Quote:
Originally Posted by greywolf
I still think predators play a big part in moose population. Example, some people say prairie WMU's have a healthy population of moose. What would the moose population be like if there was a pack of wolves living in one of those prairie WMU's??? That particular WMU would see a rapid decline for sure IMO.
No different than the eastern slopes or northern Alberta. Hunting pressure/mother nature or not, predation takes its toll.
|
Believe it or not, Ticks and Bears account for more Moose losses then Wolves do.
Ticks can wipe out half the population in one winter over hundreds if not thousands of square miles of territory and Bears take more then half the calves born each spring.
Besides, wolves take more Deer then Moose. Moose are large and powerful compared to a Deer or a Wolf and Moose have a huge advantage in deep snow or in water.
Remember, Moose are called Swamp Donkeys for a reason.
I know it's popular to blame Wolves for low Moose numbers but it's simply not true.
I believe the number one Moose predator is Man, followed by ticks, then Bears and then Wolves.
Keep in mind, not all Moose killed by man are shot, many more are killed on our highways and railways and many times that number are driven to starvation due to habitat loss from land development.