Wolves play important predatory role in Northwoods
by Roger Sabota – Northwoods notebook
I am constantly hearing comments about the good old-fashioned winter we are enjoying in the Northwoods. It is interesting to note how quickly and easily we become spoiled. For several years we have enjoyed exceedingly mild winters with very few sub-zero days. Now, when we have had several sub-zero days in a row, it hurts and many of us tend to complain.
For several years the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Wildlife biologists has said that as a result of the extremely mild winters there has not been any winter-kill of deer. Also, as a result of the mild winters, fawn production has been high with a high percentage of the does dropping twin fawns. Twice this past fall I saw a doe with three fawns near Rhinelander High School.
Most of the time when the topic of deer is brought up, someone will mention the relatively high wolf population we have across northern Wisconsin. Of course, once that topic is discussed, a variety of comments are offered. Some are quite accurate while others are “old wives’ tales.” To get a handle on some accurate information about whitetail deer in the winter, I began reading the book “Whitetail Winter,” written by John J. Ozoga. Ozoga has been a very productive deer researcher and has published many important papers contributing to the knowledge of whitetail deer. In this book, which is book two of a four-book series, he devotes an entire chapter to the predators that whitetails face in winter.
The bobcat is only one of a handful of predators whitetails encounter in the wild. Although not a primary predator of deer-sized animals, the little bobcat is capable of bringing down full-grown whitetails. Many who have spent a lot of time in the woods of Oneida, Vilas, Lincoln and Forest Counties are aware that we have a relatively high population of the little cats. I for one really enjoy watching a bobcat when the rare opportunity is presented.
Ozoga says, “Someday, possibly soon, the mere presence of wolves may become a key factor in determining regional deer management strategies.” In those areas where whitetails and wolves share the same range, whitetail deer constitute more than 90 percent of the wolf’s winter diet.
Based upon his extensive research conducted in the Superior National Forest of northeastern Minnesota, David Meck, a recognized world authority on the gray wolf, concluded that the average wolf would kill about 15 adult deer per year. This figure was determined to be accurate provided other prey, such as beaver and moose, were also available. Meck believes that wolves do not seem to be able to limit a deer population seriously, however in some situations they can actually exterminate local whitetail populations.
Wolves can be potent deer killers, especially in winter. During winter, their success is closely linked to the severity of weather and snow conditions. Meck’s research revealed that wolves killed more whitetails during severe winters than they did in mild winters. Their kill rate was more directly related to snow depth than temperature.
In the Minnesota study, wolves killed a disproportionate number of fawns in poor condition and adult deer over five years of age. Wolves also killed proportionately more adult bucks than adult does. These findings were similar to the results of earlier studies conducted by Douglas Pimlott and his co-workers in Ontario.
Research also shows that wolves used deer more completely during mild winters when deer were tough to catch as compared to severe winters when deer were easier to catch. Injured deer are more prone to predation than healthy deer.
Whitetails are reasonably well adapted to endure harsh winters, even under the watchful eye of the timber wolf. Several years ago, I had the opportunity to examine the tracks of a pack of wolves that were hunting deer in a pine plantation. It appeared that there were five wolves in the pack. Two of the wolves seemed to be the standers and they stood along a logging road on the west side of the plantation. The other three wolves walked single file along the north edge of the plantation and spread out along the east side of the pines. The three wolves wound their way through the plantation where they joined up with the other two (the standers). Once they were all on the logging road they moved out of the area. Our group has made several drives in that plantation by the same plan the wolves used.
According to John Ozoga, wolves and coyotes have never been compatible. In fact, wolves apparently chase and try to kill every coyote they encounter. Researchers have observed that wolves frequently killed coyotes but did not consume them.