Very interesting video. I did a 40 miler about 3 yrs ago. I didn't see any wolves but saw foxes, moose and I pulled a 32 inch northern out of one of the lakes with a collapisilbe rod. As we hiked the temps changed continually. Extreme heat, then rain then cold temps. It was totally awesome and it is the best kept secret in the US.
This is superb interactive footage; wolves testing moose. Been to the Isle twice (seven day trips)and saw lots of moose alone and with calves. Wow! One of my visits happened to coincide with a full lunar eclipse ~ the wolves were howling that night ~ eerie and super exciting ~ Wow!
So Rolf Peterson was one of my professors back in the day and I also got to listen to a few of his lectures on the Ranger while I was at Isle Royale. Here's some interesting things about the moose wolf relationship. Size and health really aren't a determining factor in a moose a wolf is trying to kill. A wolf surviving the mooses defense is and once a wolf gets past the rear legs of a moose stabbing out all it has to do is bite a moose on the rear and hang on. The moose still has a chance of rubbing the wolf off on trees and rocks but for the most part once a wolf is on, it's on. Whether it's stress or a cardiac arrest Peterson has watched moose fall over dead from totally recoverable and superficial wounds.
a 45-square mile island was too small for both deer and wolves to even survive. Many deer clearly died of disease, starvation, and probably people. Wolves have a difficult time catching larger and faster prey. Many times, they will make several attempts to hunt and be unsuccesful. Hunters even skewed this horrible "test" by killing some of the wolves, therefore disrupting chances of survival for the other wolves.
Also, if the wolves killed by people did not get the chance to train less experienced wolves to hunt, it would have been more difficult for a successful kill.
It appears to me that the camera man maybe disrupted the kill. they spotted the camera before they even got to the moose and they didn't stop staring at it as they left.
the only reason why we have beautiful deers and moose is that there were wolves who chased them. Without them they would have developed like the dodo or the kiwi who lived in a world without predators. They would be fat slow and would have very slow reproduction rates. So say "thank you wolf" and let nature be nature!!
Ernie Hudson You don't know what you are talking about. Moose were considered ENDANGERED in the 60's and 70's. We has no wolves then! They recovered and bounced back in the 90's. Now they are almost back to endangered specie status. Wolves eat them alive and leave them to suffer until death. Their noses and genitals ripped away and eaten before the wolves go off to kill another. Wolves are monsters in our parks and lands. Do not kid yourselves these huge inbred wolves are not nice. They kill for sport and leave their prey dead but mostly maimed to die a slow death. Native wolves weighed about 65#s while these wolves weigh into the 100's. A cross hybred. The moose and elk have no way to defend themselves. I don't like these hybreds and I will shoot one if I see one... And gladly!!!
I see a lot of unbacked claims, lies and conspiracy theories based on nothing but personal feelings and bias. An agenda if you will. I hope you were not serious when you made this comment.
So us humans should thank the controllers who kill off millions of us every so often, and thank them for teaching us a bunch of nonsense and bullshit history.
guess maybe I'm th only one but I felt bad cuz those hungry wolves didn't get to eat! Without our top predators all th prey species wud decline so for a healthy echo system we must hav both! I personally love wolves. Our human history for th past few centuries has been so cruel to wolves it not only makes me sick but ashamed for our species. and we think we are so smart but we hav been ruthless killer's since Our beginning in time. read some history books about wolves n u will see that at times we used to steal meat from wolf mills to survive n we learned how to hunt by watching wolves n following them. so to all u people who watch WOLVES make a kill and wine about the "poor" animal that got killed I'd like to say if you don't like to see baby moose, deer, elk or bison killed then DON'T WATCH. go see a Disney movie
Remember that predators are usually only successful 10% o the time. Otherwise, they consume too much of their prey. So while this footage shows an unsuccessful hunt (or rather, pre-hunt exploration), the pack would have other chances (or would... as of 2015 there are only 3 wolves on Isle Royale, and 1 is a malformed juvenile - without new wolves being introduced by humans ((since climate change means that not many ice bridges are forming in the winter to bring in more wolves naturally)), the moose will overpopulate).
Susan Lyons-Joell YES I'm aware of that. I'm a member of the International Wolf Center and I have been doing research on wolves for six years now. I hope humans DO bring more WOLVES to Isle Royale or the Moose will reach the point of starvation all over again. One mated pair of wolves isn't enough in my opinion. They only live x many years, when they die, that's it they gone
Do you have any scientific data to support your claims? You seldom see a predator totally eradicating the pray. It is often a self-regulating, fluctuating system. The pray learns to avoid to be killed and evolves to be stronger though the survival-of-the-fittest principle. Also, with the decline in prey it becomes more difficult for the predator to succeed. The system undergoes natural fluctuations. Nature is more diverse with the introduction of wolves.
I wish it was possible to own a wolf. But I know thats not possible. Its nearly impossible to get close to a wolf cub without coming across its mother. Then you have to get out of there in one piece.
*sigh* Well, I was hoping for a video of wolves attacking moose. Instead, I got six minutes of various shots of wolves and moose along a river, and about thirty seconds of a wolf edging up on the moose, prancing at it, and then running off, all covered by insipid narration.
I understand from your blog that you enjoy hunting Elk just for the fun of it. You describe the enjoyment as spiritual ! Who is to blame for the total elimination of many species and great reduction of precious animals on earth, mankind or wolves? Not many years ago large herds of animals existed while wolves roamed virtually everywhere. Man came along and brutally tried to eliminate wolves to total extinction.
I did not attempt to find them walking around, instead opted in one case for sitting for a long time in the mornings on a tiny island in the hope that something spectacular would happen, and fortunately it did.
@Heliox18 Actually it does, heck I went to the grocery store just last week and picked me up some T-bone steaks. And this foolish talk about connections to earth, do you hunt naked like cavemen used to? If your wearing clothing and boots your supporting those who you claim are "cattle".
With today's technology, a woman can be in the kitchen AND watch videos on youtube! As an author, researching how wolves fight, I was not after a kill, actually, but rather a FIGHT.
TxC47...you are right that 99% of species that ever existed are extinct. But that happened over a geologic time scale of millions and millions of years where better evolved species took the place of species that went extinct. The high rate of extinction we are seeing today is certainly caused by humans and many see it as bad thing. It depends on what you value. The fact that 99% of all species that ever existed are extinct is irrelevant.
A gruesome death ? A natural death is what it is buddy. God designed it that way millions of years ago. If you say it's gruesome, let's hear the details ...
I'm sorry you think that way. I also would like to point out that I in fact, am not stupid. Your are ignorant enough to be one minded and be disrespectful to people who are educated in the matter. I fully understand that you have your own opinions and outlooks, but in doing so you should respect others even though they have different views then you do.
