Wolves (Canis lupus) have recolonized many areas of the Midwestern United States, prompting concern over the possible risk wolves may pose
to livestock producers. To better understand the risks wolves may pose
to livestock, we initiated a 3-y study examining the food habits of
wolves in an agricultural area of northwestern Minnesota and their
relation to depredation records of livestock losses in the same area.
We collected 533 wolf feces during the non-winter seasons from
1997-1999. White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) was the most
abundant food item (39.2\%) of all prey items for all 3 y combined. The
deer component comprised both adult deer (26.9\%) and fawns (12.3\%).
Muskrats (Ondatra zibethicus) were the second highest food item at
16.6\%. Moose (Alces alces), both adults (13.0\%) and calves (0.6\%),
comprised 13.6\% of the diet of wolves, followed by cattle (10.3\%),
domestic pig (4.4\%), lagomorphs (3.6\%) and beaver (Castor canadensis,
2.1\%). During our 3-y study, eight head of livestock were officially
reported as wolf depredations in the agricultural lands within the
study area. The confirmed losses included one sheep, one injured cow,
one blind cow and five calves. Even with very low deer and moose
densities in the study area and a high preponderance of cattle in the
area (> 1000 head), the wolves in the area preyed mostly on native prey
species.