Wolf diet and prey selectivity during two periods for deer in Quebec: decline versus expansion

We compare wolf diet and prey selectivity for two periods: 1974–1976, when deer were at low density (< 0.4/km2) and had even disappeared locally, and 1980–1984, when they became fairly abundant (about 3/km2). A total of 1166 wolf scats were analysed and the remains of 296 deer killed by predation were found. Although moose were present in both areas, wolves fed primarily on deer in winter even when this prey species had almost disappeared locally. In summer, moose and beaver made up more than 75% of the wolf diet, irrespective of deer density. Wolves preyed mainly on prime-age deer in periods of scarcity, but selected fawns and older animals when deer became more abundant. Under these conditions, wolf predation can have "antiregulatory" effects on deer populations.