Wolves kill 7 percent of elk in western state Wyoming

[Doc]

Anthropomorphizing is common among the public and hunters. When a wildlife professional does it in a statement to the press, he is behaving unprofessionally. I have no doubt that someone in WY government decided to present this in a way that would generate more negativity towards wolves. A real professional would have objected to making such a statement. Maybe a professional in that department did and they got someone else to do it. I am sure there are some ethical people who work for the State of Wyoming. 

Or, maybe he was just using terminology that best describes what happened in laymen terms. I have no problem with describing a situation of killing without consuming as sport killing. It probably is not a term that I would use, but the point made was that the killing that day was not for sustenance but simple killing for killing's sake. That's not "anthropomorphizing, that is simply an attempt to be descriptive. And like I said, I have seen dogs do it and I think that the term "sport killing" might be what first comes to mind. How accurate is that term? I don't know, but it sure does convey the results.

[Doc]

Feral or even pet dogs running in a pack, killing livestock, is MUCH different than the behavior of wild wolves.

If you had the occasion to witness one of these attacks by dogs, you might start wondering yourself just how much has really changed between wild wolves and supposedly domesticated dogs. The behavior sure wasn't typical of the typical lazy dog flopped out on the living room floor. That switch got turned by something from their primal past, and they definitely were not acting very domestic. 

[Curmudgeon]

............ the killing that day was not for sustenance but simple killing for killing's sake.

 

Doc -

 

You are putting your thoughts into an animal's mind. Then you assume you understand the animal and ignore the species that evolved around it. Humans can examine their motivations - not that all do. Humans kill for many reasons from emotional release to fun. Some even kill because they need the food. A dog, a wolf, a weasel does not think/act in this way. Its mind does not make such distinctions. Killing prey by wild animals is essential for survival. Killing lots of prey increases the odds of survival. Dogs (red herring but I'll bite anyway) retain the desire to hunt and kill but not the need.

 

A whole suite of species evolved around wolves. All of that meat would have been consumed if humans did not intervene. Most by wolves, ravens and eagles, some by coyotes, bears, mice, badgers, Stellar's Jays, crows, microtus and other rodents, etc.,etc. etc. Not a bit of it would have been wasted.

 

The wealth of prey provided by a man-made, artificial situation created an opportunity the wolves exploited. This may be unfortunate. The wolves are not to blame for being wolves.

 

My objection is not with the common man's lack of understanding. My problem is the way it is being portrayed. It is propaganda plain and simple. It was unprofessional for the WY spokesman to present it in that way. This is NO DIFFERENT than what the animal rights groups do to hunters.

 

[Galliform]

If you had the occasion to witness one of these attacks by dogs, you might start wondering yourself just how much has really changed between wild wolves and supposedly domesticated dogs. The behavior sure wasn't typical of the typical lazy dog flopped out on the living room floor. That switch got turned by something from their primal past, and they definitely were not acting very domestic. 

 

I have livestock, and I've witnessed it elsewhere too. It's scary, and even moreso because they were people's pets (not truly "feral"). They get into that group mentality and they aren't afraid/wary of people because they are domestic dogs, and it's really messy. Some of the very traits we have bred into them over the centuries gets pretty ugly when this happens.

 

That said, respectfully, a lot of domestic dog pack behavior is still quite different than that of most wild wolves, especially when it comes to livestock (sounds like these elk were fenced?).

[Curmudgeon]

The elk are not confined. They migrate south in the Teton Valley and the fences keep them from reaching Jackson. They are wild elk concentrated where they shouldn't be in winter. There is not enough food so they feed them.

 

From  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Elk_Refuge :

 

Elk migrate from as far away as southern Yellowstone National Park and historically migrated south of the present location of the refuge into southwestern Wyoming during the fall, wintering on grassy plains that were usually snowfree most of the winter. During the spring, the herd would follow the retreating snows back into the Yellowstone National Park region. The original size of the elk herd has been estimated to have been in excess of 25,000. The expansion of the town of Jackson blocked off the migration route by the end of the 19th century and the elk herd was severely reduced in size due to the hostile climate and lack of food supply.

[Grouse]

Probably the best article I've seen so far about the Elk vs Wolf issue out west and in Canada.  Lots of good, factual information from this PhD here.

 

http://www.theoutdoorwire.com/features/230635