Post #14547

How do wolves attack? Their tactics against mice, foxes, deer, elk, bison, humans Wolves are one of the best predators on the planet. But not because they are fast, strong or tough, but because they are able to adapt to any conditions, know how to work in a pack and are very, very tenacious. And wherever wolves live - from the Arctic wastes to the Arabian deserts, they always choose tactics that allow them to feed themselves and their offspring. Any hunt of any wolf can be divided into 5 phases. First, the wolf needs to detect prey - find a trace or catch a scent. The wolf then follows her, trying to get as close as possible. However, the wolf is not a silent cat, and sooner or later he is noticed. There is a meeting between predator and prey. After this, the predator gives chase at the limit of its capabilities, and its prey tries to escape. And the hunt ends with a final throw and several bites, which deprive the victim of the last chance of salvation. But the individual nuances of hunting greatly depend on the type of prey. Small game hunting: In the summer, or in the absence of large prey, wolves often switch to feeding on all sorts of little things: foxes, hares, rats and even mice. There is no need to gather a pack to hunt such an animal. Therefore, grays go fishing alone or, occasionally, in pairs. It is very easy to detect small prey, because its numbers are quite high. So, for example, one square kilometer of forest can be home to up to 4 hares, 100 voles and, if you’re lucky, a pair of chanterelles. With such a density of prey, no anomalous skills are needed to track it. Only a developed sense of smell and banal attentiveness. Having discovered fresh tracks, the wolf follows them until it reaches the prey’s lair, or meets it face to face. And then the fate of the victim will be decided by seconds. In such conditions, the wolf cannot use its main trump card - endurance, and therefore its chances of overtaking its prey are small. If he cannot catch up with the hare in the first 100 meters of the chase, then the scythe will dash into the nearest thickets and hide, taking advantage of his small size. If he doesn’t catch the mouse within the first 30 meters, it will hide in a hole from which it will be impossible to get it out. But the wolf is persistent and knows that one small defeat means nothing. He spends very little energy on each jerk, so his efforts pay off in the long run. And yet, whenever possible, he will try to move on to larger prey. The main problem with hunting conventionally large game - from beaver to elk and bison - is that it can fight back. Yes, even one large wolf can potentially kill a young elk, but in doing so he will almost certainly be injured. And an injured wolf is a predator unable to hunt and almost guaranteed to die of starvation. But the wolves have a solution: they know that evolution is on the side of large battalions. That is why small packs of 3-5 wolves prefer to hunt roe deer