Elk and wolves?

[twinkieman]

Alright guys, weigh in on this question please, Are elk becoming less vocal because of wolves?

[ElkNut1]

The elk are less vocal where wolves have a strong foot hold from being in an area for 10 years or more because there are basically less elk! Find rutting elk & they are talking a plenty!

ElkNut1

[twinkieman]

Thanks Paul, that is pretty much what I thought.

[Freebird134]

People often forget that elk and their ancestors have coexisted with wolves for nearly a million years. Elk know how to be elk even when wolves are around.

[Glacier Country]

Twinkieman, wolves cause elk to become less vocal. The reason is when they are vocal the wolves can locate them far more easily ( just like we can). Then the wolves key in on the vocal elk and the elk are killed. Usually several elk. I live in wolf central. I like to tell others we have 2 elk left and last fall somebody killed the bull! Anybody who tells you that elk react the same way in wolf country as where wolves are not (yet) hunting elk, doesn't know much about the Elk/ wolf dynamic!!! I would equate it similar to hunting elk on public land to elk hunting on a private ranch that has not been hunted in 25 years. NON pressured elk react differently during the rut than pressured elk. That is why everyone wants to get 5 miles off the grid to hunt unpressured elk. Well our elk are pressured 24/7 365 days a year. Each wolf EATS 1 deer per week,or about 52 deer a year per wolf to survive. BUT wolves also kill lots of critters teaching pups, Sport killing etc... I have read different numbers regarding elk. But lets say they kill 25 elk per wolf to survive and kill 10 more teaching pups. If we do some some 3rd grade math it doesn't take long to figure out that you can only have a handful of wolves for every thousand elk. Where I live I think your chances of shooting a 125 + class whitetail here now are about 5%. out in the hills. I could do better hunting the creek by my house in town. Most deer checked in at FWP Region 1 check stations were 1/12 year old bucks. Our County was the 4th best in the nation in the 1960's for Boone & Crocket bucks.

[twinkieman]

It's interesting the different perspectives about wolves. I spent the winter in Thompson Falls, Montana, and the people there totally believe that elk do no talk due to the wolves. I spent a few days in Idaho, and people there believe that the elk still talk, and the only change is that there are just less elk. I've never hunted elk in Montana, so I will disqualify myself from an opinion there, I've seen wolves in Idaho, been part of a wolf kill(helped put her in the back of the truck and helped skin her), But in my humble opinion elk are elk and the wolf has impacted populations, not the elks vocals.

[Ridgernr]

WE have found that the first couple years or so elk were less vocal and herds were smaller, seems they have maybe somehow become more vocal and we still have wolves around. I dont know if they have just learned to adapt or what but I will tell you this our elk sure are twitchy with wolves here.
The small thing can send they running, I guess if I were being hunted that hard I would be skiddish too.