Isle Royale Forums

Apparently wolves have learned if they find campers, they find food.

https://www.nps.gov/isro/learn/news/isl ... ctions.htm

Those are very substantial changes, effective immediately. Most people already in the transportation pipeline will not be able to completely comply.

Yikes -- and I thought the squirrels were bad...

The news release included a statement that the Park has been doing some hazing of wolves approaching populated areas, but does not include any instructions for or how campers should react should a hungry wolf start acting like a campground fox or potentially more aggressive. Maybe it should borrow the instructions from the Parks "Current Conditions" webpage and conversely update the old food storage guidelines there and maybe elsewhere on the website.

"If you see a wolf, do not approach. If the wolf comes closer, encourage it to leave by clapping and yelling. If you cannot safely leave, make yourself big and aggressively use hiking poles or branches. Wolf attacks are extremely rare and unlikely to happen, but if it does, fight by any means necessary."

What constitutes a sent proof bag. Do I have to go to REI and buy something expensive. Or will a tightly closed plastic bag get the job done.

Im off to the store to buy some line for hanging in any case.

If people had more common sense and would have been hanging food bags as best practice this would be less an issue I feel.

RedLeg wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 10:32 am If people had more common sense and would have been hanging food bags as best practice this would be less an issue I feel.

I'm not necessarily disagreeing but I think there is a variety of other factors. The foundation of my rationale lies in the experience of the 50 previous years during which wolf interaction with people was not even an issue let alone a problem. No one hung their food for all the decades prior to 2020. Would better food storage over the past 4 to 5 years prevented the current situation? Maybe, but based on this history it would seem maybe one or more of the new wolves brought this habit with them. It only takes one bold wolf to start teaching the others. The young are the most teachable. Another factor is the dietary habits of the imported population. There was concern they were too used to living on deer and caribou which are substantially different to find and kill than moose. Moose were even harvested and left for the new wolves during the move-in period. During summer, when moose are harder to catch, the older population's sustenance relied also on beaver. Many noticed the increased growth in beaver ponds as the old wolf population vanished. Hunger, of course, is the motivation. Have the new wolves been eating beaver? I was in favor of the reintroduction but it's probably folly for us to think we can understand and account for, let alone control, all the factors and it would appear that some of those factors are still unknown.

It’s really not about hanging food. Wolfs are going though the trash at RH. Running off with packs only set in the ground for a few minutes. Wolves are smart. They can assess risk. And their assessment say there is no risk to being around human or running around their campgrounds or going through their stuff.

In the past five years the wolf population has gone from 19 to 30. The moose population has gone from 2000 to 840 during the same period. The future should be even more interesting.

Yankee Dog wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 10:37 pm It’s really not about hanging food. Wolfs are going though the trash at RH. Running off with packs only set in the ground for a few minutes. Wolves are smart. They can assess risk. And their assessment say there is no risk to being around human or running around their campgrounds or going through their stuff.

In the past five years the wolf population has gone from 19 to 30. The moose population has gone from 2000 to 840 during the same period. The future should be even more interesting.

Are you suggesting that hunger is not the only reason for their advances?
Hanging food is simply a logical method to keep additional food from getting to them, especially at campgrounds away from Rock Harbor.
My overriding observation is there were 40 to 50 wolves at times decades ago, along with periods of low moose population and this sort of problem never came up. Both populations have historically oscillated up and down and inversely to each other. I think this behavior was learned on the mainland before relocation. It would only take one to then start teaching others.

I absolutely agree that hunger is the driving force. And I also,agree that hanging is not a bad idea. Just saying that the available anadoltal evidence does not show wolves currently stealing food from campers. But surely that will be the next step. Just thinking that wolves can be aggressive when there is no perceived fear of humans. And hungry wolves without fear could be a problem.

Midwest Ed wrote: ↑Mon Jul 15, 2024 3:13 pm.......Hunger, of course, is the motivation. Have the new wolves been eating beaver? I was in favor of the reintroduction but it's probably folly for us to think we can understand and account for, let alone control, all the factors and it would appear that some of those factors are still unknown.

Sure looks like the wolves are eating beaver. Looking at the 2023 Wolf/Moose report, beaver colonies have decreased by 50% from 2021 to 2022 (457 active colonies in 2021 to 233 active colonies in 2022).

As of 2005, there were 540 moose, the lowest recorded, and a relatively high population of 30 wolves. Although we have an increase in hikers, there's clearly not a direct cause & effect relationship.

The NPS has certainly made it easy to protect food and trash from wolves. Closed dumpsters, lockers and shelters at campsites. Those who go to remote campsites without either are probably accustomed to hanging or otherwise protecting their food when in bear country. This beats having to buy or rent (and carry) bear canisters!