The Hunt for Evidence

This thread follows the struggle between the government’s expected conclusion and the evidence Mowat encounters about actual wolf behavior.

increasingBearing stren­gth in each eventdecreasing

The Expected Culprit

The Expected Culprit A Public Complaint Officials say hunters and business interests blame Wolves for declining deer numbers. The department frames the field study as a way to address this politically powerful accusation. A Conclusion in Search of Proof Mowat is expected to investigate a claim already treated as credible. The setup risks turning research into confirmation rather than discovery.

The Summer Diet Problem

The Summer Diet Problem An Apparent Impossibility The family remains healthy when the Caribou migrate north, and the adult wolves return from hunts without obvious prey. Mowat cannot reconcile this with an assumed dependence on large animals. A Better Question His uncertainty directs attention to small animals and seasonal feeding. The evidence begins to challenge the simple predator-versus-herd story he was sent to test.

Testing the Herds

Testing the Herds Repeated Short Chases Mowat watches wolves approach Caribou and abandon chases when the animals run well. The wolves appear to test condition rather than attack indiscriminately. Selective Effort The animals concentrate on vulnerable or poorly conditioned prey and conserve energy when a chase is futile. Their restraint conflicts with the belief that Wolves kill from bloodlust.

The Carcass Examination

The Carcass Examination Evidence in the Remains Mowat examines wolf-killed Caribou and finds many to be old, sick, injured, or heavily parasitized. The evidence gives physical support to the selection he has watched. A Complicated Conclusion He sees the wolf as part of a relationship that may strengthen the herd, though he knows his employer may resist the interpretation. The scientific dispute becomes institutional as well as ecological.

Reporting the Unwanted

Reporting the Unwanted A Conflict of Evidence Mowat’s observations do not support the department’s expected case for wolf control. Meanwhile, Mike’s account points toward a substantial human harvest of Caribou. The Cost of Candor The most important evidence is the least convenient to official policy. Mowat must decide how to describe a system in which people, not only predators, shape the herd’s decline.

At the government briefing

Late June, after Caribou leave the area

During late summer and autumn observations

During the later field season

After completing the field observations