By L. David Mech
Biological Resources Division
U. S. Geological Survey
(Updated 2007 by Jess Edberg)
How many wolves inhabit
Minnesota?
The Minnesota DNR's Winter 2004-2005 estimate is 3,020.
Are these figures reliable?
The methods
used are state-of-the-art, and the methods and results have
passed the scrutiny of peer review and publication, so the figures
are considered reliable by the scientific community.
How do today's wolf numbers
compare with those in previous times?
There are probably more wolves in current wolf range
than there ever were because there are more deer there.
Is Minnesota's increased
number of wolves due to increases where wolves always were, or
due to their spread into new areas?
Due to their spreading south and west into new areas.
In part of the northeast, for example, where wolves have been
counted since 1968, there are actually fewer wolves now.
So wolves don't necessarily
need wilderness to live in?
Not necessarily. They live best in wilderness because
they do not conflict with humans there. However, if left alone,
they can live anywhere there is food in the form of prey or
garbage.
Why do people believe
wolves must be killed?
Wolves kill and eat dogs and livestock as well as
deer, moose, and beavers, and some folks are afraid that wolves
will harm their children.
Is there any reason to
be afraid of wolves harming children?
Yes and no. Generally, healthy wild wolves are not
dangerous to people in North America. However, like dogs, bears,
and other large meat-eaters, wolves could harm humans. In India,
wolves have killed many children, and in both Alaska and Canada
wolves have seriously injured a child.
Why are people in wolf
range seeing wolves more often now?
Wolves may be getting more habituated to people now than when they
were hunted and trapped. In addition, wolves are moving into areas of
increased human densities.
How many dogs do wolves
kill?
Four dogs were confirmed killed in 2004, but the actual figure is
unknown because most people suffering such losses do not report them.
And livestock?
The U. S. Department of Agriculture confirmed 66 complaints
of wolves killing livestock on 53 farms in 2004. Eight cattle, adult
and yearling, 58 calves, 15 sheep, and 101 turkeys were verified
as killed by wolves, and 105 wolves were killed by controllers
to prevent further loss. While this is a great loss to some
farmers, it affects only around 1% of the farms in wolf range.
How many deer do wolves
kill?
On average, each wolf kills an estimated 15-20 adult-sized
deer or their equivalent per year. Wolves also prey upon beavers,
moose, and in some cases, livestock.
Do wolves really kill
that many deer every year?
Only on average. Sometimes they kill more and sometimes
less, depending on conditions. Thus, during winters with deep
snow, wolves kill more deer, and with less snow, fewer deer.
Sometimes wolves starve to death; other times they can kill
more and produce more pups.
Do wolves ever kill more
than they can eat?
Occasionally snow or other conditions are so harmful
to prey that wolves can kill more than they can eat at the time,
although they usually return later to these kills. Such conditions
occur less than 5% of the time in Minnesota.
Is it true that wolves
tend to kill mainly the old, young, sick, and weak deer?
It is well documented that wolves tend to take mainly
deer that are old, young, fat-depleted, starving, debilitated
or injured. That is why they kill so many more deer during hard
winters.
Are wolves harmful to
deer hunting?
Potentially they can be, but generally they are not.
When deer in low densities are hindered by severe winters, wolves
can help seriously reduce deer numbers. Otherwise, they have
little effect on deer harvest rates.
What kind of evidence
is there that wolves generally do not harm deer hunting?
The best evidence is the continued high and increasing
deer harvest in wolf range ever since wolves were protected
and began increasing since the early 1970's and throughout the
1980's.
If wolves are killed,
won't this disrupt their genetic viability?
Minnesota's wolves are part of the massive Canadian
population of about 35,000 - 60,000 wolves, and freely interchange breeders
with that population. Even Isle Royale's totally inbred population
of 12-50 wolves has thrived for almost 50 years.
How far can wolves travel?
Most wolves disperse before the age of 3, some traveling
more than 550 miles away.
How many wolves does
each pair produce?
The average litter size is 4 - 6 young per litter. Packs
breed almost every year, and a few packs may have two breeding females
when prey are abundant.
What do wolves die from?
Most natural mortality takes the form of pup starvation
and adults killing neighbors. In some areas, canine parvovirus
from dogs kills pups.
How many wolves are killed
illegally?
It is difficult to know because many illegal kills
are undiscovered or unreported.
If controlling wolves
is allowed, how many wolves can be taken each year without reducing
the population?
Conservatively, some 30% of the wolves alive during
fall can be taken without reducing the population. To reduce
a wolf population, agencies such as those in Alaska try to take
50-75% each year.
How effective is hunting
wolves?
It is very difficult to hunt wolves, and few people
would do so. Most wolves shot would be those killed incidentally
by deer hunters or by farmers and other landowners. Trapping
or snaring is the most effective method of public involvement
in wolf control.
