Wolves

[Big-Al]

fishermann222-

It is so interesting that in your vast area of Alaska that the wolves are so wary that they will avoid human contact at all costs. Thirty years ago I would have seen the same behavior that you now describe in Alaska:

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When trapping wolves you can't even use snowshoes, the pack sees them and sense trouble right away.

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Thirty years ago, when I would see a fresh wolf track or tracks, that would be the last time I would see fresh tracks in that area for that period of time. Human presence in the area would seem to move them out of the area completely. They would not follow or even cross a snowmobile track or human trail. Now quite often when I work in an area for several days I cut fresh tracks each day. They will follow a trail left by humans or machine. Lately it is not uncommon to find that the wolves have followed my tracks. I did not see that 30 years ago.

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What you are suggesting would require more intelligence than I believe any animal other than humans have.

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BobT- maybe not more than any other animal, but certainly more than any other animal that is common in northern Minnesota today.

[fishermann222]

BigAl they do LOVE to follow snowmachine trails, as long as they are in the open, once the trail goes into a narrow area with trees on both sides they quickly scatter.

I just love wolves, can't wait to battle wits with them this year and trap a few.

[Curly]

Please post some pics if you trap any.

[Bandit]

Very interesting debate you guys have going on. I myself believe they have learned not to fear humans since we have not given them a reason to for a very long time. I believe they are just like the mountain lions in CA. People have had alot more encounters with the cat after the seasons on them were closed. They learned that we were not hunting them, so they in turn began hunting us.

[tealitup]

I can attest to the wolves learned behavior. Wolves, I have found, have learned that humans are not to be feared since there is no danger associated with said humans.

In the past 5-7 years, wolves have increasingly become more accepting of our hunting party. Visual evidence from members of the party suggest the wolves have spotted, tracked and watched members throughout a hunt.

I myself had an encounter whereas three wolves discovered my position and proceeded to scout me out.

[Steve Foss]

Tealitup, I think you are right. I think a lot of wolves in the lower 48 are less wary of humans than they were when they were being eliminated.

But something keeps them from considering us prey species, and not necessarily because we carry guns. Hunting is only one activity in wolf country. At least as many non-hunter-hours per year go on in northern Minnesota in the woods, like hiking, camping, birding, photography, by unarmed people.

Wolves continue to be wary of people to some degree, otherwise a pack of four or five would easily kill any human they wanted to. Even a person armed with a semi-auto assault rifle and trained in combat would have a hard time killing five wolves all attacking at the same time.

Yet, even though we seem to be having more close encounters with wolves and people, attacks continue to be rare and deaths almost never happen. It's a new world for wolves and people in lots of places where wolves have recolonized areas in the lower 48 after being extirpated. Since they've been gone, we've put cities and farms and lots of places of our own to live in those areas, and now that they're repopulating I'm sure we'll have a lot more encounters.

What we don't really have is a historical perspective on wolf/human encounters when there were wolves everywhere in the U.S. That was a very long time ago, and was a time when most feared wolves and believed eliminating them during America's westward expansion was nearly a sacred quest.

So it's hard to know if the way wolves are interacting with people now, when they're not hunted, is the same way as they interacted with us 150 years ago, or whether their behavior has in fact changed through not being hunted.

It'll be an interesting decade ahead for wolves and Minnesotans.

[BobT]

I suppose one reason for the rarity of attacks against humans is that unless I'm mistaken, most predators will not hunt other predators. It's too risky for them to do so as they risk too much injury. That's partly why predators will prefer to take sick, young, or injured prey. The risk factor is considerably lower than trying to take on a healthy adult.

They know we are predators because of our eyes. Predators' eyes are typically located to look forward whereas prey animals have their eyes located more on the side of their heads for more peripheral viewing.

Bob

[tealitup]

Stfcatfish,

Well stated my friend. However, all it would take is for one pack to successfully attack a human without being destroyed after. That pack can/would then identify humans as a food source.

The wolves that I have seen fall into different catagories:

1. Chance - I just happened to be at the same place and same time as a wolf. When noticed they would run.

2. Confusion - confused as to what I was since they smelled the scent of a deer (prey) and found me.

3. Curiosity - Previous wolves who have had little or no contact with humans. My hunting shack could be a place where wolves often hunt for mice and other critters since people are only there a couple weeks out of the year; hence they wonder why the new smell.

[Steve Foss]

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all it would take is for one pack to successfully attack a human without being destroyed after. That pack can/would then identify humans as a food source.

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Agreed.

[Muthagoose]

Guys C'mon you talk about a canine like its some mystical animal. Any dog is killable.........

Do any of you actually know a trapper up here? If they are any good and run long lines then you've heard them complain about wolves they have caught and had to release or claim to have.

My first couple years trapping cats and yotes I released a couple of them a hog pole and a pine limb works fine.

Just ask CO Fondie,Starr or Stein they will tell ya they get a call to assist a trapper with a wolf every so often.

So imagine how many get dispatched tossed....

As for predators hunting down and eating other preds. Watch the national geographic show about yellow stone. Yotes eat fox,wolves eat yotes,ect starts as protecting territory and goes onto dinner.. Heck Wolves eat wolves.

[Big-Al]

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Any dog is killable.........

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I don't think anyone said anything about them not being killable. In fact one of the points I've tried to make is that they are extremely vulnerable with their present lack of fear of humans. I've seen 20-25 in the last five years that would have been pretty easy shots and quite a few others besides.

[Ferny]

Analyzer...interesting that you mention Noel Daluge, May he Rest in Peace. It's been a long time! I remember all the people searching and searching to no avail. Especially his poor Dad. I graduated with his older brother at North.

My only experience with wolves has been through a co-worker.

He has a cabin that borders the BWCA. He has had many close run ins with them. They show no fear towards him (almost being aggressive more than curiosity) and he now carries his Glock at all times outdoors up north. He has had one follow his footsteps on the frozen lake while also being flanked in the woods. A warning shot didn't scare it when it was too close for comfort! He has also had one follow him onto his dock and he had to get into his boat and leave. The scary part for him is his boy is about 10 yrs old and must be watched like a hawk at the cabin. That's too bad.

This doesn't sound like friendly (scared of humans) wolf behavior to me, what do you think?

I haven't seen one personally yet but, I don't like the idea of a cougar or wolves in MN. I'm scared of anything that can eat me being any where close to me in the woods...But I'm a chicken! Unless I'm armed of course I have seen track though so I'm sure it's just a matter of time.

Anybody ever seen or heard of any in the cities? My wife swears she saw one the fall of '06 that was bigger than a German Shepard. It was running through a corn field in Stillwater? My brother said he saw one in Scandia running through the back 5 in the fall of '05 too??? Of course I believe my wife but not my brother

I heard there's a pack in Carlos Avery don't know if it's true though, Anyone???

Ferny.

[fishermusk]

In 2005 I seen what I thought were a pair of wolf tracks is Carlos Avery. I know what coyote tracks look like and these were not coyote and they were heading in a straight line without human tracks by them so I am pretty sure they were wolf tracks and not a pair of dogs. I have also found six bear dens in Carlos Avery

[nimrod71]

Not sure if Carlos Avery still has the "Wolf Research Project" located there. But back in '87 I was there for a week and heard from the people that ran it that wolves had from time to time escaped from the enclosure.