Well said!
Wolves RFD-TV Big Game Forever Colorado
- Thread starter cheeser
- Start date
Well said!
Nameless Range
Well-known member
I second that.
jmden
Member
Excerpt from: http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=wolfhunting.main
"Alaska is home to an estimated 7,000 to 11,000 wolves. Wolves have never been threatened or endangered in Alaska. They are found in nearly all of their historic range, excepting the center of urban areas, although they are found on the outskirts of Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau.
The highest densities occur in Southeast Alaska, where Sitka black-tailed deer serve as the major food source for wolves. Wolf densities are lowest in the coastal portions of western and northern Alaska. Although the distribution of wolves has remained relatively constant in recent times, their abundance is influenced by harvest levels, diseases, and prey availability.
Wolves are social animals that live in packs that may include the parents and pups of the year, yearlings, and other adults. The average pack size is six or seven animals. Packs of 20 to 30 wolves sometimes occur, and these larger packs may have two or three litters of pups from more than one female.
The social order in the pack is characterized by a separate dominance hierarchy among females and males. In most areas wolf packs tend to remain within a territory used almost exclusively by pack members, with only occasional overlap in the ranges of neighboring packs.
Typically one female wolf in a pack has a litter of about seven pups each year. This varies, in some packs more than one female may bring off a litter. In some cases a pair of wolves may not form a pack or belong to a pack, and will bring off a litter of pups."
Emphasis added in italics above. I was getting whacked earlier in the thread when I said 6-7 pups at a time and multiple litters a year...so thought I'd post the above. Maybe these aren't facts or is marginal information or whatever...?
"Alaska is home to an estimated 7,000 to 11,000 wolves. Wolves have never been threatened or endangered in Alaska. They are found in nearly all of their historic range, excepting the center of urban areas, although they are found on the outskirts of Anchorage, Fairbanks and Juneau.
The highest densities occur in Southeast Alaska, where Sitka black-tailed deer serve as the major food source for wolves. Wolf densities are lowest in the coastal portions of western and northern Alaska. Although the distribution of wolves has remained relatively constant in recent times, their abundance is influenced by harvest levels, diseases, and prey availability.
Wolves are social animals that live in packs that may include the parents and pups of the year, yearlings, and other adults. The average pack size is six or seven animals. Packs of 20 to 30 wolves sometimes occur, and these larger packs may have two or three litters of pups from more than one female.
The social order in the pack is characterized by a separate dominance hierarchy among females and males. In most areas wolf packs tend to remain within a territory used almost exclusively by pack members, with only occasional overlap in the ranges of neighboring packs.
Typically one female wolf in a pack has a litter of about seven pups each year. This varies, in some packs more than one female may bring off a litter. In some cases a pair of wolves may not form a pack or belong to a pack, and will bring off a litter of pups."
Emphasis added in italics above. I was getting whacked earlier in the thread when I said 6-7 pups at a time and multiple litters a year...so thought I'd post the above. Maybe these aren't facts or is marginal information or whatever...?
Last edited:
walking buffalo
Active member
- Joined
- Jul 27, 2013
- Messages
- 111
And you reaffirmed your willingness to label a valid opposing concern as fear.
While not being able to dispute that you're spreading lies about wolves and their effects on ungulates.
Have look at what these Super Wolves are doing in Alberta. And yes, I agree that the claim of "super" is a false assertion.
In the Alberta mountain range elk harvest rates have plummeted over 95% in the last 20 years.
Areas that once held herds in the thousands are now down to herds of under a hundred.
The reason, wolves.
I'm sorry to see that people are not willing to learn from history.
jmden
Member
I was also getting 'whacked' in threads above for mentionting that in spite of hunting and trapping, wolf populations could grow over 30% per year. Of course there's a cap for that at some point given availability of prey, etc., etc., as mentioned earlier.
Here's a link to the Joe Balyeat video recorded a couple of months ago: https://vimeo.com/302332804 Start listening at about 5:00 minutes with respect to this specific item.
In the Joe Balyeat video above he cites "studies" in Alaska showing 34% increase in wolf populations per year in spite of hunting and trapping. But as we've also found out in this thread, some here don't seem to care for Joe and I'm guessing, also his numbers mentioned above. I believe this is where I was getting that information.
Additionally, for further consideration:
1) 'Investigation of Wolf Population Response to Intensive Trapping in the Presence of High Ungulate Biomass'. Author of this report is Mark E. McNay and the primary study was conducted for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, November 2002. This is a 'Research Final Performance Report'.
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/home/library/pdfs/wildlife/research_pdfs/wo-intensetrap02f.pdf
Under section II--"Harvests of 15-40% have stabilized wolf populations (Gasaway et al. 1983; Ballard et al. 1987; Fuller 1989), but the mechanisms by which unexploited or lightly exploited populations are regulated are not well established...." (no page numbers in this study)
Under section V.--"The estimated wolf population within the 11,600-km2 study area declined from 185 wolves in autumn 1993 to 136 wolves in autumn 1994 as a result of intensive trapping conducted during a Alaska Department of Fish and Game wolf control program. Wolf numbers increased to 171 wolves by autumn 1998, but harvest by private hunters and trappers reduced the population to 120 wolves by autumn 1999. Exploitation rates by private trappers varied between 22-35% of the annual fall populations between 1995 and 1999. During 1995 the population declined when the exploitation rate was 25%, but between 1999 and 2000 the population increased by 21% despite a harvest of 30%...."
2) From http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=intensivemanagement.predatorprey
"Wolf populations in North America commonly sustain annual harvests or natural mortality rates of 20-40% without experiencing a year-to year decline in numbers."
Here's a link to the Joe Balyeat video recorded a couple of months ago: https://vimeo.com/302332804 Start listening at about 5:00 minutes with respect to this specific item.
In the Joe Balyeat video above he cites "studies" in Alaska showing 34% increase in wolf populations per year in spite of hunting and trapping. But as we've also found out in this thread, some here don't seem to care for Joe and I'm guessing, also his numbers mentioned above. I believe this is where I was getting that information.
Additionally, for further consideration:
1) 'Investigation of Wolf Population Response to Intensive Trapping in the Presence of High Ungulate Biomass'. Author of this report is Mark E. McNay and the primary study was conducted for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Wildlife Conservation, November 2002. This is a 'Research Final Performance Report'.
http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/home/library/pdfs/wildlife/research_pdfs/wo-intensetrap02f.pdf
Under section II--"Harvests of 15-40% have stabilized wolf populations (Gasaway et al. 1983; Ballard et al. 1987; Fuller 1989), but the mechanisms by which unexploited or lightly exploited populations are regulated are not well established...." (no page numbers in this study)
Under section V.--"The estimated wolf population within the 11,600-km2 study area declined from 185 wolves in autumn 1993 to 136 wolves in autumn 1994 as a result of intensive trapping conducted during a Alaska Department of Fish and Game wolf control program. Wolf numbers increased to 171 wolves by autumn 1998, but harvest by private hunters and trappers reduced the population to 120 wolves by autumn 1999. Exploitation rates by private trappers varied between 22-35% of the annual fall populations between 1995 and 1999. During 1995 the population declined when the exploitation rate was 25%, but between 1999 and 2000 the population increased by 21% despite a harvest of 30%...."
2) From http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=intensivemanagement.predatorprey
"Wolf populations in North America commonly sustain annual harvests or natural mortality rates of 20-40% without experiencing a year-to year decline in numbers."
jmden
Member
Yes, as two others have said, "Well said."
jmden
Member
I certainly don't think it's all new and had no intention of saying such. I've been following it with varied interest levels (read: mostly laymen's understanding) from the late 90's.
BuzzH
Well-known member
You're about ten years late to the party...
