Ecological Studies of the Timber Wolf in Northeastern MinnesotaMech, L. David
Science
Ecological Studies of the Timber Wolf in Northeastern Minnesota
Mech, L. David
Deer -- Minnesota; Gray wolf -- Behavior -- Minnesota; Gray wolf -- Ecology -- Minnesota
Our observations of wounds on fresh kills confirm the following
description by Stenlund (1955, p. 31) of the location and manner of
attack of wolves on deer: "No evidence of hamstringing of deer was
found on freshly killed carcasses, although the possibility does exist.
Usually deer are run down from behind, the wolf or wolves biting at
the hind flanks and abdomen, or at the hind flanks and head region
simultaneously."
On each kill, all the flesh and much of the skin and bones were eaten,
at least during the winters of 1966-67 and 1967-68. This was also true
during December 1968 and much of January 1969. However, during February
and March 1969 when an unusual accumulation of snow had built up, most
of the kills were only partly eaten (see Mech _et al._, page 51). In
previous years deer freshly killed by single wolves were sometimes
found with only a few pounds of flesh or viscera missing. However, in
each case the carcasses were almost completely cleaned up within a few
days, often by packs to which the single wolves may have belonged (Mech
1970).
Usually the first parts of a carcass to be eaten are the hams and part
of the viscera from the coelomic cavity. In one case where a wolf was
interrupted while feeding it was apparent that the animal had been
stripping the omental fat from the carcass. This may be the wolf's
favorite part of a deer, for the stomach of one wolf that we examined
in January 1967 contained nothing but such fat.
The average consumption and kill rate of deer by wolves has not yet
been determined, but we have some information bearing on the subject.
Because our data were obtained during a winter of unusually deep snow,
and it was obvious that wolves were killing more deer than they could
eat at the moment (see Mech _et al._, page 51), our figures should be
considered much higher than average. However, they should be useful in
that they probably represent the maximum kill rate not only throughout
the year but also throughout a period of many years.
By observing each of our radiotagged wolves whenever possible and
noting whether or not it was feeding on a kill, we learned that our
wolves generally remained close to their kills for periods of from 1 to
7 days, depending on how recently they had eaten (fig. 32). Thus, when
a wolf was found at a new location each day, the assumption could be
made that the animal did not currently have a kill.
[Illustration: _Figure 32.--Periods spent by radiotagged wolves and
their associates feeding on kills judged to be their own. This does not
include periods when they were known to be feeding on carrion._]
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