Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center
Wolf Management in the 21st Century:
From Public Input to Sterilization
by
L. David Mech1
Steven H. Fritts2
Michael E. Nelson3
Abstract: Human-population increase and land development portend increasing
conflict with large predators. Concurrently, changes and diversification of
human attitudes are bringing increased disagreement about wildlife management.
Animal-rights advocacy resulting from urbanization of human populations conflicts
with traditional wildlife management. These forces focus more on wolves than
on other wildlife because of strong public and media interest in wolves. Thus
wolf management in the future will come under even greater public scrutiny,
involve more public input, and may have greater restrictions imposed on it.
This will lead to increased complexity in wolf management including more zoning,
more experimentation with lethal and non-lethal capture techniques and alternate
methods of alleviating damage to pets, livestock, and large ungulate herds,
and greater public and private subsidy of wolf damage. One form of non-lethal
control of wolf populations that may hold some promise is direct sterilization
of males to reduce the biotic potential of the wolf population. Experimental
vasectomy of five wild male wolves from four packs in Minnesota indicates that
sterile males will continue to hold mates and territories, which would be necessary
if sterilization is to be a viable technique for assisting with population control.
If sterile males held territories but failed to produce pups, such territories
might contain only about a third the number of wolves as fertile pack territories.
Because wolves are long-lived in unexploited populations and their territories
are large, direct sterilization of relatively few animals each year might significantly
reduce populations.
Key words: control, management, sterilization, territoriality, vasectomy,
wolves
This resource is based on the following source (Northern Prairie Publication
LDM0153):
Mech, L. David, Steven H. Fritts, and Michael E. Nelson. 1996. Wolf
management in the 21st century: from public input to sterilization.
Journal of Wildlife Research 1(2):195-198.
This resource should be cited as:
Mech, L. David, Steven H. Fritts, and Michael E. Nelson. 1996. Wolf
management in the 21st century: from public input to sterilization.
Journal of Wildlife Research 1(2):195-198. Jamestown, ND:
Northern Prairie Wildlife Research Center Online.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/mammals/wolfman/index.htm
(Version 02MAR2000).
Table of Contents
Tables & Figures
- Table 1 -- Pack sizes of vasectomized wolves
in the Superior National Forest.
- Figure 1 -- Trend in numbers of wolves trapped
by a federal government livestock depredation-control program in Minnesota.
1 U.S. Nat. Biol. Survey, Patuxent Environmental Science Center,
North Central Forest Exp. Station, 1992 Folwell Ave. St. Paul, MN 55108, USA.
2 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 100 North Park Ave. Suite 320,
Helena, MT 59601, USA.
3U.S. National Biological Survey, Patuxent Environmental Science
Center, USA.
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