Wolves are believed to have made their way to Isle Royale by crossing ice bridges from Minnesota or the Canadian province of Ontario in the mid-20th century.
A report released Monday by the Michigan Tech research team, which tallied live wolves during low-altitude flights last winter, said 12 had been spotted.
Four social groups appeared to be taking shape, displaying signs of courtship and willingness to mate, although they weren't sufficiently structured to be considered packs, the Michigan Tech report said.
The Michigan Tech team's moose census, also based on aerial observations, estimated the population at 1,876.
Last winter, moose munched virtually all the new growth that had poked above the snow in one monitored section.