PREY TAKEN BY COLONIZING WOLVES AND HUNTERS IN THE GLACIER-NATIONAL-PARK AREA

The recent colonization of the northwestern United States by an endang ered wolf (Canis lupus) population has raised concerns among hunters r egarding competition for prey. Data on wolf prey selection may dispel misperceptions and thereby decrease human-caused wolf mortalities that would affect wolf recovery. We assessed the extent to which the early stage of colonization affected wolf prey selection by comparing our r esults with those from established wolf populations. We examined 243 p rey killed by colonizing wolves in the Glacier National Park area of M ontana and adjacent British Columbia during winters 1985-91 and compar ed characteristics of these with those of ungulates killed by hunters. Wolves killed a larger proportion of white-tailed deer (Odocoileus vi rginianus) fawns (P < 0.05) and elk (Cervus elaphus) calves (P < 0.05) than did hunters; they also killed older (P < 0.05) white-tailed deer and were more likely to kill older elk than were hunters. Male white- tailed deer (P < 0.001) and elk (P < 0.001) were killed by wolves at a disproportionately high rate relative to their occurrence. Colonizing wolves killed a higher proportion of white-tailed deer fawns and elk calves than did wolves in established populations elsewhere. Deer (P < 0.001) and elk (P < 0.05) carcasses were more completely consumed dur ing winters with shallow snow than during deep-snow winters. Overall, the degree to which a carcass was consumed was high and apparently a f unction of pack size. The most vulnerable ungulates, the old and juven iles, were more likely to be killed by wolves than by humans, reflecti ng different selection patterns.