I got a great rumor for you guys near Battle Lake

[Mark Christianson]

My Dad stopped over at his Dads place last night.

There were several other relatives there, and one of the topics of discussion was a Timberwolf release south of Vining.

Yep, a so-called "very reliable source" has started a rumor that there were 60 Timberwolves recently released near Vining.......

Amazing what the old timers come up with.

I think my Dad was partially suckered in as well. Then I gave him my reasons why its a hoax.

1. Cattle pasturing is huge in the area. Calves would be targeted/demolished by a pack of wolves. No way would farmers have let this happen without an uproar.

2. Wolves have been or are near being removed from the endangered species list(or whatever list they were on)

Why would they consider expanding the population now that they have gotten a solid foothold in MN?

3. If in fact a release was planned, it would have been a major public announcement. Major outdoor publications would have jumped on that one in a heartbeat, not to mention the local newspapers.

All I can say is, I sure hope its a joke.....

[ChuckN]

Oh cripes, BLB, what are you doing now?

Actually, this weekend my neighbors (the people you bought the boat from) told my wife that they have been watching a COUGAR in their front yard for several minutes at a time!!! And you know what? I think I heard it one night last summer. One night there was horrendous screaming sounds from some kind of cat-like animal. It was enough the scare me and the wifey to death and close all the windows in the house. My neighbors said that would be the feline roaming the woods...

Then just 20 minutes ago I came home in the dark to a strange animal 25 yards from my front door walking away. Now you're freakin me out man....

[Gissert]

BLB- Don't you just LOVE small town talk like that?

I remember seeing wolves around Underwood in a heavy snow winter (96-97). It would not surprise me to see them occasionaly as you get more toward Henning and New York Mills, though. Especially in the winter.

Maybe that 60 critter release is why my deer hunting sucked this weekend, LOL.

ChuckN - That strange critter was just Nellie coming to "greet" you....

[ChuckN]

I'm steering clear of Nellie. Every man in their right mind should!!

[BarTender]

60 SEEMS TO BE A LARGE # ESPICALLY FOR TW'S

I HAVE SEEN THEM AROUND THERE MANY TIMES, A BIG BLACK MALE AND A TITTLE SMALLER GRAY COLLERS MUS BE THE FEMALE. SAW THEM CROSSING CLITHERAL LAKE 3 0R44 WINTERS AGO, AND ALSO SAW THEM WALKING ON SILVERSON(???) LAKE WHEN I WAS ICE FISHING 2 YEARS AGO.

LAST WINTER WHEN I WAS WALKING OU TO FISH E. BATTLE, I SAW SOME LARGE DOG PRINTS RIGHT ON OUR SHORE, AND I KNOW THE NEIGHBORS DOGS ARNT THAT BIG.

MAYBE THEY WERE YOTS?? BEEN HEARING ALOT OF THEM RESENTLY WHEN I'M UP, ALMOST EVERY NIGHT.

[threeway]

It's some what true, there just was not that many released. They were re-located from a different place. Too many poachers in thier other location.

[ChuckN]

You might have seen my dog's prints. LOL My boy would pass for a wolve if he had the hair, his attitude is worse than a wolf too.

I have never seen a (wild) wolf and I've lived in Ely, Lutsen and all over the northwoods. TW's used to be thick by our cabin near Remer, but I haven't seen a track or any evidence for a few years now...

[Mark Christianson]

This is 100% verified to be a big ole lie.

I called a friend at the USFWS in Fergus Falls.

He said they get people claiming timberwolves a lot.

They are basically not present in Ottertail County, except for some single animals that may appear from time to time.

The USFWS actually killed an entire pack in NE Ottertail County just a few years ago because of troubles with livestock.

There is no plans to move timberwolves into this part of the state. And probably never will be.

[ChuckN]

How about Cougars?? LOL

[Mark Christianson]

Lemme make another call...

Kinda funny, because the guy I called said a lot of the rumors that start seem to come as someone is falling off bar stools.

Any chance the cougar thing is related to a late night at the Sportsmans????? LOL

[ChuckN]

Nope, not related in the least bit.

[huskiesplayer15]

sebeka butler area we have heard and seen cougars, plus about a month ago in outdoor news there was a write up about a cougar stalking a lawn ornament deer, hitting it and literally taking its head off, they found the head like 200 yards away. someone has to remember that.

Best Fishes

Chris

[Fishin' Man]

Well if it makes everyone feel better there are no Timber Wolves in the state of Minnesota. But there are wolves. Timber Wolves home area is the Northeast Corner of the Country. Most people just classify any wolf that they see as a "Timber Wolf." Sorry if you don't believe me but I'm going for Natural Resources and also we had a guy just speak to us that works at the Wolf Center in Ely, MN and I wouldn't argue with his words of wisdom. I don't live near Battle Lake but am from Detroit Lakes area. My dad and brother were hunting up by Strawberry Lake area on the White Earth Tribe and did see a pack of Wolves come by and snarle at my dad. There were four of them in the pack. So wolves are north of you but they are not Timber Wolves. Hope this helps some of you guys out a little bit. Wolves are almost everywhere just have to find them.

[Mark Christianson]

Huh?????

There are no Timberwolves in MN, but there are wolves?

Ya really lost me on that post.

Here is a link right from the MN DNR website.

http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/mammals/wolves/index.html

I think I'll believe them, and the friend I have in the USFWS office in Fergus Falls.

There ARE Timberwolves in MN.

What kind of "wolf" do we have, if they are not Timberwolves?

[smallie_hawgin]

This is why biologists came up with scientific names that are standardized.... for the most part. Both the Timberwolf and the gray wolf are Canis lupus the problem comes with the common names of critters. Think about it, there are probably 5 different names for northern pike yet only one scientific name Esox lucious. So the areguement is over Gray wolf or timberwolf?? Technically both are correct. From what I understand talking with biologists (both Fed and state) myself, some wolves do move around quite a bit in an effort to find new territory for satellite males etc. So it seems very likely that this area could have a few now and then. Hope this helps.

BLB rumors!!! Sheesh!

[B. Amish]

i believe that there are Timber wolves in MN, they are just a different subspecies. just like there are a bunch of different subsspecies for canada geese and whitetail deer

if i remember right i think the subspecies is the Great Plains Wolf, but i could be wrong

[threeway]

Fishn'man

I'm going to have too disagree with you. Even though you are so confident I hate to do it. But there are T'Wolves in Minnesota... I can't believe that the gentleman from Ely told you that there were none that existed in MN. I would really like to know who this gentleman is or what his name is. I donate money to the Wolf Project every year and go visit the facilities up in Ely and the people that I work with have a different story. Unless there is a different organization? But let me know who this person was. I hope that he was not anyone that is actually teaching this! I agree with BigLakeBa$$, there is indeed T'Wolf's in MN!

[B. Amish]

here is a link from the International Wolf Center

http://www.wolf.org/wolves/learn/intermed/inter_gray/plains.asp

this may help clear up the confusion, the timber wolves in MN are a different subspecies, if you want to get technical you could say that there are no Timber Wolves in MN, just Great Plains Wolves

[ccarlson]

The Ely wolf center may be hurting their cause by saying this. If it is true, then are the wolves we have in MN protected as if they are gray or timber wolves? Or can we shoot them like a coyote or brush wolf?

I would prefer the thin their numbers down as one area I hunt up in Squaw lake, MN is so over run with "Timber Wolves" that there have been virtually no deer there since 1996. The rest of the state has been seeing huge deer increases while they are a rarity up there.

We see "timber wolves" though all the time while deer hunting and grouse hunting. These wolves are running well over 100 pounds and about 5-6 feet long. I know this because my dog was attacked 20 yards ahead of me while I was grouse hunting last fall up there. My dog is 60 pounds and these things were double his size. I shot one in the head with hi power 6 shot and it didn't even phase it. They just ran off without a whimper. Dog was fine as I was able to shoot soon enough. They had no fear of humans.

ccarlson

[ChuckN]

We don't need to get so technical here. It's been about 10 years, but I used to work with the Ely Wolf Center in all their programs for almost 2 years and I was close to the people who knew wolves better than anyone around.

They are Canis Lupus, a wolf. We typically call them Timber Wolves here. I had never, ever heard any of the experts use subspecies names like Great Plain Wolf, Mexican wolf, etc...

I'm no expert by any means, but I'm taking a wild shot here. The species is the same, just some wolves live in different areas of the U.S./Continent, hence the subspecies name to distinguish the different populations around the world.

[Mark Christianson]

Chuck is correct.

Thats exactly what the USFWS guy told me on Monday.

PS - there is no such thing as a brushwolf either.

There are coyotes and Timberwolves in MN. Thats it.

Now if the Federal employee at the US Fish and Wildlife Service doesn't know, I sure don't know who would.

Anyway, its interesting hearing what people have to say....

And to get back to the topic quickly, nobody ever has to worry that there has been, or ever will be wolves introduced into Ottertail County. (Per the USFWS)

[Dano_the_jigasaurus]

They are all the same species, type, breed of wolf--- canis lupus. The common name is what is differing and that is not important. The scientific name is the same, therefore same specie.

I think that what is getting argued would be something like calling a Chinook Salmon, a king salmon; or a Coho, a silver

same fish just different names.

[B. Amish]

i'm not trying to argue that there are not timberwolves in MN. all i am saying is that there are different subspecies of timberwolves. the subspecies of timberwolves that lives in MN is the Great Plains Wolve

[Underwood]

Going to have to disagree with the no timbers in Ottertail County as I seen one Deer Hunting the first weekend south of Battle Lake. Also saw 3 coyotes as well. BLB that was a nice buck you shot, where by Vining was it as my Grandpa owns land over that way, just wondering if it is the deer I seen out bowhunting this year, if it is I am just glad someone finally got the old guy.

Darin

[Mark Christianson]

As stated above in most other posts, there have been, and probably still are isolated wolves in OTC.

No new "introductions" have been done or will take place.

Send me an email, and I can describe where we are at.

[email protected]

[Dano_the_jigasaurus]

Sorry to break up the topic, buy NICE PIC there B.Amish. I like it

[axel]

HERE'S A THOUGHT, LETS NOT ARGUE ABOUT THE NAMES OF WHAT KIND OF WOLVES WE MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE SEEN. I KNOW I HAVE SEEN A WOLF NEAR GLENDALOUGH IT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO. THIS WAS NO COYOTE. IN MY BOOK, IT WAS A WOLF AND IT RAN INTO THE TIMBER SO IN MY EYES ITS A "TIMBERWOLF".

PS. IS THE RUMOR TRUE THAT ETHEL BEACH RESORT(RESTAURANT) IS CLOSED? I HOPE NOT, NO ONE HAS BETTER CHICKEN AND ONOION RINGS.

[jerkin'm]

I heard Ethel Beach won't be serving food next year. With the trailer sales gig Sparky has going he doesn't need to spend his summer swimming in the deep fryer anymore. Can't blame him for that. Doesn't anyone fish anymore? Who want's to argue wolves and coyotes let's talk some fishing!

[Mark Christianson]

Hey jerkin

People post about fishin all the time out here, and nothin' gets the response that the timberwolves do....

Honestly, I can say that when I was at Glendalough a few years back looking for sheds, that I saw 2 "dogs" move through the distance. Well, when I got my head on straight, I can say that I am sure it was a couple wolves too. No clue if excitement got the better side of me though.

[GRAND DAD]

If you look at the Startribune today they have a story about Timberwolves in MN and how there is getting to be to many of them!!Just thought I would bring that up