Wolves vs. hunter in Star Trib

[gopher_nation]

Here's an article in the Star Tribune.

Hunter shaken by encounter with persistent wolves:

http://www.startribune.com/sports/outdoors/70674092.html?page=1&c=y

[Casey Sunsdahl]

Hunter shaken by encounter with persistent wolves

Eveleth man had just field-dressed his deer and was in his stand when the animals "came running." Only later could he exit.

The wolves appeared shortly after Scott Wundinich shot and gutted a deer, then climbed back into his stand. "Four or five, including a pitch-black male, came running out of the woods together,'' recalled Wundinich, 48, of Eveleth, Minn. "I looked to my left and saw three more. There were three or four more on my other side. I was stunned. I yelled and screamed, but they pretty much ignored me. They paced back and forth. They wanted my deer and the gut pile.'' Despite firing several shots to try to scare away the wolves, they lurked, sometimes howling and barking, about 50 yards from Wundinich's stand for 45 minutes.

"I was scared,'' he said. "I've been hunting since I was 12 and I've never seen anything like this. It was a real humbling, eerie feeling.''

Afraid to get down, Wundinich hunkered in his stand until darkness descended on the woods near Lake Vermilion in northeastern Minnesota. Then, with his rifle still loaded, he cautiously climbed down.

"I could hear them,'' he said.

With a small flashlight in his mouth, he scrambled to his ATV about 120 yards away. "I started it up and drove out of the woods as fast as I could go.''

Wildlife officials say the encounter with wolves was unusual. But Wundinich and others, including some northern Minnesota conservation officers, say such encounters and sightings there are becoming more common.

"I'd say almost 50 percent of the deer camps I've checked have said they've seen wolves,'' said Dan Starr, Department of Natural Resources conservation officer in Tower. "That has increased. They [wolves] are getting pretty bold.''

Said Wundinich: "We have an unmanaged population of wolves in northern Minnesota. They are becoming a problem.''

Dan Stark, a DNR wolf specialist, said he hasn't received more calls about human-wolf encounters. Surveys done in 2007-2008 estimate the state's wolf population at about 3,000. It's unknown if that number has increased since then. He said Wundinich's experience is unusual because wolves generally don't stand their ground, even with food present.

"I've walked in on wolves feeding, and they scattered,'' he said. But a downed deer could affect their behavior.

"I've had them bark and howl at me, but they seem to keep a certain distance. I probably wouldn't get down from a stand and try to drag the deer off.''

Wolf attacks in North America on humans are extremely rare. But that didn't ease Wundinich's mind when he was in his stand with a pack of wolves below Nov. 8.

Here's what Wundinich said happened:

With his dad and nephew hunting elsewhere, he shot a small buck about 3:50 p.m. He climbed down and gutted the deer. Because he couldn't legally operate his ATV until after shooting hours (a half-hour after sunset), he went back into his stand. That's when the wolves showed up.

He stood up and made noise.

"They scampered off a bit, but it didn't scare them,'' he said. He shot his 30.06 rifle twice in the air. "They ran about 45 yards away on top of a hill and started howling.'' Unsure what to do, he used his cell phone to call his dad at the cabin, who told him to call Starr, the local conservation officer, whom Wundinich knows.

"He [starr] said fire some shots to scare them. I told him I had done that,'' Wundinich said. "He said to leave the deer.''

After a while, he fired two more shots, then reloaded his rifle. "I told him if I was attacked, I would shoot,'' Wundinich said. Wolves are protected and managed under the federal Endangered Species Act, but people can kill them to defend themselves.

Sometime after 5 p.m. Wundinich finally climbed down, got to his four-wheeler in the dark and sped to his cabin, less than a mile away. Armed with his rifle, he and his nephew each drove four-wheelers back to retrieve his deer.

"The gut pile was mostly gone and they bit into the hindquarters and neck and chewed on an ear,'' he said. Wundinich said he was reluctant to tell anyone about the experience because he feared no one would believe him. Starr, however, mentioned the incident in his weekly report, which is distributed to news media. He said he has no reason to doubt Wundinich's story.

"He was legitimately shook up,'' Starr said.

Other conservation officers have received complaints from hunters, saying there are too many wolves and too few deer. DNR officials say deer numbers are down because of recent tough winters and liberal hunting regulations. Stark, the wolf biologist, said a lengthy DNR deer study in the Grand Rapids area showed that wolves kill about 5 to 10 percent of does yearly. Other studies estimate wolves kill 45,000 to 60,000 deer yearly. In recent years, hunters have harvested 220,000 to 250,000 deer.

As for Wundinich, he planned to be back in his stand this weekend, the last of the regular firearms season, with his wolf encounter fresh on his mind.

"I'll never forget it as long as I live,'' he said.

[CRAZYEYES]

I have no problem with wolves being around because they are a natural part of our ecosystem. However they do need to be kept in check. They have become less weary of humans in recent years because they have no reason to be scared. this is the first year that I have seen them in our yard at Kabetogama and we never used to see them there but hey know they're safe. I know that some states should be protected because there is so few but in MN there should be some limited hunting. If you give them a reason to be afraid they will. Some limited hunting would solve a lot.

[Scott K]

Speaking of, on Saturday morning I seen 3 wolves along 35 w around Pine City, just off of the HWY.

I also don't have a problem with wolves, but I also don't feel the need to have a bunch of them around either.

[Duffman]

I had a similar encounter this weekend; I was dragging a freshly opened bag of bird seed towards the feeders, the essence of sunflower seed oil hung in the air. That's when I heard them; one scampered up a tree to my right, the other -an albino- raced across the trunk to my left. I cursed them and yelled "get outta here!". I even threw the dog’s ball at the grey one TWICE! That didn't faze him much; he just leaped up a branch or two in the tree and barked at me. I didn't pay much attention to the albino, because.....well.....he was white.

But I knew what they were here for, that gut pile of seed spillage that was about to commence. The question was, would they wait for me to leave before they filled their bellies, or would they attack?!? I decided to man up and finish the task, just in time too! I wasn't but done less than two minutes and they descended like wolves on a dead deer. First cleaning up the spillage and then moving on to the feeders themselves, I'm just glad I had the foresight to bring in that bag of feed when I left.

[Tundra]

Guys, I know this dude real well (Wudnich) and he embellishes everything. I would highly doubt this happened exactly like he told it. Can't believe everything you read, especially from a Wudnich. You should hear his fishing stories!!!!!!

[chucker1101]

If you're interested in the Wolf vs. human saga, here's a pretty good article i read several weeks ago:

Wolf hunt in Montana stalked in controversy

I think the most interesting thing in it is the comment from the hunters. As in, the first wolf pack they encountered showed no fear of the hunters. But once they killed one, subsequently encountered wolves and the wolf packs started showing fear and running away.

Let me ask you'all this as well. If a wolf pack were attacking your dog, would you hesitate to shoot? Personally, i think i'd shoot and take the consequences, to save my dog.

[DTro]

Thanks for the laugh Duff.

I was thinking the same thing.

Can anyone think of an animal, that after a warning shot was fired, turned around and growled at you?

[NoWiser]

Grouse hunting this fall my dad and I came to a small beaver pond. On the other side was a wolf watching us, so we called the dog to our sides and watched it. After a couple minutes it sat down, and kept glancing from side to side. Getting nervous that it might have our dog on its lunch menu when we started hunting again, my dad shot up in the air over its head. It didn't budge, just kept watching, so he shot again. It turned and hightailed into the woods, and sure enough, there were two more wolves with it, one to the left and one to the right, each about 1/4 of the way to us. They had very little fear of humans. That being said, I deer hunted out of a pup-tent this year in the same area, and although we could hear two packs howling almost every night, some VERY, VERY close to us, I never really felt nervous. Kind of cool knowing they were out there, and we still saw plenty of deer to keep us content. Judging from the behavior we observed grouse hunting, though, I don't doubt you would have a tough time chasing them off a dead deer.

[gopher_nation]

I just think it's awesome that these wolves are in our woods.

[BEEGONE]

There is no doubt wolves are getting more and more comfortable around people. We saw a pair on the vermilion river two years ago (winter), and I will admit it I would get the willies if I ever encountered a wolf in the woods.

[goblueM]

2 years ago i was sitting on a ridge while my uncle still-hunted his way down an adjacent valley.

A wolf caught wind of him and trotted down the deer trail and up my side of the ridge. Went literally within 8-10 yards of me. Coolest thing ever. I don't think he winded me though.

Never felt scared, though I certainly would if the situation occured as this guy claims.

However i NEVER woulda waited til dark. That's just stupid. I'd be getting out while it was still light

[tedl]

Why is it other states can hunt them if they are protected under the federal endangered species act? Why can't this state when we have the most in the lower 48?

[Casey Sunsdahl]

U.S. wolf hunt to resume

Wednesday, 31 January 2007Agençe France-Presse

SALMON, Idaho: Legal wolf hunting will is set to resume in the U.S. for the first time in decades, after wildife authorities announced plans to remove the wolf from the endangered species list in at least three states.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service director H. Dale Hall said the decision was taken because the wolves had been successfully re-populated. "We're extremely proud to be announcing the recovery of the wolf," he said.

Hall and other officials said removing federal protections for the 4,000 wolves in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin and proposing to lift them for the 1,200 wolves in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming is proof that the Endangered Species Act, the nation's landmark conservation law, works.

Under both plans, states would have the authority to manage their wolf populations as they see fit so long as they maintain enough wolves to ensure their survival.

Wolves in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin will be de-listed in a matter of weeks, while it will take a year to complete the public hearings and other requirements to remove wolves from the list in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

Conservation groups hailed the plan for wolves in the Great Lakes region, applauding Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin for what they said were wolf-management plans that will ensure the survival of the species. But they heaped criticism on plans by Idaho and Wyoming.

"Idaho and Wyoming have state management plans that are geared toward wolf eradication, not wolf conservation," said U.S. non-profit Defenders of Wildlife president Rodger Schlickeisen in a statement.

Wolves in the United States were hunted to near-extinction a century ago under government-sponsored elimination programs designed to protect livestock. By 1974, when wolves were classified as endangered, the only documented wolf packs in the lower 48 states were in Minnesota and Michigan.

In 1995, federal wildlife biologists released 66 wolves into the wilds of central Idaho and Yellowstone National Park in the hope they would re-establish themselves in their native range. But the wolf's restoration in the western regions has been greeted with outrage by ranchers and hunters, who make up the region's most powerful lobbies.

They contend wolves are a nuisance, threatening livestock and causing declines in big-game populations. They have campaigned tirelessly to persuade state political leaders and federal officials that their numbers should be cut dramatically.

If the proposals to de-list wolves in the six states survive legal challenges, each state will be required to manage a minimum of 300 wolves, the number biologists say constitutes a recovered population. Idaho, Montana and Wyoming intend to use public hunting and other methods to keep wolf populations down to what they consider a manageable size. Federal oversight would begin should numbers fall below the minimum 300.

In Idaho, where anti-wolf sentiments run high, Governor Butch Otter has called for the killing of 550 wolves, or 85 per cent of the state's wolf population.

Plans are under way to open a wolf hunting season, and Idaho wildlife officials have proposed killing off packs where they say wolves have caused unacceptable declines in popular game species, such as elk. While protected by the Endangered Species Act, it was generally illegal to kill wolves unless they were posing an imminent threat to life or property.

Maybe MN will open a season soon?

I know you can hunt them in Ontario as well.

[leech~~]

However i NEVER woulda waited til dark. That's just stupid. I'd be getting out while it was still light

That's what I was thinking? Can't shoot what you can't see!

[BEEGONE]

........there is always the classic noise shot.

[SledNeck]

Thanks for the laugh Duff.

I was thinking the same thing.

Can anyone think of an animal, that after a warning shot was fired, turned around and growled at you?

I can. A german sheppard about a month ago.

[chaffmj]

Quote:

Because he couldn't legally operate his ATV until after shooting hours (a half-hour after sunset), he went back into his stand.

This could have been why he waited to leave until it was dark.

[chucker1101]

Quote:

Because he couldn't legally operate his ATV until after shooting hours (a half-hour after sunset), he went back into his stand.

This could have been why he waited to leave until it was dark.

Can someone explain this regulation (i'm not a deer hunter)?...i thought the rule was you couldn't haul a field-dressed carcass until after hours, not that you couldn't operate an ATV.

[JimBuck]

I just think it's awesome that these wolves are in our woods.

Agreed. They are pretty special animals.

I'm not a fan of shooting animals just for sport. If I'm killing something it's going to end up on the kitchen table.

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Originally Posted By: dtro

Thanks for the laugh Duff.

I was thinking the same thing.

Can anyone think of an animal, that after a warning shot was fired, turned around and growled at you?

I can. A german sheppard about a month ago.

Sled,

I bet you only fired one WARNING shot!

Cliff

[Getanet]

"Can someone explain this regulation (i'm not a deer hunter)?"

They have legal operating hours so people can hunt in relative peace without it sounding like 35W, particularly on public land.

[Casey Sunsdahl]

Originally Posted By: gopher_nation

I just think it's awesome that these wolves are in our woods.

Agreed. They are pretty special animals.

I'm not a fan of shooting animals just for sport. If I'm killing something it's going to end up on the kitchen table.

You mean you wouldn't enjoy eating wolf? People choke down deer after they shoot'em.

[idwoods]

You did the right thing. Stay away from the deer until you can come back with some sort of rv or with another person. As stated, if you are threatened you can kill. We hunt in the Togo/Effie area and we encounter wolves every year. Normally in the morning and at dusk. Seem to be in packs and the howling is absolutely wonderful and a delight to listen to. Remember, they are a natural part of the woods. We are not. Give em a break and do not antagonize. They normally stay away and run upon movement by human activity and keep there distance. Basically they keep out of sight in our experiences (so far). But still we keep guard for you never know.

[blue_healer_guy]

I have never seen one deer hunting but I guess I would have a different reaction from you all here.

[Beeber]

Our hunting party near Cook saw a total of nine wolves on opening weekend. The deer numbers are down from the past two seasons. We did see a decent number of does with fawns, which is a good sign. However I also came across what I believe to be a couple of fresh wolf kills (fawns). One where there was nothing left but hair. The other was real fresh with a bunch of hair and a few small bones. I am aware of the reported range of wolves (some say >25 miles) but I wonder if wolves have food around how far will they really roam. It will be interesting to see how many fawns make it though this winter, especially if their does were shot. We told our group if they shot a doe with fawns they might as well shoot the fawns too as with the number of wolves this high they probably won't make it through the winter anyway. I am all for maintaining a managed healthy population of Wolves in our area but the key word is "MANAGED".

Just my two cents

[Cliff Wagenbach]

Usually we have a pack of 6 to 8 wolves in our deer hunting area for 4 or 5 days during the deer season every year. This year they did not show up during our hunt. When they show up almost all of the deer in our area leave. This year we had a great season,(8 for 10),with 7 being bucks!

All I can figure is that the wolves found easier feed in another area of their range.

Cliff

[Mr.Seaguar]

I have never seen one deer hunting but I guess I would have a different reaction from you all here.

Me and you both. I would end up with a GIGANTIC coyote skin on my wall after that encounter.

[Lee Lane]

Story sounds embezzled to me...I see Timbers every year bowhunting but what Ive never seen is wolves scrapping a dead carcass!! I could be wrong but Last year I arrowed a nice 10pt buck right at dark and couldnt find blood in the snow so I decided to give him time to stiffen up and die, the next afternoon when i found him there were wolf tracks all around the deer but they never touched it....seems to me a hungry pack of wolves would have chewed my deer till there wasnt anything left but that aint how it went. I seen 6 this year on thanksgiving day ....one note on my doe bleat brought them all in to about 50 yrds when they got down wind they knew something was up and split and thats after my strict scent control routine and being doubled up on scentlok clothing.....wolves are very smart ill give them that. I wonder about peoples claims about not seeing deer when wolves are present????Maybe its their poor habits why they are not seeing deer, driving atvs to their treestands talking ....not playing the wind!!!! smoking cigerettes or chewing tobacco and most importantly LACK OF SCOUTING and hunting the same treestand every single day no matter wich way the wind is blowing!!!! case in point ...im hunting a very large buck he keeps bedding in the same spot Ive kicked him from his bed 3 times in a week out of the same spot trying to drive him to my little brother but he still lives!! The whole area Is littered with wolf tracks but that dont seem to bother this buck or another small 8 point buck that ive seen quite a few times this year. This is also the same spot I seen wolves on thanksgiving so all i can say about that is I know what I see.!!Something else kind of interesting ..back in september i seen a cow moose with a calf coming out of the spruce bog looking like they were trying to get away from bugs....the other night right at dark I seen a cow moose minus a calf but who knows if it was the same one, I highly doubt in that area about 20 miles north of nashwauk theres a moose population like canada or even north east MN for that matter. The timber wolf population Is way off balance in my opinion though I see them every year while hunting and the increase is definatly noticed...Ive been preaching this for awhile but then I get 10000000 replys from self proclaimed wolf experts talking about things like some counts biologists do and other crazy B>S!!

[Lee Lane]

Kind of like my post about the transport of wolves from ely to northern Itasca county...I heard this from a very reliable source not some yahoo at the local tavern , and I got to deal with stupid emails and irritating comments from people on here talking about wolves are federally managed...I know that I dont need some buffoon to tell me that I learned that in 6th grade biology class. what I do highly doubt is the DNR tells us everything they do and I also highly doubt anyone on here who wants to lip off knows anything about it ..they just want to disagree.