Refining the Equation for Interpreting Prey Occurrence in Gray Wolf Scats

The degree to which relative frequencies of large ungulates in wolf scats represent the proportion of prey consumed is unknown. Thus, I fed mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), elk (Cervus elaphus), and moose (Alces alces) carcasses to 3 captive gray wolves (Canis lupus; hereafter referred to as wolves) to refine interpretation of prey occurrence in wolf scats. The mass (kg) of prey per collectable scat (Y) increased as the body mass of prey (X) increased (r 2 =0.96). The slope of the linear regression (b=0.008) differed (P<0.001) from that of Floyd et al (1978) (b=0.020), but not from that of Traves (1983) (b=0.011) (P=0.13). I recommend using an equation (Y=0.439+0.008S) derived from combined studies that spans prey sizes from snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus) to adult moose and is robust to variable field conditions