DNR biologist clears up common misconceptions
April 8, 2011
ESCANABA - Some common misconceptions surrounding wolves were addressed Thursday during a seminar in Escanaba presented by Michigan Department of Natural Resources Biologist Brian Roell.
Roell, who serves as the DNR's wolf management coordinator, explained there are distinct differences between a wolf and a coyote, which is often times mistaken for a wolf. According to Roell, a wolf has a wider muzzle compared to a coyote, which has a narrower muzzle. There is a slight difference in the size of the ears.
"Another tell-tale difference between a wolf and a coyote is the tail. A coyote's tail appears to be separate between the rump and tail of the animal, while a wolves appears to be broken in the same area," said Roell.
He said a wolf is taller, standing anywhere from 26 to 28 inches at the shoulder, while a coyote would appear slightly shorter. Another trait exclusive to wolves, said Roell, is they are curious by nature, cocking their head to one side when they look at something foreign to them. "When something new comes into their environment, they will investigate to determine if the person or animal is a threat to them or competition for a food source," said Roell.
Wolves are social animals, living in packs as small as four or quite large, with a hierarchy, which includes an alpha male and alpha female. "Generally it is the alpha female which mates and produces pups," said Roell, "with only 30 to 40 percent of the pups born surviving to their first winter." Roell explained wolf pups were susceptible to parvo virus and distemper, which claims the lives of a majority of pups born.
The diet of a wolf was also touched on briefly, with 17 percent of a wolf's diet being beaver, especially during the early spring as the ice begins melting and beavers begin seeking out fresh food sources.
"While wolves do predate whitetail deer, they will also eat small rodents, grasshoppers, berries and grasses," said Roell. He said wolves were opportunistic feeders, and will not turn down a food source found within their territory. They will in fact feed on carrion.
One area which Roell did address was regarding the reintroduction of wolves into Michigan. He said the current wolves being seen in Michigan were not reintroduced by the DNR, but rather migrated into Michigan from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Canada. "In 1974, a reintroduction plan was attempted with four wolves being brought in from Minnesota and placed in the Huron Mountain range, which was a disaster. Within eight months all four wolves were killed, and another attempt was not made," he said.
Wolves were abundant in Michigan, said Roell, leading to bounties being placed on them from 1817 through 1960. In 1935, they were believed to have been eradicated in Michigan. Roell said that by 1956 there were 100 wolves in Michigan, and by 1965 had been given full legal protection.
"In 1974 they were placed on the federal endangered species list, and in 1976 they were placed on the state endangered species list," said Roell. By 1997, the Nordic pack, the name given to the pack here in Michigan, had grown every year, with the exception of 1997, when the pack encountered a major outbreak of mange. "There was another dip in the population in 2010, however, we are again seeing an increase in the number of packs being seen in Michigan and also Wisconsin," said Roell. He said another trend being seen is the wolf population is beginning to slow as the carrying capacity of their territories becomes smaller.
One hindrance to the wolf population is the current inability of a decision to remove the species from the endangered species list. Federal action taken in 2003 moved the species from endangered to threatened, and in 2004 a proposal for delisting the species was proposed for the Eastern District (Michigan) population segment. "On Jan. 1, 2005, the species was placed back on the endangered species list, and again on Jan. 27, 2007, a proposal to delist the species was introduced," said Roell.
In 2007, the Humane Society of the United States (HUSA) opposed the delisting of the gray wolf, effectively putting the issue on hold until January 2009. In 2009, a proposal to delist the wolves in the Great Lakes region was undertaken until the Obama administration placed a halt to any delisting attempts. Attempts were made again in March 2009 to delist, with the species being placed back on the endangered listing in July 2009.
"As of 2010, a survey was sent out by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for public comment concerning delisting of wolves," said Roell. He said a public hearing concerning the issue was scheduled for sometime in April in Ashland, Wis. In the event the wolf should be delisted from the endangered species list, explained Roell, management of the species would be placed into the hands of the state, as Michigan currently has a management plan in place for the species.
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Roell, who serves as the DNR's wolf management coordinator, explained there are distinct differences between a wolf and a coyote, which is often times mistaken for a wolf. According to Roell, a wolf has a wider muzzle compared to a coyote, which has a narrower muzzle. There is a slight difference in the size of the ears.
"Another tell-tale difference between a wolf and a coyote is the tail. A coyote's tail appears to be separate between the rump and tail of the animal, while a wolves appears to be broken in the same area," said Roell.
He said a wolf is taller, standing anywhere from 26 to 28 inches at the shoulder, while a coyote would appear slightly shorter. Another trait exclusive to wolves, said Roell, is they are curious by nature, cocking their head to one side when they look at something foreign to them. "When something new comes into their environment, they will investigate to determine if the person or animal is a threat to them or competition for a food source," said Roell.
Wolves are social animals, living in packs as small as four or quite large, with a hierarchy, which includes an alpha male and alpha female. "Generally it is the alpha female which mates and produces pups," said Roell, "with only 30 to 40 percent of the pups born surviving to their first winter." Roell explained wolf pups were susceptible to parvo virus and distemper, which claims the lives of a majority of pups born.
The diet of a wolf was also touched on briefly, with 17 percent of a wolf's diet being beaver, especially during the early spring as the ice begins melting and beavers begin seeking out fresh food sources.
"While wolves do predate whitetail deer, they will also eat small rodents, grasshoppers, berries and grasses," said Roell. He said wolves were opportunistic feeders, and will not turn down a food source found within their territory. They will in fact feed on carrion.
One area which Roell did address was regarding the reintroduction of wolves into Michigan. He said the current wolves being seen in Michigan were not reintroduced by the DNR, but rather migrated into Michigan from Minnesota, Wisconsin and Canada. "In 1974, a reintroduction plan was attempted with four wolves being brought in from Minnesota and placed in the Huron Mountain range, which was a disaster. Within eight months all four wolves were killed, and another attempt was not made," he said.
Wolves were abundant in Michigan, said Roell, leading to bounties being placed on them from 1817 through 1960. In 1935, they were believed to have been eradicated in Michigan. Roell said that by 1956 there were 100 wolves in Michigan, and by 1965 had been given full legal protection.
"In 1974 they were placed on the federal endangered species list, and in 1976 they were placed on the state endangered species list," said Roell. By 1997, the Nordic pack, the name given to the pack here in Michigan, had grown every year, with the exception of 1997, when the pack encountered a major outbreak of mange. "There was another dip in the population in 2010, however, we are again seeing an increase in the number of packs being seen in Michigan and also Wisconsin," said Roell. He said another trend being seen is the wolf population is beginning to slow as the carrying capacity of their territories becomes smaller.
One hindrance to the wolf population is the current inability of a decision to remove the species from the endangered species list. Federal action taken in 2003 moved the species from endangered to threatened, and in 2004 a proposal for delisting the species was proposed for the Eastern District (Michigan) population segment. "On Jan. 1, 2005, the species was placed back on the endangered species list, and again on Jan. 27, 2007, a proposal to delist the species was introduced," said Roell.
In 2007, the Humane Society of the United States (HUSA) opposed the delisting of the gray wolf, effectively putting the issue on hold until January 2009. In 2009, a proposal to delist the wolves in the Great Lakes region was undertaken until the Obama administration placed a halt to any delisting attempts. Attempts were made again in March 2009 to delist, with the species being placed back on the endangered listing in July 2009.
"As of 2010, a survey was sent out by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for public comment concerning delisting of wolves," said Roell. He said a public hearing concerning the issue was scheduled for sometime in April in Ashland, Wis. In the event the wolf should be delisted from the endangered species list, explained Roell, management of the species would be placed into the hands of the state, as Michigan currently has a management plan in place for the species.
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