It is a popular and becoming much more repeated talking point for animal rights and anti-hunting advocates to bolster their causes: “Wolves slow or stop the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD).”
“The loudest sources of this idea are predictable segments of the public who are always looking for reasons to make large carnivores out to be saviors of the environment,” Jim Heffelfinger told MeatEater. “Those on the other, equally predictable end of the spectrum who see large carnivores more as Satans of the environment would like you to think about carnivores spreading CWD and making it worse.”
Heffelfinger isa certified wildlife biologist, research scientist, wildlife science coordinator at the Arizona Game and Fish Department, author and adjunct professor at the University of Arizona. He also has almost 40 years of experience in the field of conservation. His words ring similar to those of renowned wolf researcher David Mech, who once said, “Wolves are neither Saints nor sinners, except to those who make them so.”
To sort through the situation, Heffelfinger examined “some legitimate studies.” One of them showed adult mule deer killed in Colorado by mountain lions were more likely to be infected by CWD than those killed by hunters.
“This could be from infected deer being less alert or being less able to get away when attacked. Carnivores killing CWD-infected deer and elk at a higher rate than healthy animals is the kind of information that underlies statements about them cleansing our herds of CWD. Some selectivity of CWD-positive prey animals doesn’t automatically translate to the control or management of CWD at the population level,” told MeatEater.
Heffelfinger wrote about the importance of establishing defined population models with particular elements and goals. However, complex ecological forces often impact the best of plans and alter assertions. In one such scenario in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, data showed that carnivores could control CWD if the conditions were right. He then pointed out that such conditions did not exist in the study area.
“Carnivores are neither destructive monsters nor saviors of the environment; they are simply meat eaters trying to make a living. We should refrain from crafting exaggerated stories about both ends of that spectrum. Our focus should always be on what science, not advocates, tell us,” told MeatEater.
About Hunt 2 Conserve
Hunt 2 Conserve is a 501(c)4 nonprofit organization affiliated with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. Its mission is to advance a legacy of hunting and conservation by educating, activating and developing stewards and defenders of these fundamentally American ideals. For more information, go to hunt2conserve.org.
