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
In past winters some kills had been located that had been only partly
eaten, but in each case the carcasses were soon revisited and cleaned
up (Mech 1970). This was often not the case in 1969. For the rest of
the winter most of the deer killed by wolves in our study area were not
as completely consumed as in previous winters. Pimlott _et al._ (1969)
found a similar relationship between the severity of the winter and
the degree to which wolf-killed deer were utilized.
Correlated with the above information was the kill history of our
radiotagged wolves (Mech _et al._, p. 1). From December 1968 through
January 1969 No. 1051 had killed three or possibly four deer, and
generally had spent 6 or 7 days feeding on each. However, throughout
most of February this animal visited a new deer carcass (which
presumably he killed) every 3 days, and he spent only 1 or 2 days at
each. In two cases two new carcasses were found in the immediate
vicinity of this animal during the same day, and in each case the wolf
spent only 1 day in the area. A second wolf (1053) which had spent most
of December and January scavenging on the remains of both deer and
moose (_Alces alces_) that had died long before, made her first known
kill of a deer on January 31, 1969. The kill rate of the other three
radiotagged wolves also increased, although the data for them are less
complete. The average kill rate for all radiotagged wolves and their
associates was one deer per wolf per 16 to 20 days before February 1,
and one per 8 to 12 days after February 1 (see Mech _et al._, p. 1).
FOOTNOTES:
[36] _M. H. Stenlund. Personal correspondence to L. D. Mech, Oct. 10,
1969._
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS
Under usual snow conditions throughout most of the range of the
white-tailed deer, healthy vigorous individuals can probably escape
most attacks by wolves. Observations by Mech (1966), Rutter and Pimlott
(1968), and Mech _et al._ (p. 1) indicate that a high percentage of
attempts by wolves to kill deer during winter are unsuccessful. This is
further implied by the figures of Pimlott _et al._ (1969) and Mech and
Frenzel (p. 35) showing that at least during winter wolves tend to kill
a disproportionate number of old deer as well as those with various
abnormalities and pathological conditions.
However, during a winter with extremely deep snow, the usual
relationships seem to change somewhat. Fewer deer are able to escape
wolves, and a surplus is killed. This means that some individuals not
vulnerable under the usual snow conditions become vulnerable during
extreme conditions. There are two main possible reasons for this, the
effect of the extreme weather conditions on the health and vigor of the
deer, and the physical effect of the snow on the escapability of the
deer.
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