Wolves vs Moose Showdown

[isaachartsell]

Just finished a canoe trip from McCargo Cove to Chippewa Harbor via Siskiwit Lake. It was a great trip, but one for the record books. While paddling through Wood Lake to get to the Lake Whittlesey campground we witnessed a standoff between a wolf pack and a moose which was walking around in chest deep water. The wolf didn't look injured and we wondered why it didn't swim to the other side, perhaps it new the pack would be waiting for it there anyways when it got there. Another canoer witnessed the same event the next day, so the standoff must have occured for over 30 hours! As if that were not enough, quietly talking at the Lake Whittlesey campground, we heard something come nearer at the waters edge, then it lapped up water. We were perfectly still, the outline of a wolf then walked past by the waters edge only about 30 feet away, clear as day in the full moon night. I talked w/ Rolf Peterson on the Ferry ride back to Windigo and he and his wife have confirmed what Ranger Laura had said about the wolves demonstrating new behavior, one that is less fearful of humans. It seemed other people are sharing the wolf sighting experience. We talked w/ a few guys who had done the Greenstone trail on the way back to Grand Portage and they informed us that they had seen quick glimpses of 5 different wolves on the trail from Rock Harbor to Windigo.
I managed to get a few pictures of the Wolf and Moose standoff, check it out at:

http://good-times.webshots.com/album/567302673hqlxHD

The fishing wasn't great, but what a trip!

[Kevinl]

Awesome pictures.

I did the same route just a few days earlier. What surprised me on the portages was the amount of wolf scat. Normally, when backpacking, I've seen so much moose tracks and poop, but this time signs for wolf far outnumbered those for moose. I didn't know if that is because we were in a section with less backpackers or if it is just a trend, but it sounds like a trend.

[Backpacker534]

It must have been very exciting to see those wolves and moose. You're right, it sounds like a trend that the wolves are becoming much less apprehensive of humans which is probably not a good sign. My buddy and I were last there in May 2007 and there were nowhere near the reports of wolf sightings and encounters as what I've read about in just the last several months. I wonder if we're all going to have to start hanging our food and carrying pepper spray during future I.R. trips???

[Less Paul]

It’s probably only a matter of time before we start having to treat the wolves as we would black bears. And it wouldn’t surprise me to at some point hear of a wolf attack on a child.

[Backpacker534]

Ya know, I can't exactly say that I disagree with that statement. I mean, look at how long backpackers have been visiting the island and most of those peopple never saw a wolf. I remember talking to a ranger about wolf sightings during my first trip to the island and I was told that there were people who worked on the island for 10-15 years and had never seen one. Now look, there have been numerous sightings and behavior changes in only a couple short years. It didn't take long to undo the decades worth of "human fear" in the wolves.

[Less Paul]

Well…the moose on the Island don’t fear humans, likely because they’ve never been hunted or harassed there. And they aren’t predators, so they wouldn’t be interested in us anyway.

As apex predators, wolves look at anything that moves as a possible meal. Wolves have been wary of us in the past, because every hunt involves the risk of bodily harm and every predator weighs the opportunity for a meal against the risk of injury. And they haven’t been hunted or harassed on the Island either. We’re slow. We don’t confront them. The wariness, I think, is giving way to curiosity….but it’s a predator’s curiosity.

[bergman]

What makes you think that the wolf view us as prey? They do not. They might mistake a child as prey if the child runs away from the wolf in fright. It is our responsibility to educate our children (before we bring them to the island) not to be in fear of the wolves. During orientation, the rangers are telling us (in the event of a wolf encounter), that we should clap our hands - OK; but also to try and make ourselves look as large as possible - not a bright idea, if we are hoping to avoid an attack on a small child running away from a wolf.

God forbid that anyone would ever use pepper spray on a wolf. Of course, it would be a good idea to use it in the situation where a wolf has mistaken a small child running away as prey. However, #1 - this situation is avoidable if we educate our kids; and #2 - other park visitors who see people donning pepper spray on their belts are going to get a false impression of any threat the wolves may pose to us homosapiens, and it will only be a matter of time before someone uses the spray on an unsuspecting wolf out of sheer fear and ignorance.

The wolves (and moose) are there on the island 52 weeks out of the year, much of which is incredibly harsh conditions that they brave and endure on a daily basis. We waltz in at our leisure during the prime time of the year. We have plenty of time to prepare our visit and educate our kids and companions.

The wolves showed up on the island in the 1940's (1948?) and eliminated the coyotes on the island. I don't know what the average lifetime of a wolf is, I heard that Rolf Peterson believes the most likely explanation for the newly found comfort level of the wolves, to be the result of a sufficient # of generations having passed prior to them concluding that they have nothing to fear from us, whereupon they have lost that healthy fear of us.

It certainly is true that we need to be extra-cautious about how we store our food, now that the wolves are coming into close range, and strolling by or just hanging about near some of the camping outposts. Improper food storage will only compound the situation exponentially. I don't mean to sound like a jerk, but if it comes down to us or the wolves at Isle Royale, I will be the first one to give up my favorite vacation spot.

I just now checked out the 7 photos which are indeed incredible shots. The photos, however, raise another issue and that is, if we know that a moose is threatened by a pack of wolves, shouldn't we keep a wide berth? Perhaps you took these with a great zoom feature on your camera, but one of the photos gave me the impression that the moose was worried that you and your canoe might be joining the encircling hunt, which would unfairly give the wolves an edge in this stand-off, as the moose might react with an unsound decision which would put it in harm's way. Again, maybe I'm all wet with this observation, though I just want it to be food for thought. If it were me, I would probably have taken the photos from the same distance that you did, and only in hindsight would I have stepped back and wondered if I crossed the line from simple observation into influencing the outcome of a predator-prey wildlife encounter.

[isaachartsell]

In response to Bergmans' post, you make some valid points, but let me just put any doubts to rest, you are all wet. Most of the comments you make are in response to other members posts, not mine. And yes, thanks for asking, the camera I was using did have a terrific zoom feature. Let me also state the area of the photos taken was a very narrow area on Wood Lake, requiring any would be canoer to pass through on his way to Lake Whittlesley, and on to Lake Chippewa if he had any hopes of being picked up on time by the Voyageur II, since the Wolf - Moose standoff lasted for over 36 hours as confirmed by a fellow canoer in the Chippewa Harbor Campground. It is true that we should educate our kids on any Wolf encounters to avoid any unfortunate misrepresentation of the wolf population inhabiting the island, and I agree pepper spray is most definitely not the answer. One thing is for sure though, the wolf population is evolving to the human presence. During my visit to the island, speaking w/ the Petersons' I was informed that the east pack had developed the new ability to jump onto a Moose and take it down while in the water. This according to the Petersons' had not been observed before. It was caught on video from a digital camera from some hikers. One thing I find interesting is the effect this will have on the other three packs on the island. Will this new hunting ability give this pack such an advantage that it will dominate the Moose hunting on the island? I'm not sure, but just a thought.

[Nick]

With respect to the bear spray, it is my understanding the Rolf Peterson began carrying bear spray a while back. His feeling was that, if there was an encounter, the wolf would immediately equate humans with discomfort. That is not be mean that we should go about willy-nilly with bear spray and use it indiscriminately, but simply have it as a tool in case of an emergency.

In the thirty-two years I've been going up to IR, I've noticed a marked increase in wolf-human encounters. Last May, it seemed to me that everyone I met had a photo of a wolf. If these encounters continue to increase, it is only a matter of time before there is an encounter resulting in injury. If we somehow can assure that each encounter will be negative for the wolf, that would give us another tool. And it is only one of many tools we have at our disposal. Education is still the most important. Understand the relationship of man and nature and act accordingly. Unfortunately, I think many folks go there intent on seeing a wolf and, when they do, they act inappropriately. The good encounter is one where the wolf does not know you are there. The best encounter is where neither one knows the other is present.

[Less Paul]

“What makes you think that the wolf view us as prey? They do not.”

They’re apex predators. Top of the chain. Absolutely they look at anything that moves as prey. It’s how they’re wired. Certainly, they treat humans with wariness. We arrive in numbers, make noise, travel on boats, build structures, kill fish for food and walk around as if we own the place, which I guess, I suppose we do.

IR is one of the few places where man predates wolves….at least within recorded history. When the originals migrated from Canada, they feared humans because they were hunted or pursued by them. And they went to a place where humans lived. Since then, they’ve been left alone and not harassed.

They are becoming less wary because they haven’t been harassed. The predator hard wiring is coming to the forefront because their fear is waning.

Predators at the top of the chain look at everything as potential food. They size up the entity and gauge the risk of injury in an attack against the benefit of a meal. So far, the wolves have been sufficiently intimidated that the risks outweighed the possible benefit.

Wolves are smart animals. They pass hunting techniques down from generation to generation and among themselves. Methinks that the first successful attack on a human that results in a full belly (and a getaway), will usher in a new era that can’t be turned back.

When I was at IR in September, Rolf Petersen himself suggested such. And he apparently has no problem with the idea of removing individuals that learn humans are a food source.

[fonixmunkee]

This is turning out to be a great discussion. Kudos to all those who have given their insight, I'm actually learning something!

[philranger]

Why wouldn't the wolves view us as a potential meal? I've come into a camp completely exhausted and would have been easy pickings. We prepare foods that smell appealing, We sit on rocks and gaze lazily at the beauty in front of us. We are smaller than the moose. There are lots of single hikers and on the trail, we often don't see anyone for miles. Other animals eat humans, so why not wolves?

[moss13]

Now stop that philranger I have a strong feeling that my next trip to Isle Royale next summer just may be a solo trip so that is the last thing I need to hear. I do carry bearspray when I go into the BWCA but have never thought to bring it to Isle Royale......until now. I would never use it unless absolutely necessary.

[Keweenaw]

Here's my take based on very little knowledge:

We just do not act like prey. When a wolf appears we go towards it, talk to it, point at it, call others over. We interact cooperatively, which I suspect the wolves can detect, since they do the same thing. Wolves also learn from their elders and humans have been off the menu for a long time so the older generations are teaching the young that we are not prey.

However, as the younger generations grow up I do wonder what will happen the first time some hikers who are afraid of wolves encounter them and decide to run. Wolves are adaptable, and as Less Paul said, if they do kill someone that could change their way of thinking.

Starting a few years back the wolf research at IR changed to become less hands-on with the wolves. Prior to that the wolves were darted, blood drawn, collars attached, etc, and I suspect that they learned to associate humans with very unpleasant outcomes and so avoided all of us. Now the idea is to not touch the wolves, and now the wolves are losing that association. Good for research, since the wolves do not change their behavior when a plane flies over or they smell a researcher, but ultimately this policy may doom them on Isle Royale.

Bob

[fonixmunkee]

We just do not act like prey. When a wolf appears we go towards it, talk to it, point at it, call others over. We interact cooperatively, which I suspect the wolves can detect, since they do the same thing.

I think that's a very good point right there. This is very true. Plus, we're snapping pictures of them, making fast movements, and certainty not acting like prey. Although when I've seen wolves try to take down a full-sized moose, they aren't exactly *rolling over* when it's going down