl as a way of communicating with other wolves. However, wolves will often answer a sound that closely resembles an actual howl. Wildlife biologists use fake howling as a research tool to determine whether there are any wolves in a given area: they'll howl into the woods, then record the number of replies.
- Wolves howl as a territorial defense, as a social activity, and as a means of locating other members of the pack. In groups, wolves howl to motivate and rally one another to move or to hunt. ^{[1]
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  Research source}
- Howl from a high place that is clear of trees. You want the noise to resonate!
- If you have access to the Internet, research wolf ranges and populations in your area. Wolves are endangered, and their activity has been well-documented by wildlife biologists.
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Howl day or night. It is a common misconception that wolves only howl at the moon – and, indeed, that they only howl at night. Wolves actually howl most frequently around sunrise and sunset, when they are generally more active than other times of the day. ^{[2]
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Research source} If you are trying to get wolves to howl back at you, it may help to howl when they are most active.
- Wolves howl to each other year-round. However, most packs do tend to howl more often in the winter than in the summer.
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Packs of wolves use a particular howling structure: the alpha wolf begins the howl with one high, piercing note, and then the rest of the wolves gradually join in with various low, mournful pitches. Wolves that howl alone are often trying to locate other members of their pack.
Wolves are highly social creatures, and they are very good at pinpointing the origin of a howl. If you howl in the wild and there are wolves nearby, there is a good chance that they will come to you. ^{[3]
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Research source} If you don't want to encounter any wolves, consider leaving the area quickly.

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Howling Like a Wolf

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Listen to audio recordings of wolf howls if you can. It will be much easier to imitate the howl if you know what it sounds like!
Inhale slowly and consistently until your lungs are completely full of air. You'll need a large volume of air to imitate the volume and duration of an actual wolf howl. ^{[4]
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Start howling slowly. Cup your hands around your mouth as if you are going to shout. Begin with a low, mournful note, and then quickly increase your pitch by one octave: "A-woooooooooo!" Build up the volume of the howl so that it grows louder and louder. Hold the howl for as long as you can – at least a few seconds. As you feel your breath waning, gradually low your pitch and "fade out" of the howl.
- You can tell what a howl means by its pitch and strength. The longer the howl, the more powerful the emotion. Researchers also use pitch and volume to distinguish between individual wolves.
Wolves rarely howl just once. If you want to imitate a wolf pack, then have several friends howl with you. Make sure that some of you howl in lower pitches, and some of you in higher pitches. Each wolf has a unique voice, and other wolves use these slight variations in pitch to identify who is howling. ^{[5]
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For the howl, do I have to cup my hands around my mouth to make a better sound, or can I leave my hands by my sides?

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Cupping your hands around your mouth helps to form the muzzle that real wolves have. It will make the sound deeper and louder, as well as carry it farther.

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Why would humans want to howl? Is there a reason?

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It depends on what age you are. If you're a kid, maybe you would want to howl for a game or just for fun. If you're an adult, maybe it's like a primal scream to get back to your ancestral roots of being in the wilds or maybe it's to communicate with wolves while out in the woods. The diversity of benign human interests is to be celebrated.

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Would this be a good idea to do when I'm trying to connect with my spirit animal (a wolf)?

realHerobrine iHerobrine

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Yes, it is. For best results, make sure to drink a lot of water to keep your voice clear and your throat hydrated.

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When howling raise your head, as it gives more clarity and it makes you look more like a wolf when howling.

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Put emotion into your howl.

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Blow a lot of air through your mouth to hit a high pitch. To make a low pitch, blow less, and blow slowly.

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Curling your tongue back towards itself helps to get a more "canine sound, at least in my experience.
Make it sound like ''aaa....rrooowwoorroo'' to be more realistic.

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Warnings

If you howl in wolf country, you will attract nearby wolves. Wolves can be dangerous to humans, especially if they're hungry during a time of scarce prey. Think before you howl!

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