Isle Royale Forums

Would you? Hopefully, none of us will ever have to make a choice. But would you?

If it would be any consolation, there is a wolf on display at the Windigo visitor center.

Covered a bit here.

Sure I would. I'm a kayaker. Isle Royale is one of the best places to kayak in all of the Great Lakes basin. The presence or absence of wolves won't change that.

I can't imagine why any visitor would abandon Isle Royale based on wolves or no wolves. It's not like people interact with them, or have more/less of a great trip due to wolves. Other than hearing some occasionally, very few have even been lucky enough to get a glimpse of one. From some of the television shows of late it seems bigfoot sightings are more common. I field thousands of questions each year regarding the wildlife on the island and suprisingly the interest in getting to see a moose outweighs seeing a wolf hundreds to one. The island has many, many qualities to appeal to visitors than simply the presence of wolves. They are a nice bonus and are a very resiliant animal, I'm not ready to concede their demise just yet.

It would depend on how bad the moose would overbrowse without a predator to keep them in check. I believe this years study was either the highest moose count or the highest count of calves for some time. I know it was the highest number of twins observed.

We stopped going to Brown County State Park here in Indiana when the deer population was unchecked. The entire park was bare from the ground up to about 4 feet.

Of course I'd still visit. I've never seen a wolf on IR in 12 years. I don't go there expecting to. If I do, it's be a great, but I go for the quiet, remoteness, and time in some of the most beautiful country I've seen.

However, I can see why some people would be less apt to go to IR if there were no wolves...they certainly add a bit of mystery and allure (maybe even danger?) to the isle. But I think for anyone who's been there, this wouldn't stop them from coming back.

The problem is less about wolves and more about moose. Should the wolves die out, there will be nothing (apart from winter ticks) regulating the moose herd and at some point ISRO will get over browsed, which might not be a pretty sight.

Caribou were present on ISRO through 1920 or so. Lynx were present on ISRO historically. Nature is dynamic. ISRO will continue to be a beautiful wild place.

I would continue to visit the park if wolves died out but it would be saddening. I have seen wolves 8 times on Isle Royale and each encounter, brief though many of them were, was a magical moment. Nature takes its course and all beings are mortal, but walking trails where woves have trod, hearing them howl, or even seeing them all make my experiences on Isle Royale different than any other place I hike. So, I would return if the wolves were gone but it would certainly feel different and not better.

I would continue to visit for sure. I finally saw my first wolf last year in my 3 rd trip. I enjoyed both the other two also. Even if I knew there were no wolves and no possibility I wod still find the same splice and self reflection that I seek.

I would definitely still go, wolves don't make or break the island for me. Here's a question for you, would you still go to the island if there were no moose or wolves? Better yet would you still go to the island if there were no animals at all?

I would still visit. I find it is a gift to be able to enjoy watching a moose graze or listening to the wolves call to each other at night. If they were gone, I feel it would be harder on the ones who have so many times enjoyed experiencing these things. If they bring in new wolves, does anyone have fears they might be more aggressive than the current wolves with hikers? I feel there is a natural balance of respect floating around in the air on the island between the animals and us. The magic of this place will still be waiting for everyone.
Just my 2 cents

I've been to the island 7 times now, soon to be an 8th (September 9-14, 2013). I've never seen or heard a wolf on the island, however, Isle Royale is more than just the wolves. It is the sum total of so many other things -- remote wilderness, lack of man-made noise (cars/traffic, horns, people yelling, hustle and bustle of everyday life), moose, loons, cranes, fox, birds, fresh air, etc, etc, etc. So, even if the wolves disappear, I would still visit the island because of everything else that it has to offer.