Wolves Will Adapt and Overcome

Mountain lions and black bears used to be in every state in the United States. Wolves have a much more adaptive nature than most predators. Even after being exterminated from everywhere in the United States except northern Minnesota, and it is likely that no matter what people and climate change throws at them, they will survive. The grey wolves at least, Red and Ethiopian wolves might have different stories.

Wolf fun facts! 1. The alpha and omega pack structure is a myth based on a zoo experiment. The real pack structure is family based. A breeding pair and their offspring. The young eventually leave to start their own packs. This is called dispersal.

2. Wolf packs typically range from 2-14 individuals. Most packs in Minnesota contain 4-5 wolves.

3. Wolves have a normal bite force of 400 pounds per square inch. In a hunt however, they can bite with 1,200 pounds of pressure. For context a Siberian tiger's bite force is 950 lbs and a Jaguar's is about 700 lbs.

4. Firearm hunters and coyotes each take more deer per year than wolves in Minnesota. There are 1,400,000 deer in Minnesota. Wolves successfully hunt 17 deer a year. The total amount of wolves tallies their deer per year at about 150,000. Firearms hunters get 400,000 and coyotes with their high population take 300,000. Black bears also kill more deer than wolves, about 100,000 deer mostly fawns from their remarkable sense of smell.

This afternoon Katrina and I took our group cross country skiing. I'm tired but at the same time I'm motivated and this does not feel like work to me!

The lake felt peaceful this morning.