Briar's natal pack stretched itself thin with too many pups too quickly. Born after a large litter the year prior, there wasn't much to spare for a smaller, younger pup at mealtime. With his parents working overtime while trying to ready their elder children for adulthood, there was also little personal time between him and his parents.

As he got older, there was another litter on the way and Briar was left to his own devices to scrounge up whatever he could to eat when he wasn't competing with his siblings. This time on his own ultimately spared his life when his family started regularly hunting livestock. A cull was ordered for the nuisance animals with enough pressure from ranchers. Briar lingered for only a short time after the first shots. Leaving for a land with less human intrusion when none of his family members returned.