Wolves can't catch a Snowshoe Hare

upnorth

upnorth

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Nov 25, 2006
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A couple of communities north of here have been visited by wolves lately, not a good thing with children around. Lac La Ronge and the Dene reserve of Fond Du Lac have had them come in to town or hanging around their dump. My hypothesis was that maybe the rabbits were down and that they were hungry and taking chances. This idea went out the window when I spoke to an 85 year old Native woman from Stanley Mission. She told me that wolves can't catch Snowshoes because they aren't fast enough. Wolves can take down a moose but can't catch rabbits. That was a bit of surprising bush trivia to me. I knew about the moose, but the rabbit thing was surprising. I guess a guy never stops learning eh?
 
I heard something like this too, but the way it was told to me was that it isn't so much a matter of speed but maneuverability. The hare can turn on a dime where the wolf can't change direction as quickly.
 
thanks upnorth thats nature at its finest. great action, urbanites simply dont understand that in nature its not about fairness or happy endings . everything is eat or be eaten. the concept of fairness or what's right is all naught. its survive or not.
dennis
 
The coyotes in my area (Maine) seem to feed pretty well on snowshoe hare. Being smaller, they're probably quicker than wolves.
 
There might also be an issue with flotation on snow, since the rabbits probably have a higher ratio of foot area to body weight than the wolves do.

DancesWithKnives
 
Upnorth, makes sense to me. I mean wolves are stamina hunters, they run down their prey to exhaustion and attack as a group. Not really designed as a fast attack vehicle.

Bushman5, awesome video. That hare used the 5 D's to try to get away, but in the end it didn't work.


-Xander
 
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