Breaking down wolf myths
My friends never pass up a chance to indulge me in the most fear-based wolf stories I have ever heard. Most of these stories get more prolific every time they are told to where the details start to take on a life of their own. I'm sure you've heard the following:
Myth #1:
"We have the hunter who came upon a meadow witnessing a pack of wolves that had just brought down five elk at one time. They took a bite out of each elk then left them to rot. This is only because the wolf kills indiscriminately for sport."
This story grew from five elk to a whopping 25 elk killed in the meadow before it stopped smoldering. Do wolves really attack their prey just for the fun of it? Here are the facts:
NO. When they kill more than they can eat in one sitting, the pack will keep coming back for seconds. Wolves achieve a very low yield on hunting expeditions. Somewhere between 4 percent and 8 percent of their attacks are successful. They often bury their leftovers and hide them for later meals. An elk, moose or deer can mortally wound its attackers with one swift kick, so wolves often tend to focus more on the young, the sick or elderly ... natures unique way of culling to keep only the fittest alive. Wolves keep the herds moving around which helps the eco system stay balanced.
Myth #2:
"I can't go for a walk without carrying a pistol for fear of being attacked by a wolf. I know one was stalking me the other day."
Has there been any documentation of a human being killed by a wolf in the last 100 years in North America?
NO. There have not been any human deaths documented by wolves in the lower 48 states in the last 120 years.
Wild wolves are generally timid around humans. Wolves usually try to avoid contact with people, to the point of even abandoning their kills when an approaching human is detected. Wolves are among the least threatening for their size and capabilities of all our preditors.
Myth #3
"Wolves have killed all the elk and I want elk meat! I see carcasses everywhere!"
NO. Wolves kill elk ... but that is what wolves do. So do mountain lions, bears and man, but there is enough for everyone. Sniper hunters many times end up hiking 800 yards to bag a wounded elk. Because of this time factor, they often don't find him because he has run off to die ... a common tale with elk and deer. The carcass is then found later after most everything has been eaten on it, but it is not always the wolf that has brought him down.
Because of the loss of habitat, elk know more about hunters than hunters know about elk! There is an abundance of elk. I can't go hunting anywhere with my dogs without constantly finding elk sign. Elk are smart animals and have learned to avoid hunters. Because of the six-month seasons using high-powered rifles, muzzle loaders and bows, these animals are harassed to the point where all they do is hide.
So what we have now is an ever shrinking habitat, smart elk that no longer act like dumb elk, and hunters that have no idea how to hunt smart elk. Predators are here to keep the herds healthy by keeping them alert and moving - enter the mountain lion, bear and yes, the wolf. As usual, it is man that tends to shoot himself in the foot when he wonders where all the elk are while still blaming the wolf for his own shortcomings. Elk could quite possibly the only animal that is not truly threatened in the state of Idaho.
Recently, I saw an elk hobbling away from me with a snare wrapped around one foot, the foot bloated from lack of blood. Break away snares do break away, only to stay on the animal for a life of misery or death. Trapping is another elk killer. The few elk that wolves take are a small fraction of all the other ways an elk can meet his demise. The biggest piece of the elk depletion pie (in order) is attributed to hunters, logging, poisoning vegetation and then predators ... but there are still plenty of elk as of now. This could change with the mismanagement of our wildlife.
Myth #4
"My cat and dog are missing and I saw wolf tracks everywhere." Is this possible?
Maybe: Wolves have been known to kill dogs and maybe cats. This is rare and usually is because their own habitat has been encroached on by new development. Many times tracks that have melted out in the snow look bigger and have been mistaken for wolf tracts. Great horned owls are skilled cat killers but coyotes are the most likely culprits in these scenarios. Unlike the wolf, they are not afraid to slink around man's domain and take what is available. They adapt well and will easily prey on a small dog or cat. It is usually the wolf that kills the coyote but he also takes the rap for him when it comes to the demise of small pets.
The wolf is not the ravenous, vicious, stalking monster we have depicted him to be throughout the years, aka the "Little Red Riding Hood Syndrome." There is a purpose for the wolf as a predator; that is why we re-introduced them. We should not be so quick to buy into the rumors that some people hold on to with a death grip, but wisely realize the ways in which we can live in harmony with this magnificent creature. The wolf has become victim to the most misunderstood witch hunt of our time.
Kevin Brown is a Kootenai County resident.