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Think what you want..

I think what I've gleaned from watching hundred of hours on Nature documentaries made by people who's job it is to set state and federal guidelines for wildlife management. They get paid for their work either way, so they have no axe to grind, just what the field work tells them.


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But stories are legion of wolves being killing machines and bringing down more than they could eat in months. What explains that?

That's what they are, "stories". Wolfs like ALL predators are opportunist. They rather take down a weak young/old prey animal than one that could potentially gore/stomp them to death or make them lame and unable to keep up with the pack, a sure death sentence in the wild.

I've never read any DOCUMETNED accounts of wolves just killing to kill. They might chase plenty more than they can actually bring down but most predators go hungry far more than they get their prey.

NOVA had a excellent documentary about a biologist who spent a year following the wolf packs in Yellowstone. He filmed numerous wolf kills and far more misses. They circle the herd making  bluff charges into the herd until a calf/mother or an older adult makes a break for it. Then they run them until they stand they can't run anymore and turn to fight. It's all over then. The strong survive and the weak perish. That weeds out the poor genes and insures the survivors have the strongest genes to pass on to the next generation.

The Native People who knew/ know their LAND better than anyone, revered the Wolf and I doubt they would of felt that way IF they were just mindless killing machines.

IF wolves were just killing machines or ANY predators for that matter, they'd soon hunt/kill themselves out of existence. That's not how the balance of nature works.


When they re-introduced wolves to Yellowstone Park the anti-would people said it would be the end of the ELK herds, nothing could be farther from the truth. Elk had over populated the park and the gene pool was poor. They overgrazed their favorite trees to the point the Beavers who ate them as well, disappeared from the park.
Now the wolves have got the Elk herd in balance, the trees are coming back and so are the Beaver, who by damming the little streams keep the water in the park and give life to all the little critters that live in the marshlands.

Q-Dave got 2 nice deer this year, both dressed out over 200 lbs. Both taken right outside the Park in either pulp wood cuts, or recently re-planted forested areas. More deer there than in park, wolves too. All that old growth underbrush makes it hard for deer/moose to browse. The wolf packs have picked up on the deer moving there and followed them.

Plenty of healthy deer and wolves, everything in balance. Biggest issue for both is if they have another brutal winter like last year?

I read that article in the link.
You said you rather take the word of people who are not FUNDED to get a PC conclusion.
Did you happen to see who's "funding" the writer of that article?

T. R. Mader is Research Director for Abundant Wildlife Society of North America (AWS), a private wildlife research organization dedicated to the preservation of the Great North American Traditions of Hunting, Fishing and Trapping.

Hardly an unbiased expert.

Here's his Bio.   (You need to Login or Register

I don't see anything regarding his educational qualifications for being a "Research Director" for anything, never mind Wolves. He's a guy with an "opinion", and a very biased one at that.