In what way do wolves help keep the deer population healthy?

Answer 1

wolves, like all predators, prey on the weaker and injured individuals of the population. They weed out these animals, leaving healthy ones to breed. (This is a very simplistic explanation, but I have phrased it so that it is readily understandable to everyone)

Answer 2

On Manitoulin Island , the deer population exploded and was causing havoc with the rare flora and fauna . There were no preditors on the Island. A deer cull was suggested but fought against by the residents and others. The MNR transplanted some wolves which cut back on the deer population . Wolves take the easiest prey, the sick , the injured, the young, and the old. Healthy does and stags are usually able to flee or fight off indevidual wolf harassments.

Answer 3

WARNING: this isn't politically correct. This is reality from off the sidewalk in the areas where these predators live!!

First, wolves don't just kill the old and weak. That's a very old lie promoted by someone who never got off the sidewalk. Check out what they've done to the elk herds in Yellowstone National Park. Killed and wounded hundreds and only eaten a few. Ever seen a cat play with a mouse? A dog play with a cat? In the wild, those games turn deadly for the prey animal. All predators sport hunt. It's in their genes.

Interestingly enough, wolves seem to prefer elk, cows, and horses to deer. Mountain lions prefer deer and horses. Coyotes like smaller animals, sheep, goats, chickens, small deer. Although Wyoming ranchers have documented wolves killing 60 or 70 sheep at a time when they get to playing with the sheep. Any predator will eat any meat if it has the nibbles and that meat is easy to kill.

Answer 4

It has to do with the "carrying capacity" of a species...look it up but here is some info:

Another way is through factors whose impact on the population is dependent on the size of the population. These are called density-dependant regulators (very impressive!). In other words, the more individuals there are in a population the stronger the impact these factors will have on the population and its growth. That sounds easy doesn't it? Let me give you an example. One of these factors includes competition for resources. Whether there is a large population or a small number of individuals in an area there is going to be competition for food, water and space. Now the smaller the group, the less competition there will be because there is plenty for everyone. The larger the group, however, the more competition there will be because resources are finite so there is only so much to go around for so many individuals. The more fierce the competition the more individuals lose out on food, water, and space. There are more deaths meaning less individuals alive to eat, drink, or have the space to raise young. The population size is eventually reduced resulting in less competition and a stabilized population. I told you it was easy.

Other dependent factors include predation - the higher the prey population the more the predator population increases because food is abundant. Because there are so many prey available more are killed thereby reducing their numbers. The predator population will follow.

Answer 5

In addition to the above answer, wolves keep the deer population from becoming so large that the deer eat all the vegetation and starve.

Answer 6

they eat deer so they dont get to populated, hunters also help limit the population of deer so they do not become over populated