wolf study-a must read

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inthehunt

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This is a study just out by a very reputable biologist/professor here in MT. He has worked predator studies all over the world. Finally some very definitive evidence that not only do wolves prey on elk but actually cause much larger declines in populations due to the change in elk behavior resulting in poor foraging-calving rates. We should all read this and pass it on as we try to conduct the first wolf season in MT. The more educated we are about this the stronger our cause is.
The link is:

http://www.montana.edu/cpa/news/nwview.php?article=7324
 
Very interesting!! I actually just completed a report on the Wyoming wolf population and its decimation on the elk population that I presented at Utah State University a couple months ago. The effects of the decision to reintroduce wolves will be felt for years im afraid. I wish I would have had this study when I presented! Good information! Thanks for sharing.
 
I was in the park the other night from about 4 pm till dark. I drove in at Gardiner and all the way through Lamar valley to the pebble creek campground and back. I saw 3 grizz, 2 large black bear boars, a black bear sow and cub, 3 mule deer, a loone cow moose(where is the calf)???? and plenty of pronghorn and bison. It wasn't like I was driving and just watching like the regular tourists.....I glassed and glassed at almost every pullout. I saw a grand total of 10 elk. 10!! One bull and three cows without calves were actually in the "wild" the three other cows had calves and were sitting in the middle of Mammoth on the lawn. Give me a break.
I was looking for mule deer the other morning in central MT(no wolves in the area that I have seen) and ran into 35 or so head of elk...12 of them were bulls the rest were cows and calves. I would say the Yellowstone elk are totally screwed. Why else are they seeing wolves in Utah, Colorado, and other places??? Cause the wolves have ran off or killed the park elk. On the Manti in Utah they put between 60-65 calves on the ground and throught their first winter per 100 cows. They would probably do close to 80 if the college students by Ephriam would slow down on HWY 89 at night. In the Jackson Hole area it more like 25-30 calves. Do the math.
They used to kill between 4 and 5 thousand elk in Paradise Valley in the winter to help control the population....now there are more bison tags in Gardiner than bull elk tags.
I know its a long rant but these wolf lovers need to realize that the elk foundation and thousands of hunters wko pay millions of dollars every year to hunt want elk for more than just a food source for thier precious wolves.
 
This is a great study. Finally someone that shows the secondary impacts of predation and the introduction or re-introduction of a species that has been absent from the ecosystem for a long time.

The wolves by being wolves are having not necessarily a direct impact on the population but secondary impact by displacing them from their preferred, quality habitat.

I would be willing to bet (in many areas across the west) we are seeing the same thing with elk and mule deer. Where deer populations didn't evolve with and abundance of elk, we may be seeing this same thing. While there may not be a direct negative impact and competition for food/cover resources, the elk are causing the mule deer to move into lesser quality areas leading to secondary negative impacts and a reduction in population numbers. At least a theory I have.

Todd Black
BTO
 
My comments mirror Todd's.
I also wonder if the same secondary effects of predation are affecting mule deer in areas where lion and coyote populations are now very high? Our deer herds are no where near the population levels they were only two decades ago. And that seems to be the story for mule deer though out most of the west.


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Measure wealth by the things you have,, for which you would not take money.
 
Well stated Todd.
The "Unintended Consequences" that occurred are having a catastrophic impact on elk.

I wonder now how many minds will be changed in the "protect the wolf at all cost" crowd



"In nature there are neither rewards nor punishments; there are consequences"
Robert Green Ingersoll
 
Very good study. I beleive that increase in elk herd numbners do affect deer as well.

I agree that preditors Lions and Coyotes chasing and harrassing deer, like wise can and will affect nutrition, energy and fat reserves contributing to heath and reproduction rates, which effects populations.
 
I'm calling BS on that study. I saw Never Cry Wolf and March of the Penguins, and they never mentioned one word about this.:)

Eel
 
This study goes a long way towards explaining the crash in big game populations that is occurring where wolves are established.
I believe, however, that there are other areas where the same result is occurring, but with a different cause.

In much of Eastern Oregon, the best habitat during late spring-early summer is on the fringes of the National Forest where it interfaces with BLM land. Most of these forests have road densities that exceed 3.0 miles of road per square mile, and off-road motorized travel is unrestricted in most cases. Shed hunters, turkey season, general recreationalists, ATV ers, etc. hammer these lands during the critical late March to early June period. Same thing happens in the fall, except hunting seasons that run from mid August through November add to the pressure. The result is that for significant portions of the year, elk are forced out of their preferred habitat into less favorable areas.

Scoutdog
 
No if we can just get our respective state wildlife agencies to reinforce and perhaps replicate the study, we can get back to managing wolves in Wyoming.
 
I am going to throw something out here. :)

I believe that most game departments know, or at least strongly suspect that today's high predator populations are having an impact on many game species. From ravens and coyotes affecting sage grouse populations. To lions and coyotes hurting mule deer herds, and lions eating wild sheep. But the topic is kept muted, on the back burner and not talked about much. Why would this be the case? Because to acknowledge the big problem, would also generate expectations and demand from hunters to do something about saving game populations. But what can game departments actually do to reverse the trend of high and higher predator populations? In reality, not very much. With lions being protected, trapping curtailed, hound hunting restricted or outlawed outright, how do we control predators? The idiotic green movement going on in this country right now has more numbers than the hunting population has and numbers of voters calls the shots. We hunters are a minority that is being more and more restricted each year. Politics controls this country right now. Look at our lack of energy development, natural resource job losses, restricted logging and mining. This country has been dealt it's own death by a thousand little blows from well meaning idiots. (Just an opinion of course.)

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Measure wealth by the things you have,, for which you would not take money.
 

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