Wolf (Canis sp.) attacks life-like deer decoy: Insight into how wolves hunt deer?

Abstract

We know of no documented observations of wolves (Canis sp.) detecting and then attacking a White-tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) during spring, summer, or fall. We describe an observation of a wolf attacking a life-like, two-dimensional deer decoy in November 2017 near Killarney Provincial Park, Ontario, Canada. The wolf appeared to locate the decoy by sight rather than sound or scent, suggesting that the profile of a deer is sufficient to trigger an attack by a wolf.