ORIGINAL: bugs11
Millagerobert,
Don't think I' pro-wolf, but your hypothisis is based on wolves only eating elk and nothing else. I'm no wolf expert, but one would think they would eat whatever they can catch and kill, which would include other prey, e.g. rabbits, deer, dogs, etc...
Bugs.
I agree, they do eat more than elk, but elk are their primary food source. I also used low numbers to allow for this. We have noticed a large impact on the moose numbers also. For the most part the deer, etc.. seem to have an easier time escaping wolves than elk and moose (from # of kills found, and number of live game present). The wolves also seem to be very hard on the coyotes in an area, which in turn has caused us to notice an increase in the number of rabbits and grouse which coyotes and other small predators prey upon. I believe the wolves may kill some rabbits, grouse, etc... but mostly in an opportunistict setting, rather than seeking these animals out for food like they do the elk and moose. The bears seem to not be effected and seem to have increased in numbers due to less hound hunters due to hound wolf conflicts, and the fact that bears can climb to escape wolves and have plant and berry food sources that don't compete with the wolves. Some of the people I know who hunt lions report a drop in their numbers in wolf areas, maybe due to food source competition and the stealing of kills.