Good point. It would be too risky.

So let's put the mountains aside: no shelter, too risky but there is food.

Let's focus on the remaining ones: Rocky Terrain, Fields, Redwood Forest

Redwoods have more in my favor. The fields are my second. Plus if they decide to be nomadic and move to the redwoods in the fall and winter for better warmth and shield from the snow and close to the elk herds but still at a distance where the elk doesn't feel threatened 24/7. I'm still hashing the ideas

I see the Rocky Tereain being used if the lake (in redwoods) and the river by the fields floods during the spring. As it's dry and more elevated but less risky than the mountains

Yeah, plus pups are typically born in spring/summer so that would make the perfect time for them to go whelp there

Yea. I like the fact the pack moving for pregnant females. As it is a little realistic I think. It's been a while since I watched a wolf documentary l. I think the females leave the pack to have their babies. But since they are dogs they need each other and are more emotionally dependent on each other

Not me going and researching it. So the female whelps alone but she doesn't really leave the rest of the pack, she stays close enough and her packmates bring food back to her. I think poor recon would have a heartattack if Doji just straight up left to have the pups...I think that would be funny, the typically stoic, tough dog, reduced to a panicking dad to be.

Fires are alot less in islands with no human population so I think redwood is safe but not completely as bears and old trees might fall but everything is possible

Yes ik fires won't be probable cause most of the time it's man made/accidents. But in dry areas when the field grows dead and the trees become dead all it takes is lightning strike or something. (I'm not exactly sure, fact check if I'm wrong) so wildfires would be rare

Oh I know tons about wolves especially with dog genetics mixed into pure wolf will make them less likely to abandon any pregnant females.

Wolves normally leave the pregnant female in a safe place sometimes with a couple other wolves for protection or to protect the home aswell.

Then the pack hunts brings back food and cycle repeats throughout the days

I like the idea of them being nomadic. I think the redwoods would be a good spot for winter since they’d be more shielded from the snow, like you mentioned Nirvana.