Wolf-Moose Study

After a delightful shaded hike I arrived at Bangsund Cabin. Built in 1926 the sturdy built cabin and other buildings are now used to house researchers including Rolf and Candy Peterson during the summer season while they collect bones, DNA, etc. The cabin is modest but has all the necessities and a wind turbine provides electrical power and water is a few feet away! It reminds me a lot of Wiseman, Alaska and Jack's house! They must have quite the sense of humor as I snapped a shot of this FarSide cartoon posted on a tree near the moose skulls.

The large group of NPCA'ers was just about finished, so the Postmaster of Pentwater, MI and his wife and I wandered about the 150ish antlered moose skulls The Wolf-Moose Study of Isle Royale is the longest continuous study in the whole world of any predator-prey relationship, and is in its 52nd year! Isle Royale is closed to visitors from late October until mid May I believe, but the researchers are granted special privileges to do their critter counts by air, and occasionally land to tag wolves or do other research during this off time. In the winter of 2010, they observed about 510 moose, and 19 wolves in 2 packs (9 in Chippewa Harbor pack, 7 in Middle pack, and 3 lone wolves).

To the side were some unusual antler formations, this one was 3 times the usual thickness...I'm sure the moose wasn't 3 times as big either! The strain on the neck muscles must have been tremendous!

This is an example of what the Ojibway called a Windigo, a type of beast who would come out of the woods to kidnap and eat the natives at night according to folklore.

Here's Candy getting a fresh stick of butter for the bread that just came out of the oven (it was FABULOUS!) and Rolf, probably thinking about the bread, taking a break from all my questions!

Moose swam to the island sometime
in the early 1900's from either Canada or nearby Minnesota, and there has been at least 2 documented cases of people seeing moose swimming toward or reaching Isle Royale since. A typical moose here will weigh around 1000 pounds, cows probably a little lighter. After mating in the fall, the cows give birth in the

spring to 1 or 2 calves who stay with her for only a year before venturing off on their own. They can live until they are 17, but the majority die before they reach 9 years of age and as a result of either wolf kill, or starvation. In summer the leaves of herbs, ferns, shrubs and trees are abundant, but in the winter foraging for these with several hundred others on a small island can prove difficult.

Another downfall of winter is the winter tick. These ticks attach to a moose in fall and all through the winter survive on the host's blood and don't fall off until spring. A moose could have upwards of 80,000 ticks at any one time! That's a lot of blood to lose!

Sorry, but there are no wolf carcases at Bangsund cabin for me to show you. The wolves first appeared in the early 1950's via an ice bridge from the mainland. There is only 1 documented new crossing since and that was in the winter of 1997 and this beige colored wolf became the alpha male of the Middle Pack and was quite prolific as now 50% of the wolf population on the island descends from him. Always good to get new genes in the pool! Wolves can reach an age of 12 years, however most die by the age of 4, from either starvation or conflicts with other wolves generally from another pack, or occasionally from a moose hunt gone bad...moose have a 300 degree field of vision and are not usually taken by surprise, but have very strong hindquarters that could easily injure a 80# wolf . Unfortunately for the moose, only 10% of the wold diet comes from beaver and snowshoe hare, moose comprise the remainder. A wolf will generally travel at 5 mph and cover about 30 miles a day when hunting or marking territory. A pack will generally bring down a moose every 5 to 10 days. This poor fellow died not from starvation or by a wolf, but by electrocution near the Ojibway tower!

The wolves and moose depend on each other in odd sorts of ways. More ticks and rougher winters mean less moose, less moose mean fewer pups born to wolves and hunger in that community. Less hares and other vegetarians and milder winters mean more food for moose and that can create optimum moose habitat and numbers will go up and a corresponding increase in wolf count and or wolf packs. But there are many more variables than I have mentioned here...its increasingly complex and there is still much to be learned and possibly extrapolated!

The Peterson's also have an extensive collection of jaw bones. Jaw necrosis and osteoporosis and arthritis is also seen in moose! In fact, it is known that calves born to malnourished
cows develop arthritis sooner or to a greater extent than those born to well-nourished cows.It is also known that a wolf can detect by smell a moose weakened by any of these

conditions and will seek those out as they are considered easier prey and the wolf will be more likely to succeed in the kill.

After us 3 stragglers had a delightful chat with Rolf and Candy inside their home (as well as some of Candy's delicious bread) we had to get a moveon to make it back before Captain Ron left us behind. As soon as we boarded we motored back to Rock Harbor Lodge. A guide on board for the NCPA'ers had found some Isle Royale greenstones on the beach near the lighthouse that he saved to show us 3! Pretty cool! This is coincidentally the state stone of Michigan!

As we tied up to the dock we were greeted by some Red-Breasted Mergansers that were catching their dinner in Snug Harbor! After a quick bite to eat I was off to the evening program that was given by Rolf on the Wolf-Moose Study. I felt very fortunate to meet him and his wife and to learn so much about this eco-system on Isle Royale and I look forward to reading his book this fall, I'm currently reading Candy's book A View From the Wolf's Eye. I'm finding it to be a great read! I'm sure Rolf's will be just as good! After the presentation the skies grew darker, the wind drastically picked up the rain started....perhaps the nasty storm that was predicted would materialize...I was worried about Rolf & Candy's safety going back home...I had hoped they hadn't brought that tiny rowboat! But, they've been here for decades and I felt confidant the rangers would see them home safely. I fell fast asleep to the sound of wind, rain and the loud crashing of waves against the rocks....I was sure glad I was in the lodge and not in a tent!