I wonder if it's sort of like dogs eating grass? Not a dietary staple, for sure, and I don't think using a grass patch would increase the likelyhood of a canine catch. There's just too much of it, (it's everywhere).

AV - I'm thinking that the conifers act as a "boost" to the chemical message's the urine carry. Another factor is where the urine is deposited as there seems to be a difference between urine on organic material like wood and that on snow or ice. I don't know anything for sure but I like thinking about it. We'll never know what's totally going on.

I mentioned the pine / spruce trees I find Scratched up in the bush and asked if any of you guys have seen that behaviour? I found this information in some Scandinanvian research which seems to confirm this is part of a wolverines territory marking, and is common.

Behaviour: There were 83 observations of marking in the study. These observations were of markings by
urine, secretions from anal glands, scratching in trees, most frequent on pine and markings by
feces (fig.9).

There have been some observations of wolverines climbing up into trees and
urinating along the tree.

Marking during the project

Urine Secretion Scratching Feces

There were 25 observations of day-beds. Wolverines use day-beds in areas where they
spend a lot of time, like denning areas and areas where they have a lot of food, like
carcasses (see appendix). Other interesting observations during the project are bites
made by wolverines on little young plants of pine. This is probably a way of marking
(Persson & Östergren, 1996). Observations of wolverines “licking” and “gnawing” on
spruce and especially the resin of the spruce are found quite frequently during the
project.

I've been accused of being a s*** sifter more than once

I think you mean "disturber" W17


If wolverines use conifers to enhance their chemical messaging it once again shows how little we know about the natural world around us. Sometimes this research just reinforces what trapper's already know though. For example we already knew castor is a cross-species attractant and I always use dry, not green, stumps for scent.

The thing is I don't need to know everything about the natural world, unless that knowledge helps me catch stuff.

Lot's of different animals mark their presence in an area in varying ways. Black and brown bear chew on spruce trees,(at least they do in this area) and I don't doubt that they at times ingest some wood and bark, but it would be stretching reality to consider spruce as a part of their diet. IMO, the same could be said for wolverine.

Out of curiosity, I often cut the stomach open on animals I hunt or trap, including wolverine, and I have never found spruce in ones stomach. And, like White17, I often tear scat apart with a stick to see what can be learned from what is in it. Another thing I have done over the years is follow animals tracks, sometimes for long distances, to gather whatever information I could about them from studying their tracks. I'm sure a lot of other trappers do the same. Anyway, in the areas where the studies you mention were conducted, spruce trees may be a measurable part of a
wolverines diet, but I think it is safe to say that is not the case here.

I have to wonder though if the terpenes the researchers found in wolverine urine was not there as a result of eating porcupine meat, which I would think would be high in terpenes? Or did they even consider that possibility? IMO, any conclusions included in a scientific study with the words "likely" and "probably", raises a red flag.

I have long wondered why Alaska bears don't tear up young coniferous trees to eat the cambium layer (for you non-forester types, thats the thin layer of material between outer bark and the wood itself, through which the nutrients and water travel...) Down in the Pacific NW, black bears kill a lot of young trees that way. Its so bad that some of the timber companies pay hunters and hounds to kill or to run the bears out of their stands of young conifers.

Yet up north, I have never seen the kind of damage that they have down there.

I have seen on Kodiak where brown bears were skinning cottonwood roots with their teeth to get to the cambium layer, but never seen where they were feeding on standing young white or Sitka spruce.

Pete

Pete, I've never seen that here either (eating of the cambium layer). I'm not sure why they do it, but in late spring and early summer, black bear here kill a lot of young spruce, 8 to 10 inches in diameter at the base, by peeling all the bark off the base and exposed parts of the roots. All the bark will be laying there in strips, and no sign of any of it being eaten. It is of course hard to discern tracks around the base of the trees, but from what faint sign I have been able to detect it appears the damage is done mostly by yearling cubs, but can't say that for definite. It's pretty common to see in the woods here though.

Spek I hear you on us trappers gaining knowldge by observing nature in the actual bush, but that's what led me to looking at research. I can only learn so much on my own and I've learnt a lot off of you guys and researchers alike. None of the studies say likely or probably by the way.

I'm not suggesting wolverine are using conifers as a food source. What I'm saying is analysis has shown the presence of those chemicals in wolverine scat and urine. And turpentine was effective as a wolverine attractant. I'll be keeping my eyes open for any connection I can find.

Bears ripping up conifer bark is very common here and is done by both griz and black bears. If you look closely when the bark is freshly tore up you can see claw marks in the tree. They're not eating bark, they're licking the spring sap.

Dirt - Keep your head buried in the sand brother, you'll never get hurt that way. I'm still laughing about that new wolverine cubby you designed though. Do you skin the beavers before you make the cubby?

I suspect the needles found in scat are probably like by-catch. Spruce grouse crops, or just scavenging carrion off the forest floor. That's why I think it would be interesting to see if there's a difference from summer to winter. When there's snow on the ground I would expect a lower incidence of needles in scat although the spruce grouse is still a source.

They definitly are not finicky eaters for sure so I could see them picking up incidental needles in their diet. I'm thinking most of that scat was collected in winter. I smell a grant application here, or is that just wolverine musk?

Here's a picture of a wolverine entering one of Dirt's beaver carcass cubbies, on its way to a juicy mouthful of spruce boughs. Thanks for the picture Dirt now i see how it works.

Get out your magnifying glass I think I see needles

Is there turpentine in a beavers stomach from eating trees and then when the beaver is digested by the wolverine it shows up?

Looks like he ate a beaded mitt-are those seed beads?

The easy way is to dissolve the scat in water and strain it through a fine mesh. That leaves almost all the bits of bone, feathers, claws etc.

Boco - good eye.

It's an interesting idea as to whether the meat the wolverines are eating is causing the results. maybe we'll never know.

W17 - would a mesh tea ball work? I could use the wifes whenever she is in town.

And if I could get one of the links you posted to open for me now I would show you a "probably".

Ok Spek and that proves what? To me it's the researcher being accurate. They haven't ruled out any source but have pointed out a probable cause. If they had emphatically stated the source was conifer needles that would be a problem in my opinion.

I'm used to Alberta trappers not trusting researchers but it appears it may be an opinion held by some of you as well. That's OK with me but I love the pursuit of knowledge, and it's not just us trappers who figure things out, but I do admit we are pretty smart bunch.

You said "none of the studies said likely or probably". Fact is they did. Earlier I mentioned I had never seen where wolverine snacked on spruce, you told me it's happening. Then you say that you're not suggesting wolverine are using conifers as a food source. Just pointing out some inconsistencies in your post.