Deer-wolf correlation Essay

Submitted By joeypuvel1
Words: 318
Pages: 2

An epidemic of chronic wasting disease in Wisconsin has thinned deer herds in much of the state, but in the north, where wolves prey on deer, the disease has not taken hold and the herds remain vigorous. Resulting in stronger, healthier deer.
The above statement shows that an increase in the wolf population accounts for a stronger healthier deer population by eliminating the sick and unhealthy deer. The weaker deer are eliminated because they are easier preyed on than the stronger deer, naturally selecting the healthy deer to survive and prosper creating a more abundant healthy deer population.

A review of the hunting records for Wisconsin, upper Michigan and Minnesota indicates that as the wolf population increased, there has been no negative effect on the sportsmen’s deer harvest. For example, hunters killed 184,000 does and 215,000 bucks in Wisconsin in 1990, when the state contained only about 40 wolves. In 2001, when the state had about 250 wolves, the state’s hunters killed 314,000 does and 272,000 bucks. Overall, that represents a 47% increase in the deer harvest.
The study above shows the increase in the population of deer due to the correlating increase in wolf population. For a certain area that would contain 100 coyotes that same area would contain only 10 wolves. 10 wolves would only consume 900 lbs of meat to sustain a sufficient amount of nutrition to survive. 4,000 lbs of meat would be required to sustain a proper diet for the amount of coyotes (100) in