Jay Mallonee is a research biologist with a master’s degree in neurobiology/animal behavior. Through
his business of Wolf & Wildlife Studies, he has researched wolves in various states since 1992, along
with a 9-year study of the Fishtrap pack in northwest Montana (Project HOWL). Previous research has
included the documentation of traumatic stress displayed by a wild wolf placed into captivity, and
behavioral studies on rodents, primates, and a variety of cetaceans, such as gray whales and bottlenose
dolphins. Details of his studies can be found at
http://www.wolfandwildlifestudies.com. He also authored the book
Timber – A Perfect Life, that chronicles the profound 16 year journey with his canine companion.
Mallonee is a college professor and has taught a wide range of science classes for Michigan Tech
University, U. C. Santa Barbara, San Francisco State University, and several community colleges. Below is a revealing article about how no sufficient data supports the wolf hunts! Click on the link at the bottom to read the rest of his article and special thanks to the multiple sources he uses:
“Abstract
Management agencies have claimed that the recovery and public hunting of wolves is based in science.
A review of their statistics demonstrated that data collection methods did not follow a scientific protocol
which resulted in flawed and often blatantly incorrect data. Consequently, agencies do not know the
total number of wolves in Montana, a major reference point used by wolf managers. Therefore, the
quotas proposed for public wolf hunts are completely arbitrary, and management decisions in general
have not been based on facts. Management methods, and now hunting, contribute to the current
ecological crisis produced by the elimination and manipulation of predator species, which form the top
of food chains. These consumers produce a powerful “top-down” influence throughout ecosystems
which can even determine the surrounding vegetation species. Also reviewed were public attitudes
toward wolves, along with political approaches to solving the “wolf problem.” The total effect of these
processes has produced a wolf management system that lacks scientific perspective and does not utilize
what is known about the wolves’ role in sustaining healthy ecosystems. Instead, the data demonstrates
that management decisions have been based on agenda and propelled by opinion, bigotry, and politic.” He adds, ”
Ultimately we have the greatest influence on how many deer, elk, wolves, and other predators are
present in our ecosystems. Until the current management paradigm changes, along with public attitude,
there is no permanent solution to the apparent “wolf problem.”
I can appreciate how hard FWP works to
obtain data on wolves and I know they do their best. Their best, however, is not science as they have
claimed.
Future solutions will have to take into account the full range of what science knows about
wolves. Until that happens, agendas, opinions, and politics will guide wolf management over problems
that are either mostly unknown (effects on prey populations) or rarely happen (depredations). This is a
social issue, not a biological one.”
http://www.wolfandwildlifestudies.com/downloads/huntingwolvesinmontana.pdf
The Wolf Preservation Blog 