Wolf Pack Slaughters 19 Elk in Rare 'Surplus Killing'

[dracb]

Not quite the way it works.

[sakohunter]

I am not a Biologist. Are you? I don't hate wolves for doing what they do. They are really good at adapting for their survival and in a well balanced ecosystem they play a very important part in the prey animal survival. When Human interaction with wolves is negative the wolves pay the price. When in reality the problem maybe human caused in the first place, but in the end the wolves pay for being really good killing machines. I have enjoyed every brief encounter with wolves that I have had, they are magnificent animals. Ranchers I know don't feel the same way, and I understand the economic hardships that the wolves cause them. It is a tough situation with only one easy answer shoot wolves, rather then suffer economically.

[bearvalley]

sakohunter, I'm not out to pick an argument but we cannot sustainably manage wildlife and at the same time infringe on and alter habitat without making wolf management a key component of the plan.

[GoatGuy]

I am not a Biologist. Are you? I don't hate wolves for doing what they do. They are really good at adapting for their survival and in a well balanced ecosystem they play a very important part in the prey animal survival. When Human interaction with wolves is negative the wolves pay the price. When in reality the problem maybe human caused in the first place, but in the end the wolves pay for being really good killing machines. I have enjoyed every brief encounter with wolves that I have had, they are magnificent animals. Ranchers I know don't feel the same way, and I understand the economic hardships that the wolves cause them. It is a tough situation with only one easy answer shoot wolves, rather then suffer economically.

The concept of balance and ecosystem disappears with people, highways, railways, fences, cities, mines, dams, hydro lines, roads, quads, trucks, heliskiing, catskiing, wildlife exclusion fences, farms, fire suppression, bridges, ....... you get the point.

Even between Jasper and Banff mountain caribou populations have all declined and some have disappeared in an area that is 1.6 M hectares (not including willmore) of "National Park". Parks Canada will point the finger at everyone else, but the bottom line is when you add people you often tip the scales in favour of wolves.

[IronNoggin]

It's pretty obvious you know very little about wolves.

Agreed.

... I was curious about that part when i read it. Do you think that they've outgrown winter range because the herd is growing, or do you think they've lost winter range to ag or industry or urbanization and the govt. is feeding them in response to that?

The elk in question are part of the Yellowstone Park population. Their numbers have decreased markedly ever since the wolves were reintroduced there. Well prior to that event, their winter ranges (most) had been seriously and negatively influenced due to expanding urbanization (been to Jackson Hole lately?) and of course ranching and other competing "interests".

The feeding stations have been established for a considerable period of time (decades) in response. And yes, many of those were explicitly designed to reduce the elk's impact on ranching / agricultural activities. And those feeding stations, for a time, kept the elk populations in a relatively high position on the scale. These days not quite so much...

Why? Wolves are a very efficient predator, and will soon learn to take every advantage afforded them. It should really come as no surprise that they have now learned to capitalize on the concentrations of elk that frequent the lower valley feeding stations in such numbers as to present "sitting duck" targets. This too has been happening to some extent ever since the wolves' reintroduction, with notable incidence increases that coincide predictably with the increasing wolf populations.

While the report in question may be somewhat "sensationalized", it does (at least in my mind) point to the fact that the wolf population is now expanding well out of the park, and at this juncture does require "management" in some form or another. Much more so than the "rare" news of wolves taking down more than they can consume in a single setting.

Just FYI: I know wolves. Killed them into the hundreds, and well understand their behavior. This action is not out of character, nor all that "rare". And, the area this took place in I also know well, spent several formative years there, have many close relatives that still call the area home, and enjoyed my latest visit there just last summer.

Cheers,
Nog

[elch jager]

Meanwhile back at the ranch.... there is a real hate on for these wolves. Apparently they could be Canadian wolves... Apparently we tranquilized 31 of these *******s and let them go in Yellowstone to rebuild the endangered population. No-one asked the hunters and farmers there if they valued delicious wild elk meat or viscous killing machines more. I don't know a single US hunter south of the 49th that doesn't get all stiff in the britches over the elk hunt. It is their holy grail of wild game... so much so that they hand feed them in the winter so they can eat them the following season. Yummy elk, the preferred food of Grizzly, Wolves and Hunters everywhere. The US hunt forums are alive with the chatter of elk hunters looking to line their floors with beautiful wolf skin rugs... or mail them back home to Canada. They should send every pelt over to Miley's house...

[sakohunter]

sakohunter, I'm not out to pick an argument but we cannot sustainably manage wildlife and at the same time infringe on and alter habitat without making wolf management a key component of the plan.

I agree, I have better things to do than argue on the internet. Lets agree to disagree for the benefit of all wildlife and habitat reclamation.

[dracb]

Videos of wolves pulling down their prey and eating it while still alive are always spectacular comments on the tapestry of life in the wild. Actually wolves commonly use another strategy that minimizes their chance of being injured while depredating on large prey. It is not a very efficient killing technique, but it does minimize risk of injury to the wolf. Wolves will characteristically attack the hind quarters of large prey ripping out the anus and or vulva and or udder. The animal is then left to weaken, stiffen up or die due to infection or blood loss. Apparently the bacteria in a wolf's mouth is very infectious. The next time the wolf or wolves pass through the area, as they circle their home territory, they recover the now weakened or dead prey animal with a greatly reduced opportunity for injury to themselves. Where the prey is a herd animal or the prey animals are confined by fencing or terrain or a number of animals being forced out on ice, a number of individual prey animals might be attacked in the same incident. Ranchers with wolf problems are never surprised at finding multiple injured bovines as a consequence of wolves attacking his stock.

Once the adrenaline starts flowing wolves, coyotes and domestic dogs are prone to attacking multiple prey animals if they are immediately available. Few such injured animals probably survive these attacks without vet care.

[mpotzold]

Videos of wolves pulling down their prey and eating it while still alive are always spectacular comments on the tapestry of life in the wild. Actually wolves commonly use another strategy that minimizes their chance of being injured while depredating on large prey. It is not a very efficient killing technique, but it does minimize risk of injury to the wolf. Wolves will characteristically attack the hind quarters of large prey ripping out the anus and or vulva and or udder. The animal is then left to weaken, stiffen up or die due to infection or blood loss. Apparently the bacteria in a wolf's mouth is very infectious. The next time the wolf or wolves pass through the area, as they circle their home territory, they recover the now weakened or dead prey animal with a greatly reduced opportunity for injury to themselves. Where the prey is a herd animal or the prey animals are confined by fencing or terrain or a number of animals being forced out on ice, a number of individual prey animals might be attacked in the same incident. Ranchers with wolf problems are never surprised at finding multiple injured bovines as a consequence of wolves attacking his stock.

Once the adrenaline starts flowing wolves, coyotes and domestic dogs are prone to attacking multiple prey animals if they are immediately available. Few such injured animals probably survive these attacks without vet care.

Yes-just came across the following very interesting article.

Yellowstone Wolves attack & start eating Bull Elk while alive.
Field & Stream Sept. 19, 2022.
https://www.fieldandstream.com/conse...k-yellowstone/




“….the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is home to 30,000 to 40,000 elk and more than 500 wolves. Elk are the primary food source for the national park's wolves. On average, 18 to 22 elk are killed per wolf each year in Yellowstone”.
That is 11,000 +/- elk killed each year by wolves in the aforesaid area! WOW!

video
Yellowstone Wolves kill Bull Elk - Yellowstone NP: May 2022 - YouTube