Re. the no female wolfcarls...I know that it wasn't explicitly mentioned,
Your explanation may well be right. I was just surprised because most of the other gender roles in the book are explicitly mentioned and explore. And most societies that are male-dominated have always had some sort of explanation as to why women can't participate in [insert activity here]. I was watching for that explanation and how it applied to trellwolves, and I didn't see it. I do think it's a plothole.