50% of wolves diet is mature bulls in March

[elkaholic]

See the study results from YNP. No wonder hunting opps. decline. Do we have relearn this in OR? I guess the answer is yes, and we will be sorry, IMO. When they say old and weak, they mean mature bulls guys, especially when they lose their antlers for defense.


Yellowstone wolves again eating older elk

April 30, 2007

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP) — Wolves in Yellowstone National Park have returned to killing older bull elk for food after an early winter preference for young elk.

Doug Smith, the park’s lead wolf biologist, said the wolves’ out-of-the-ordinary emphasis on elk calves in November and December was followed by a more typical diet of large male elk last month.

“This is right in line with what they do in March,” Smith said.

Late last year, a survey by park biologists showed about 75 percent of the wolf kills were calves, 15 percent were bulls and about 10 percent were females. There was some speculation that the early mild conditions made it harder for wolves to get adult elk, so they turned to the weaker calves.

But in March, about half of the kills were bulls, roughly 25 percent were calves and 25 percent were adult females, Smith said.

The surveys are conducted every December and March to get an idea of what wolves are eating and how the population is faring.

[baltz526]

what population? oh i get it. the population that has crashed and is down over 60% in ten years. so when the population stabilizes at 15% of the prewolf population and the elk is near endangered protections, everyone on the east coast will be happy

[ehunter]

Yep we will have to stop hunting so the poor starving wolfs will get dinner I think this is a real threat...

[Chug]

Originally Posted by ehunter

Yep we will have to stop hunting so the poor starving wolfs will get dinner I think this is a real threat...

Nah,.. Lots of campers out in the woods, .. they are easy prey Vs elk.

[Limbhanger]

Writing letters supporting the de-listing effort and classifying them as game animals is important and a good start.

There is no reason not to have a sound management program for wolves based on lessons learned in WY. & ID. Not classifying them as game animals from the start here in OR. knowing what they know about wolves and the impact they have would be completely irresponsible.......IMO.

[scottishsetter]

[RAGHORN!]

"The surveys are conducted every December and March to get an idea of what wolves are eating and how the population is faring."

I think they are more concerned with the wolf population:frown:

[toas243]

If you do not purchase a hunting license and report you harvests you should not be allowed to mess with hunting .