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Old 10-29-2017, 06:10 PM
nube nube is offline
 
Join Date: May 2007
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Originally Posted by normstad View Post
OK, I may have missed that. The way I see it, predators have different impacts. As I said earlier, bears are really bad on moose for sure (taking up to 50% of calves under 6 weeks old), and I assume similar realities on elk.

Wolves certainly can have a short term real impact on ungulates, I don't think anyone will disagree with that. The problem with wolves though is multi-faceted. If you take out the alpha male and female, the pack will just split up, with two alphas now. I don't don't think that will end up in less wolves. If the ungulate population goes down, either wolves will breed less or move out.

Now cougars are a totally different situation. They seem to moving into areas they've never been, and a lot of that has to do with increase in deer herds. I wish they would go out in the CWD areas and clean up there, and I've heard some may have been spotted there in fact.

The long and short still is habitat. I see more issues with forestry practices, and some O&G than I do with wolves. But that's just me. I figure if a critter doesn't have a kitchen to eat out of, and a bedroom to sleep and procreate in, it won't be around there for long.
My experience on my trapline is totally different than what you say.
I've basically taken out every animal out of the packs except 2-4 animals. They are basically not able to take down healthy animals I would not think. I have not seen anything that says they have been and I would think survive on what they can catch for smaller game. I do not see numbers increasing at all.
Maybe I got the Alpha pair like you said?
I have been seeing more deer and way more elk the last year and I suspect it is because of this but who knows.

Most the wolf turds I walked by contained sheep fur mostly from what I could tell.

I think Habitat is a huge issue. I don't think there is much for grass off the mine to hold a decent amount of sheep. Sounds strange but again I could be wrong. Areas I hunt sheep have way more grass than what I was seeing around the mine.

I imagine all the sheep trapping and sending them away to the USA doesn't help. Bears don't help. It's a complex thing but for sure more than one thing pointing to a decline
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