Won’t wolves eat too many elk and deer?
Elk populations in other states (ID, MT, WY) with wolves have mostly remained stable, although some have declined in areas where wolves are one of several factors affecting numbers. Idaho Department of Fish and Game recently reported (August 2010) that elk populations are at or above management objectives in 23 of the state’s 29 elk management zones. A large five-year study of over 500 tagged cow elk in 11 management zones in that state found that hunter harvest was the leading cause of elk deaths in six zones and greatly outweighed wolf predation overall, which was significant in four zones. In the worst case (Lolo zone), deteriorating habitat and other factors contributed to the elk population declining by half from 1988 to 1998; after the arrival of wolves in 1998, the population dropped by another 70 percent. For the full report, see http://fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/news/fg_news/. Wolves can cause elk to spend more time in heavily forested areas, on steeper slopes, and at higher el
