Post by Ron on Dec 19, 2009 23:38:31 GMT -6
I spent the day at the CC big Game committee meeting. The wolf issue was discussed and is a huge concern to all. I have the 2009 deer season report and this is what it has to say in the wolf section.
"there were 61 (61) radio collared wolves on the air during the 2009 regular firearms season. A total of 7 wolves, four of the collared wolves and 3 non-collared wolves were found dead during the 2009 9-day season. The locations where these wolves were recovered included: Burnett County.... Monroe County.....Bayfield County.....Jackson County....Adams County....Douglas County....Ashland County.
Two additional wolves were shot on the Lac du Flambeau and Stockbridge Reservations. An additional mortality signal was detected on a wolf in Vilas County that had previously moved to Michigan, but no signals were detected at the indicated mortality site.
There is a growing resentment towards wolves, as evidenced by a flyer found posted at Clark County Forest campgrounds and parking areas. The flyer has a picture of a wolf in the crosshairs of a scope and suggests that wolves are the reason for hunters not seeing deer and encourages hunters to "Solve the problem"
end CC wolf info.
Population goal setting, Buck recovery rate and fawn mortality studies, low fawning rates and low deer numbers as well as poor hunter harvests have lead me to look at predator studies with more interest. Predators make up a huge portion of the non-hunter mortalities and this is the biggest (variable) component of the SAK estimating tool. The following was not part of the CC meeting but is what I have learned from the DNR about wolf and other predator effects on the deer herd. What I have learned through a little reading is that Wolves will kill as many or more deer in the Northern and Central forest regions (about 55 DMU's) of WI as gun hunters did in this year's statewide Oct. herd control hunt.
In those regions alone, it states wolves will kill about 13,000 annually deer (the 2009 Oct. Herd Control hunt will kill about the same number). The wolves are as effective at killing deer in those regions as hunters are for the Oct. Herd control hunt. Wolves killed about as many deer are cars did in those same regions (per this info). Wolves are having a major effect on not only the lives living deer but I wonder if does are aborting fawns due to predator stress and this is one of the reasons for the low fawn recruitment?
Aside from wolves, It state bears will eat about 33,000 deer (mostly fawns) in those same regions of the state,while coyotes will kill about 16,000 and bobcats will kill about 6,000. To sum it up, predators will kill (in these regions) about 68,000 deer annually. Personally, If I were to believe what I am finding (I think the estimates are on the low side), I would say that those are some huge numbers. For perspective, last year's total statewide archery deer harvest was 99,284. The statewide ML hunt killed 8,500 and the 2008 Total statewide car/deer kills was 32,000.
Here is why I am skeptical of the numbers, the data states that the estimated 650 wolves in WI (I think that may be low) will each eat 20 deer annually but if they are eating a lot of fawns, I doubt a fawn is going to cut it. Look how big a wolf is and how small (especially in the spring) a fawn is. I would think a wolf could eat a fawn a day but that is purely speculation on my part and why I think the estimate is low.
The Estimate for the 33,000 bears in these regions was 1 deer a year (I think that is a gross underestimation) and for coyotes it stated 8,000 coyotes were each eating 2 deer a year (here too I think this is an underestimation). It listed the 3,000 bobcats in these regions eating 2 fawns each a year (more than bears).
I have attached the link to the DNR's wolf and other predator effects on the deer herd. This info was no doubt done to show how little effect wolves are having on the deer herd when compared to hunters and while that might be the case, (if not for what I feel are underestimations) it represents a very large number of deer just the same. From a goal setting and quota standpoint, I can't help but think goals need to be raised just to account for all the deer being removed from the landscape unrelated to hunter harvest. While hunters may have a zero antlerless quota in certain Northern DMU's , predators will still be taking their share and may prevent these units from recovering any time soon.
Is the Dept. underestimating predator effects on the deer herd? (at least from the standpoint of how many deer each species consumes annually)
Ron Kulas
dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/mammals/wolf/pdfs/wolvesdeer2009.pdf
"there were 61 (61) radio collared wolves on the air during the 2009 regular firearms season. A total of 7 wolves, four of the collared wolves and 3 non-collared wolves were found dead during the 2009 9-day season. The locations where these wolves were recovered included: Burnett County.... Monroe County.....Bayfield County.....Jackson County....Adams County....Douglas County....Ashland County.
Two additional wolves were shot on the Lac du Flambeau and Stockbridge Reservations. An additional mortality signal was detected on a wolf in Vilas County that had previously moved to Michigan, but no signals were detected at the indicated mortality site.
There is a growing resentment towards wolves, as evidenced by a flyer found posted at Clark County Forest campgrounds and parking areas. The flyer has a picture of a wolf in the crosshairs of a scope and suggests that wolves are the reason for hunters not seeing deer and encourages hunters to "Solve the problem"
end CC wolf info.
Population goal setting, Buck recovery rate and fawn mortality studies, low fawning rates and low deer numbers as well as poor hunter harvests have lead me to look at predator studies with more interest. Predators make up a huge portion of the non-hunter mortalities and this is the biggest (variable) component of the SAK estimating tool. The following was not part of the CC meeting but is what I have learned from the DNR about wolf and other predator effects on the deer herd. What I have learned through a little reading is that Wolves will kill as many or more deer in the Northern and Central forest regions (about 55 DMU's) of WI as gun hunters did in this year's statewide Oct. herd control hunt.
In those regions alone, it states wolves will kill about 13,000 annually deer (the 2009 Oct. Herd Control hunt will kill about the same number). The wolves are as effective at killing deer in those regions as hunters are for the Oct. Herd control hunt. Wolves killed about as many deer are cars did in those same regions (per this info). Wolves are having a major effect on not only the lives living deer but I wonder if does are aborting fawns due to predator stress and this is one of the reasons for the low fawn recruitment?
Aside from wolves, It state bears will eat about 33,000 deer (mostly fawns) in those same regions of the state,while coyotes will kill about 16,000 and bobcats will kill about 6,000. To sum it up, predators will kill (in these regions) about 68,000 deer annually. Personally, If I were to believe what I am finding (I think the estimates are on the low side), I would say that those are some huge numbers. For perspective, last year's total statewide archery deer harvest was 99,284. The statewide ML hunt killed 8,500 and the 2008 Total statewide car/deer kills was 32,000.
Here is why I am skeptical of the numbers, the data states that the estimated 650 wolves in WI (I think that may be low) will each eat 20 deer annually but if they are eating a lot of fawns, I doubt a fawn is going to cut it. Look how big a wolf is and how small (especially in the spring) a fawn is. I would think a wolf could eat a fawn a day but that is purely speculation on my part and why I think the estimate is low.
The Estimate for the 33,000 bears in these regions was 1 deer a year (I think that is a gross underestimation) and for coyotes it stated 8,000 coyotes were each eating 2 deer a year (here too I think this is an underestimation). It listed the 3,000 bobcats in these regions eating 2 fawns each a year (more than bears).
I have attached the link to the DNR's wolf and other predator effects on the deer herd. This info was no doubt done to show how little effect wolves are having on the deer herd when compared to hunters and while that might be the case, (if not for what I feel are underestimations) it represents a very large number of deer just the same. From a goal setting and quota standpoint, I can't help but think goals need to be raised just to account for all the deer being removed from the landscape unrelated to hunter harvest. While hunters may have a zero antlerless quota in certain Northern DMU's , predators will still be taking their share and may prevent these units from recovering any time soon.
Is the Dept. underestimating predator effects on the deer herd? (at least from the standpoint of how many deer each species consumes annually)
Ron Kulas
dnr.wi.gov/org/land/er/mammals/wolf/pdfs/wolvesdeer2009.pdf
