>Excellent point. Research in Minnesota
>suggests that the 2200 wolves
>in that state killed and
>ate an estimated 33 -
>42,000 deer in 2013!
>It will be enlightening as
>more research is done here
>in Idaho on wolf predation
>to see just how many
>elk are being killed and
>what ages are being killed.
>
The studies have already been done, and results vary from 16-23 elk per year.
Locally we have watched things change as the wolves move in, it starts with lower cow/calf ratios with in a few years of wolf arrival. The cow/calf ratios continue to drop, as wolf numbers increase, reaching low teens and can even reach single digit. After five years of low cow calf ratios, the over all population begins to plummet as the older animals die off.
We also see plenty of mature animals taken through wolf predation, they can be very hard on the mature bulls at times while these bulls stay high in the deeper snow.