Study: Elk generally unconcerned about wolves

[Pagosa]

From my experience like Brian in Montana (only 6 years as a resident and hunting as a NR since 2001)the elk are impacted by wolves in Pioneers, northern Pintlers, and the Flathead valley. Mostly staying within timbered areas in smaller groups. Or large private ranch land in the valleys. Combine hunting pressure and you have nocturnal movement of elk. I know the communist wolf lovers/diy crowd on OYA don’t agree, but wolves kill big game in rather large numbers. Likewise the lions on deer numbers. Same with severe weather patterns that several generations of big game have not experienced. I’m done listening to Buzz nuts piss and moan about the MTFWP mismanagement, time to ignore the commies.

 

[mtmander]

I don't know how you can tell if elk are scared (if they don't run away), they may be scared and are watching the wolves to see what they do before they run. If the wolves run towards the elk I bet the elk run.

 

[BrentD]

I don't know how you can tell if elk are scared (if they don't run away), they may be scared and are watching the wolves to see what they do before they run. If the wolves run towards the elk I bet the elk run.

You can quantify fear in different ways, but one way is to measure rates of foraging. It takes considerable observations and some control of conditions, not to mention some creativity, but it can be done to give you comparative answers, if not absolute answers.

I spent an hour last week talking to Matthew Kaufman about this very topic. Interesting discussion it was. The debate about how (not if) wolves affect elks is a nice study in human nature as much as anything else.

 

[Sytes]

Wolves frequently adapt. They are incredibly intelligent pack based apex predators. Their focus may change back and forth. Bulls at one time cows and calves, another.

From Yellowstone NPS own website:

From 1995 to 2000, in early winter, elk calves comprised 50% of wolf prey and bull elk comprised 25%. That ratio reversed from 2001 to 2007, indicating changes in prey vulnerability and availability. The discovery of this change emphasizes the importance of long-term monitoring to understand predator-prey dynamics.

Other studies of wolves elsewhere have shared a relatively similar manner, such as Wisconsin DNR;

Stowell says they have also seen a shift in how wolves are targeting elk. From 2003 to 2008, elk mortality from wolves was 80 percent male and 20 percent female elk, and the males were mostly older calves or young bulls.

Now it seems the wolves have developed skills in testing and picking out vulnerable calves and cows and are apparently leaving the bulls alone

 

[BuzzH]

From my experience like Brian in Montana (only 6 years as a resident and hunting as a NR since 2001)the elk are impacted by wolves in Pioneers, northern Pintlers, and the Flathead valley. Mostly staying within timbered areas in smaller groups. Or large private ranch land in the valleys. Combine hunting pressure and you have nocturnal movement of elk. I know the communist wolf lovers/diy crowd on OYA don’t agree, but wolves kill big game in rather large numbers. Likewise the lions on deer numbers. Same with severe weather patterns that several generations of big game have not experienced. I’m done listening to Buzz nuts piss and moan about the MTFWP mismanagement, time to ignore the commies.

First entry for dumbest post of the year...congrats!

 

[JLS]

I know the communist wolf lovers/diy crowd on OYA don’t agree, but wolves kill big game in rather large numbers.

.....time to ignore the commies.

Can you please explain WTH communism has to do with this subject? I think the term you are searching for is a "divergent opinion".

Calling someone a communist because they disagree with you ranks right in there with making fun of someone's mother. Neither require a very high degree of intellectual engagement.

 

[rtraverdavis]

Can you please explain WTH communism has to do with this subject? I think the term you are searching for is a "divergent opinion".

Calling someone a communist because they disagree with you ranks right in there with making fun of someone's mother. Neither require a very high degree if intellectual engagement.

Whatever you say, Mao.

 

[Pagosa]

JlS, my comment wasn’t directed at you. Basically there are a bunch of opinionated bitches on here that know more than everyone else, and/or the commoners are not as informed as the select few. And we need to come to their level of reasoning. There have been about 20 threads this winter with the same individuals calling out anyone that doesn’t agree with their line of beliefs.
This study seems like a serious waste of resources to support a wolf lovers agenda.

 

[Deleted member 16014]

After finally getting around to reading the news article, I'm not convinced very many people even read all of that. There are enough caveats in there to cover about all the bases, unless you start reading with an agenda already in place.

 

[walking buffalo]

After finally getting around to reading the news article, I'm not convinced very many people even read all of that. There are enough caveats in there to cover about all the bases, unless you start reading with an agenda already in place.

Then why does the article headline a conclusion?
Maybe the article authors never read the research paper either.... could be yet another case of writing news with an agenda and bias already in place.

Here is the research paper. Hopefully it will remain available without cost for a while.
Weak spatiotemporal response of prey to predation risk in a freely interacting system

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besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com

I haven't fully read the paper yet.

From a quick glance, I'll note the research does not address "fear", just landuse.
"Our results suggest that predator–prey interactions may not always result in strong spatiotemporal patterns of avoidance."


Mammas gotta make a livin'....

Prey species HAVE to take risks to survive. By no means does this equate to a lack of fear when exposed to those risks.
As BrentD noted, researchers have qualified analytical techniques to determine stress levels in ungulates based on conditions such as predation concerns.
What the researchers view as evidence of a weak spatiotemporal response may actually be the conclusion in conjunction with other survival priorities.
The Elk have NO CHOICE but to inhabit these areas regardless of the presence of wolves.