Quote:
Originally Posted by KegRiver
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.
|
Agree with what your saying, would like to add,
Not solely blaming wolves, just using them as an example.
Bears are predators as well.
Ticks fall under the mother nature category.
I still struggle with population losses regardless of how it happens where I have moose hunted for 30 years. Today, it is still a remote area, no roads to access, (for about 10km), no logging, no oil leases, excellent moose habitat, unfortunately no where near the moose there once was. Plenty of bears and wolves though.