Wolves!?

[delcecchi]

That is a little harsh, Steve. It was because they, like eagles, hawks, coyotes, gophers, bears and other animals were perceived as threats to the economic interests of residents. Even prairie dogs were targeted. If you have a few cows and are depending on them for your livelyhood you won't hesitate to shoot a wolf just on the chance he might kill one of your cows. In fact you won't hesitate to put a bounty on them.

To net it out, we killed the wolves for the same reason we dug big holes outside Virginia, and cut down all the pine.

[Bigsmitty]

Very near Crosslake.Five years ago while sitting in my bow stand, I watched a pack of wolves pass right under me. I lost count at twelve. It was an awesome thing to behold. I see single wolves from time to time also.

Cougars? We have plenty up here. Dont let anyone tell you different. I've heard them plenty of times outside my house at night. Saw one walking in the front yard a month ago. Ive seen them on trail cam pics. A friend of mine had to scare one out of the yard at 2:00 in the morning a month ago. He said it was creeping up the yard towards his golden retreiver that was chained up to his dog house. This was only 20 yds away from his bedroom window.

I think its funny how the DNR sticks there head in the sand over the cougar subject.

[fishroger]

A lot of these posters are thinking way too much. Cougar problem? come on! Blame it on the DNR. Wolf problem , blame the DNR! they dont have much say in it, they just enforce the laws. Ive worked in the woods 35 years and have never been in danger from wolves or cougars. Im more scared of packs of domestic dogs that roam and indiscriminately attack deer for fun. When was the last wolf attack on a human? last dog attack on a human? you hear about domestic dog attacks constantly. The wolves and cougars wouldnt be here in numbers if the food source wasnt here, primarily deer. If you put your residence in the middle of the woods you will see a variety of wild animals. If you feel threatened by any of these you should probably move to downtown MPLS. and experience human animals.

[CaptainMusky]

I certainly won't speak for bigsmitty, but I know what I would be thinking about when a pack of wolves passed beneath my stand and it wouldnt be admiration.

I would be crapping my pants! Single animals are less concern to me, but a group of them would be of some concern in my mind. I really dont worry too much about being devoured by a wolf or a cougar while trapsing through the woods, but it does kinda freak me out knowing that I may not be the king of the foodchain. LOL

[Bigsmitty]

Not playing the blame game here. Just wondering why the DNR doesnt admit that there is a sustained cougar population. Come on. Do they really expect us to believe that they are just passing through. Maybe they have a bridge for sale too.

I talked to someone who saw a cougar with a young one with it. This was on the edge of the woods by the softball field at the community center. This was during the day, during a kids tee ball game.

I live in town. And when I see a cougar in my front yard its a little unnerving. Especially with dogs. I cant remember ever seeing a wild dog in my yard.

Personally I have no fear of being attacked by a wolf or cougar. I just dont like them being so close to my house.

[Duffman]

Not bad folks, a wolf thread containing some hyperbole, but not overly so.

Cougars are something a person might be truly concerned about, but the chances of being attacked in this state by one is super low, just because the numbers of them are also super low.

A wolf attacking a human?, maybe some day, but it hasn't happened in this country yet. Heck, an elderly couple was killed this summer by a pack of wild dogs somewhere down south. That's one thing you don't have to worry about in wolf territory.

My next door neighbors daughter was out jogging last year with her dog, and two coyotes attacked the dog, she was able to scare them off in time but still had to take a trip to the vet. This happened in Eagan, about as Twin City metro as it gets. It's mother nature, stuff happens.

The population of wolves will reach a saturation point, and their numbers will start to decrease from there. Remember, one of the biggest enemies of wolves is other wolves.

[CrowRiverRat83]

Very well said, Duffman.

[Mr. B]

I have been hunting and camping all across North America, even spending a week in Denali. I am all for having large predators (wolves, bears and cougars) in the wild. I believe that these animals are needed to keep the balance in nature. I know that by entering in to their territory I am taking a chance. That risk maybe small or large depending on my actions. When entering in to areas that contain these predators I do everything I can to minimize the risk of a serious encounter.

Watching these animals is amazing, they do what they do because of how they evolve. We have to realize that and just because we have supposedly evolved to a higher level, it does not give us the right to destroy something just because we are afraid of it.

I have watched toe wolves chasing a large bull moose in Denali. Those wolves look very intent on making that moose dinner until the moose charged them. The wolves did not pester the moose again that I saw. The same trip I was sleeping in the tent with my wife and something large (never found out what) was outside of the tent. It was a large mammal and it was the second time I have been truly scared while in the woods. The first wad while deer hunting in Lake Bronson State Park and having an encounter with a bull moose. Even though I had a 30-06, I do not think that it would have mattered. From a distance of 10 feet I am betting on the moose.

The biggest thing is to take precautions to not become a statistic. We do it every day when we put our seat belt on. We should be with every thing we do.

[BearDown]

I know the passions run high on this issue. But we need to have wolf control if we are going to coexist with wolves. Until then there will be plenty of killing of wolves illegally. It happens all the time. Don't kid yourself. There are farmers who carry guns in their tractors for that very reaason. That's a shame... if we could issue a few tags to help contol the population it would be good for people and for the wolves. There are amany areas where the wolves have all but decimated the deer population. Then they move on. I kjnow of one group who usually fills out their tags in their deer camp every year. The last couple years they have been hardly seeing any deer but have been seeing wolves and wolf sighn. LAst year they killed one deer, and actually saw more wolves than deer from their deer stands. They should have some recourse.

If we cannot legally control them, it's bad for the wolves and for people. It's time to get them delisted and get an open season on them. Period.

[Recon]

"Fills out their deer tags every year-" may'be its the hunters who have decimated the deer population! The DNR seems to have been on a mission, for quite a few years, to lower the deer population. I think they have more than accomplished their goal. Lets take Crosslake for example: high deer population, low deer hunting pressure. Reason is small tracks of private land, homes around the lakes and no real way to control the deer population. Not many hunting opportuities! The wolves are going where the deer are. Coyotes also kill deer, especially fawns! Just my thoughts.

[10,000 Casts]

Get them off the endangered species list and open a season on them. It's as simple as that. They are credited with both harm and good. If they start to roam into heavily populated areas like the Brainered area, we need to take proper action so that people are not threatened. If myself or my pets are ever threatened, without hesitation I know what I will have to do. It will probably never come to that but you never know.

[S 16 Guy]

I'm sick of the redneck mentality of "kill all the wolves, they're wreckin' my deer spot"

Anybody who encourages wolves to be shot out of season isn't a true hunter, he's a slob, a poachers, basically a loser.

If this offends you, then I guess you're the one I'm targeting with this comment. But if you consider yourself a "true hunter" then you, like I would like to see a controled wolf hunt.

I know the DNR and most reasonable hunters know there is a sustainable population of wolves in MN. They, UNLIKE THE AK WOLVES,,, cannot be hunted or trapped. This makes them more bold and dangereous to livestock and pets. I'm all for getting a MN wolf pelt for the wall some day - legally.

Cougars:

Yes they are occasionally dangerous to humans, especially in places like California where they aren't hunted and attack joggers and children.

But I don't hear much belly aching by the same so called "outdoorsmen" who complain about cougars in MN, when they plan their annual Montana Elk or deer trips. They voluntarily choose to go in full camo, w/ deer urine scents or elk calls in full camo hiding by a tree imitating cougar food. Talk about a healthy cat population... Get a clue, it doesn't scare you much out there, why should on 1/100th the population here? Except for the hunting option. I think South Dakota's season has it right.

They are both cool critters, and I like seeing them as well as some day having the opportunity to hunt them in sustainable levels.

[Acemac]

Get them off the endangered species list and open a season on them. It's as simple as that. They are credited with both harm and good. If they start to roam into heavily populated areas like the Brainered area, we need to take proper action so that people are not threatened. If myself or my pets are ever threatened, without hesitation I know what I will have to do. It will probably never come to that but you never know.

I said the same thing years ago about people from crosby!

[BoxMN]

That right there is funny!

[pegleg]

Acemac that is very funny.... Don't know anybody from Crosby but it is still funny.

[Shack]

LOL!

[glenn57]

i could think of a few other towns also!!

[WalleyeJeff]

What about the coyotes in the Brainerd are? I live just north of Brd. just south of Merrifield. I hear them every night between me and North Long. I feed the deer late in the winter, 3 years ago we would get 20-30 a night. Last winter maybe under 10 a night. Its like some are saying, when the food supply goes up so do the predators. Just like when the rabbit population goes up so go's the fox population. Mother nature taking care of the surroundings. The strong survive. Maybe there are a few Homo sapiens that need to be eaten to thin the herd. Maybe the wolves need to gather around Walmarts late at night. That would be baiting!

[MN Shutterbug]

Good one.

[chad stromlund]

If you do some research you will find in the late 1800's and early 1900's that wolves did attack and kill and eat humans in this country. Here is a story from an old newspaper about New Rockford north dakota:"NEW ROCKFORD, DAK, March 7 - The news has just reached here that a father and son, living several miles northeast of this city, were destroyed by wolves yesterday. The two unfortunate men started to a haystack some ten rods from the house to shovel a path around the stack when they were surrounded by wolves and literally eaten alive. The horror-stricken mother was standing at the window with a babe in her arms, a spectator to the terrible death of her husband and son, but was unable to aid them. After they had devoured every flesh from the bones of the men, the denizens of the forest attacked the house, but retired to the hills in a short time. Investigation found nothing but the bones of the husband and son. The family name was Olson. Wolves are more numerous and dangerous now than ever before known in North Dakota." (Saint Paul Daily Globe, March 8, 1888)So that is probably the main reason people wanted wolves gone, not to mention they compete for food. That is one of many documented wolf kills on humans in North America. When the wolf numbers get as high as they were back then, the consequences turn ugly.

[half-dutch]

Funny, because when i called our local office here in Cloquet this spring the CO I talked to said that there are mt. lions that roam thru MN every year. Had one walk out next to my house right in front of the next door neighbors wife as she drove down the street. The CO said that the majority of the ones that they have verified have been young males, looking for a territory. I called since we have several small children in the area (including mine), but the CO said these males are usually moving thru an area looking for a mate. He said that they may come from as far away as the western Dakota's.

Regarding the wolves, you do realize that the DNR's last population estimate was @3200 wolves in the state? That's alot of animals, so I dont think that they are off by that much. If anything, the large deer herd is spurring any increase in wolf numbers. Lots of easy food means reduced pup mortality.

The same CO told me that there is an established pack just west of my house in the DNR's Cloquet Experimental forest. Personally I am more concerned about the black bears that frequent the house than the wolves. I just make sure to keep the dog close by when we are out in the woods.

Wow, as I was typing my response all the comments were deletted????

3200 wolves is about right and that number is pretty stable. There are 30,000 plus black bears in Minnesota, and those numbers are increasing and they are spreading territory much faster than wolves. There is a season on the them, too, but the DNR can't sell enough licenses to keep the numbers down. A season on wolves would only compete with the bear season and neither of them would do much more than give some who are shooting anyway more freedom to do so.

BTW a wolf sees your dog as a strange wolf just like it sees a coyote as one, and packs will try to kill either to protect a territory, just as they do among themselves in the wild. The biggest cause of violent death to wolves in the wild is other wolves in fights over pack boundries. Wolves will cap their own densities; something black bears will not do. We have a population explosion of whitetails that causes a huge amount of damage; the wolves are not holding the numbers down either. Any body who can't fill his deer tag needs to look for a different excuse than wolves.

As far the mountain lions, the CO could have told you that there have been something like 300 reported sightings of mountain lions a year in Minnesota for decades now. They are nothing new nor are they more common now than they have been for a very long time.

[S 16 Guy]

chad from Ely,

get a life dude. Did you cross reference your 1888 wolf story with the Associated Press or the Ingalls?/???

quote:

"That is one of many documented wolf kills on humans in North America. When the wolf numbers get as high as they were back then, the consequences turn ugly." :end quote

Many wolf kills? give me a break, what are you growing up in Ely?? I don't you should be smokin' it any more. It's making you paranoid.

[CaptainMusky]

chad from Ely,

get a life dude. Did you cross reference your 1888 wolf story with the Associated Press or the Ingalls?/???

quote:

"That is one of many documented wolf kills on humans in North America. When the wolf numbers get as high as they were back then, the consequences turn ugly." :end quote

Many wolf kills? give me a break, what are you growing up in Ely?? I don't you should be smokin' it any more. It's making you paranoid.

Wow, that is pretty harsh. All these people come here stating that "wolves never killed a human" he provides an example and you blast him for it? Nice.

Granted it happened many years ago, I think the points he was trying to make were 1) They HAVE killed humans 2) That is probably what led to them being hunted to near extinction (which was asked in an earlier post 3) When the populations get higher, there is more competition for food and who knows what they will do and where they will go to find it.

The intent of this whole topic was never to make people fear for their lives every time they go in the woods, just question how many are truly out there because you get very vague information from the DNR. They can't hide that there are resident cougars in MN anymore because of the road kill in Bemidji, they have said for years "it is young males traveling through looking for a mate" well, the roadkill was a female.

[MN Shutterbug]

Letting our emotions take over usually equates to a locked or deleted thread.

[delcecchi]

Better be careful. Acknowledge that cougars are living in Minnesota and next thing they will be listed as endangered like the lynx in the arrowhead.

[S 16 Guy]

I held back. I didn't want to get too harsh on here...

I'll guarantee that if all the expert worry warts did and equal amount of research on whitetail attacks or bee stings, they'd see way more deaths and more recently than 1888.

Maybe we should get rid of all those too. I thought you had to be tough to live in the northwoods?

[tedl]

Quote:

Maybe we should get rid of all those too. I thought you had to be tough to live in the northwoods?

Out of all of these post who said we should get rid of all of the wolves?

[gulllakeguy]

If you are out in the woods and are being eyed up by a wolf/mtn. lion, I would think that you can protect yourself from an attack.

[CaptainMusky]

If you are out in the woods and are being eyed up by a wolf/mtn. lion, I would think that you can protect yourself from an attack.

How would you propose protecting yourself if you are unarmed? A guy I went to High School with was attacked by a mountain lion in the Rockies (dont recall exactly where it was) and he was able to fend the animal off twice but it kept coming back. He ended up left for dead and had 100's of stitches, but survived. He had no weapons on him. If attacked by one of these animals (which I think is highly unlikely) I dont like the chances if unarmed.

[fishroger]

Chad, are you serious? thats the best you can do in the heart of wolf country, an attack 120 years ago in No. Dak. yet! you just proved my point that there are much more dangerous animals out there than wolves. There are hundreds of domestic dog attacks in a year. Then you say there are many documented wolf attacks across north America. Name the documented cases, you cant. You just contradicted yourself. And you live pretty close to the wolf center up there in Ely, you should go talk to those folks. Your either on something or on to something.