L. D. Mech Critique of Our Work Lacks Scientific Validity.

An accompanying article in this issue of the Bulletin (Mech 2006) purports to critique our past research. L. D. Mech attempts to show that our model of prospective, preferred gray wolf (Canis lupus) habitat (Mladenoff et al. 1995, 1997, 1999, Mladenoff and Sickley 1998) has been incorrect. We first state clearly that we are not opposed to the re-assessment of our work based on new data. However we believe the Mech paper contains both serious conceptual and methodological flaws that render its conclusions invalid. Our own analysis, based on logic and current techniques (Mladenoff et al. 2005), shows that the model has behaved according to our predictions and continues to successfully predict wolf recolonization in Wisconsin, USA, over more than 25 years. However, the serious flaws of Mech (2006) alone show that he is incorrect in his putative critique of our work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]