Cool wolf pics and shooter deer?

[BobT]

I am a farmer. All my neighbors are farmers. Most of my friends are farmers. I live in farm country. I grew up on the Iron Range and lived there for the first 30 years of my life. I still do all my deer hunting and grouse hunting up there. I spent 10 years in the logging industry, which gave me opportunity to see deer and wolves living together on a daily basis. Hopefully, this will lend some credibility to my opinion.

I've noticed a few have claim there are lots of farmers that lose livestock. These individuals seem to think that there is a wolf problem that needs tending to. Where's the evidence that would warrant an effort to reduce the wolf population on widespread basis? Our deer herd has been better than ever for nearly two decades despite the wolf population growing. Even following one of our worst winters on record the herd rebounded within a couple years to levels better than it was before the winter losses. If there was a wolf problem I would suspect the media would pick up on that rather abruptly. We don't hear about it in the news or at least I haven't heard of any news reports of lost livestock to wolf predation on a large scale, medium scale, or even a small scale. Maybe I'm too far out in the sticks here to get the news?

In my opinion, there's a lot of crying wolf going on. Sorry.

[Steve Foss]

Great pics. Thanks for sharing them.

Well, wolves do kill livestock. No doubt about that. They also get blamed for some dead livestock animals that die of natural causes or are killed by other predators. So many people automatically assume that the wolves have killed the animal they are feeding on. Mostly they do, but they eat road-killed deer and dead livestock with gusto, and they'll chase a coyote off a coyote-killed calf in a heartbeat.

I echo Bob's perspectives on the deer/wolves. We're here. Wolves are here. We both kill and eat deer, and the herd is healthy and numerous as can be. Guess people and wolves must be doing something right.

[machohorn]

This has gone from a post on Bowsers loss to a wolf witch hunt. I;m sorry for your loss Bowser. Please overlook all the all the other issues posted here.

Macho

[machohorn]

Oppsie wrong post , sorry. Therefore I will chime in, I think the problems come from when the wolves are too concentrated. They say it take 7 days for a wolf eat a deer, 7 wolves= 1 deer per day x 365 days in a year, The will take the easiest prey including fido that thinks he tough and getting too close.

[jerkbait]

Heck, we had 1 eat the hind quarters of a deer in 2 hrs a couple of years back.

[Leaddog]

You didn't get any compensation for that deers hind quarter but the farmers do, not sure how much but I'd bet on a few false claims.

I know a musher that gets deer standing in his dog yard where they are safe from the wolves. The deer know the dogs are chained same as when they walk right along my kennel.

Any of you seeing bigger bucks? Reportedly that the first change after wolves move into an area.

[bilbo]

The big bucks leave? In this same spot where i where i got the wolf pics i have bucks bigger than the one i previously posted, who knows if the bucks are afraid of the wolves or maybe they can fend them off

[Bear55]

This is just my opinion but I feel a truly big buck probably doesn't fear the wolves all that much, maybe a large pack, but usually the wolves can find much easier meal to take down.

The wolves also don't want to risk getting wounded by a big buck with a rack because as soon as they are they become a target and more than likely wolf food.

[Jackpine Rob]

Those bucks are especially vulnerable in late November/early December. I have come across the remains of a number of large bucks over the years, and I had a wildlife dude tell me that they figured it had to do with the bucks being in a somewhat weakened state after the rut - and therefore more apt to be caught and killed.

The explanation worked for me.

[BobT]

It makes sense. Predators will go after the weak, sick, young, and injured first before trying take on a healthy adult.

I wonder how much of a role hunter presence plays in the scheme of things. The bucks are weakened by rutting and breeding, which can include a level of starvation, and then multi-thousand hunters enter the woods for three months making drives for small game and deer, pushing the deer around even more. The fact that we are doing our part during their weakest moments and at a time when they need to be able to concentrate on winter preparation must have some impact I would think.

[goblueM]

i think the wolves push the deer around, which can be good or bad. I don't know why people don't like wolves. Its not like they eat that many deer. Lord knows cars kill WAY more than wolves do in this state

[alwaysonthemove]

I just wish that the goverment would allow the states to somewhat control their own wolf populations. Ive always wanted the state to put out at least 20 tags for wolves. Jack the price up. let the tag be 500 to a thousand. At least that way the state can make a little MORE money and we can all get a shot at a legal wolf here in mn.

[Jackpine Rob]

I hope to see such a season in my lifetime. I'm one of those nuts who puts on the white camo and hits the frozen tundra in search of coyotes and foxes - and a wolf hunt would be a real thrill.

I've called in wolves several times, and my stomach does a little lurch when I realize that I've got the wolf hunting for me.

[BobT]

So what do you do with a wolf once you've taken it? Are they just trashed? I'm not thinking they're table fare.

[fishmon]

wolf jerky?

[alwaysonthemove]

Invite your friends over drink some beer tell some lies and then tell them your grilling. They will eat anything.

[sparkydm]

Yuckers!

[croixflats]

Great shots bilbo. What kind of trail cam you shooting with.

Thinking of getting one. The coyotes are getting quit numerous around here and a few people are losing pets so I want to set one up to try to get a count, also may try to catch this elusive black bear that comes through.

[BobT]

So if we don't take them for their pelt and we don't take them for food, what kind of conservationists are we? No one in this state has to live in a constant state of fear or heightened state of awareness that at any moment he/she might be the victim of a wolf attack. Our livestock aren't being ravaged day in and day out by wolf packs. The deer population is not being decimated by the Minnesota wolf pack.

Is the only reason we can come up with for taking them sport? What does that say about us?

[Steve Foss]

So if we don't take them for their pelt and we don't take them for food, what kind of conservationists are we?

Bob, I missed it where someone answered your pelt question by saying we don't kill them for their pelts. Wolves are typically taken for their fur when there's a hunting/trapping season. No different, really, from coyote and fox or any other furbearer.

I may or may not find your other points well taken, but really this thread is about sharing some cool trail cam pics, and cool they are.

[vister]

guess i don't remember people eating coon, skunks, coyotes, fox, beaver, etc. they hunt and trap them for their pelts. are they not ethical sportsman in your eye because they aren't eating them as well?