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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful introduction to the wolves and Isle Royale, September 3, 2004
This book provides an introduction to the wolves of Isle Royale. Peterson certainly knows the material, since he has led the island's wolf-moose study for decades. The book presents a mix of scientific findings, stories from the wolf-moose study, and Peterson's personal experiences and the island. It's well-written, though the mixture of these materials sometimes seems a bit random.
If your primary interest lies in the science of wolves, I'd read Durward Allen's Wolves of Minong instead. But for everyone else, this should be your first book on Isle Royale and the wolves.
The greatest strength of this book is its photographs. These include wildlife shots, pictures of study staff dissecting carcasses, landscapes of Isle Royale, and a few shots of Peterson and his family. The photographs, the color, and the paper the book is printed on are all top-notch.
Peterson argues that the wolf population may be in crisis. Fortunately, wolf numbers have turned around since he wrote this book. His concluding chapter, about whether we should reintroduce "non-native" wolves to Isle Royale if they died out naturally, is very thoughtful and thought-provoking.
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Of wolves and moose ... and more, March 2, 2002
I've been interested in the moose and wolves of Isle Royale since visiting the island in the early 1990s. While I spotted plenty of moose (swimming in the lakes, jumping out of the bushes in front of us on the trail, etc.), the wolves remained hidden--a mystery. Fortunately, Rolf Peterson writes brilliantly of the side of Isle Royale that many of us will never glimpse. Peterson's work switches easily between the science and the 'experience' of studying wolves in a remote setting. The book is chock full of interesting anectodes collected from Peterson's many seasons studying the island's flora and fauna. From landing a bush plane in a white-out to dragging moose carcasses through the woods, Peterson gives us an interesting look at the what being a field scientist might be like. It's important to note that this book is not just about wolves. Indeed, so many environmental factors shape life on Isle Royale outside of its 'headlining' mammals (moose and wolves): from beaver to fox, from spruce to elder. Peterson does a great job of explaining how the changing environment (some human-induced, some not) has impacted the island's populations. The book also has some excellent photographs, which illustrate not only the science, but also the beauty that is Isle Royale! Highly recommended.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Explore the Wolf-Moose dynamic on Isle Royale, April 30, 2002
If you've been to Isle Royale and want to know more about the wolves, then I highly recommend this book. Most visitors to Isle Royale hope to see a wolf, and most visitors leave the island disappointed. Isle Royale is the closest thing to a closed system to study a predator-prey relationship, and is the site of one of the longest running field studies. The book has some good stories about conducting research on Isle Royale, including the winter study when the research team are the only people in the park. It also provides some insight into how theories about the wolf-moose relationship are still evolving after years of research. It also discusses the challenges the researchers faced when the wolf population took a nosedive in the late 1980's, and ponders the question of what should be done if the wolves die out on IR. This book is several years old now, so if you're interested in more recent data, contact the IR Natural History Association [URL] to get the latest report.
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