Home Forums Hunting & Shooting General Big Game Wolves kill 15 elk per wolf per winter

I just read the "Elk Population Update, Gallatin and Madison Herds", dated 4/28/11 by Julie Cunningham, Biologist, Region 3, Montana Department of FWP. In her Update, she references a Montana State University study that documented wolf kills in this area of "15 elk per wolf per winter." There was no reference to the number of elk that wolves kill in the other 3 seasons, but I don't think it would be unreasonable to put the annual wolf kill of elk to be 20 elk per wolf.

The simple math of over 1,700 wolves in WY, MT, and ID would put the total wolf kill of elk in these 3 states of over 34,000 elk per year.

Based on this information, I'm revising my signature line to "SAVE 200 ELK, KILL A WOLF"

You're right, those are lowball numbers and only reflect the number of kills they found. The best estimates they've come up with in AK is a moose or caribou kill every three days or so for a medium sized pack. The more mouths to feed, the more kills are needed.

It really is sad.
All those years of work and money spent to save elk habitat, and to establish the herds.
Gone.
Yes there are some elk left, but for how much longer?

Are we at the point where it's better to protect the genetic resource that's left to us?
Our response should not only be directed to the predators, but at the politicians and bureaucrats as well.

Well, let see here. It has been well documented that an adult lion will kill and eat about one deer per week for a yearly average of about 50 deer.
So you are saying that a wolf, which isn't much bigger than a lion, if at all, has to eat 15 elk in the 3 month winter period ?
Last time I checked an elk is much larger than a deer.
Or are they saying that during Montana's six month long winters, each would kill 15 elk ?
I can see where a predator would have to eat more where it's colder. But, still, that seems a bit much. E

Well let see here. Is every Elk that gets killed by wolves a large mature 6X6 Bull...Nope many are calves and cows which weigh much less.

Much agreed this is an estimate and is usually less than reality given the past records of Elk and Wolf estimations!!! Ofton wondered where these folks learned how to count. It's simply amazing that there so called estimations can be off as far as they are and still maintain a job. If most made these mistakes they would be terminated!!!

If a pack of say 5 wolves makes a kill every 3 days then they have knocked off about 122 deer/elk/big critter a year. That averages out to 24 deer/elk/big critter per wolf per year and that actually sounds about right. 5 may be a small pack,but serves as illustration.

You're assuming that wolves eat what they kill like lions do. From my experience, alot of times wolves only eat the choice parts, if at all.

Yup and are are assuming that lions are eating all of what they kill too? cause they don't. there was a reason both were shot off 100 years ago. At this point ,massive predation of domestic livestock from both will be about the only thing that will make our bureaucrats and politicians pull their heads out of their asses. Magnum Man

They just don't want to admit that it was a huge mistake introducing a Canadian Grey Wolf back into the Area. Its just just the Elk, but the Moose and Deer populations are getting hit hard too. Along with a Cougar Problem, you can hunt them like it the pass. Its a problem that is not going to go away. So just do the three S's and tell the Feds to go screw themselves. Elk is important to Montana and Idaho. Wolves shoot the dam things on sight.

I suppose you are right that neither of them eat it all. From what i've seen I still think wolves kill alot more that they dont eat though. Just strike me as more oppritunistic.

I'm with you 100% in that there is a reason they were killed off. I also say that you could open wolves to a shoot on sight policy and still not get rid of them all. Once a few get shot they will finally start to get a healty fear of man, and then be alot harder to kill. There is a reason they were trapped and poised to clear them out in the first place.

Sadly, I dont know if anything is going to wake up the lawmakers though. I just saw in this months Petersons Hunting that The Center for Biological Diversity has filed notice of intent to sue US Fish and Wildlife if it does not create a new nation wide wolf recovery plan.

This might just be the very best thing to happen. The plan that we have now was dreamed up by a bunch of unnamed sorry [bleep] who fantasied their Disney ideals into a nightmare for the people of Idaho ,Montana,Wyoming, eastern Oregon and Washington to be fomented by every bunny hugging liberal [bleep] in the country. Afterall they weren't gonna put them in california or the East coast or even Iowa for all the dogooders to actually have to deal with & suffer depradations from were they? Just another neat idea to shove up somebody elses butt. Well hell if we are going to have wolves, every STATE ought to bear the pain. That would quickly settle the issue RFN. No, you might say I am not a wolf fan. #3037 in the Hornady catalog thru the guts, full penetration, terminally lethal after they get away. SSS everytime you get the chance. Its called Mass civil disobedience, same as on that Concord green so many years ago. An American tradition( straightning out politcos)Just keep your mouth shut about it. Magnum Man