Wolves

Westonium · May 12, 2006

( U said that they looked like gray German Shepherd Dogs. I think maybe they were! Gray sable is a common GSD color. I would still build a good fenced play yard for your dogs.... )

Grant's pass is very rural. I am guessing he is way out there. If they ARE German Shepherds, then they may be more dangerous than wolves because they are likely feral. They are just as bad as wolves at the least because they are so cunning. Wolves and wild dogs can and do hunt and kill coyotes. Food for thought.

Anyway the point here is that where this guy lives, any canine he sees on his property that isn't his, and doesn't have a collar, is deemed wild and dangerous.

You should read this history of coyotes in Kansas and maybe you'll understand why they aren't a problem now, but soon will be

That scientific paper published by the government pretty much applies all over the country. They used to poison coyotes all the way up to 1972. Coyotes went from eating small things to domestic and livestock and their numbers have blossomed over the last few decades. Sure, when the wolves re-populate there will be less coyotes but talk about a bitter cure.

That paper is a good read. I highly reccomend it.

woodlot · May 12, 2006

If you have any doubt that wolves kill dogs take a look at this link. Keep in mind that this is only the documanted cases, and only bear hunting dogs in the active persuit of bears (training or hunting) are included. Keeping that in mind, I'm sure the total dog kills in the state vastly exceede whats reported. Also, they are not killing bear dogs for food. They kill them because they are a threat to there territory & pack. Although, I'm sure they'd eat one too, if hungry.

List of bear dogs killed by wolves in wisconsin 2005

Someone mentioned that there is no documented case of wolf killing a human....well....I guess if you really want to beleive that you can. I think the Canada case from last year is pretty clear, espically if you look at the history of wolf encounters in the area. No, noone actually witnessed the attack, so I guess it lacks that evidince.

The number of ducumented attacks on humans by wolves is in the 100's if not 1,ooo's.

I hunt predators at night, in wolf country. I've never seen one but have seen many, many tracks. I'm sure they've seen me. I once thought wolves were cool and magestic. After spending time in the woods with them, I have a healthy respect, and wish they were not around.

greatrandini · May 12, 2006

I don't agree with your conclusion but a nice read. Thanks.

ByronBob · May 12, 2006

40 acres in a vast wilderness of land might just be a coinsidence you saw them at all. You need to see them more than once IMO before freaking out. Not that you are at all.

But if you indeed are "out there" in the remote and have critters who are larger than a coyote then packing a 44 mag might become SOP like putting socks on.

Do the pooches go looking for trouble or do they bark and retreat? Wolves I believe hunt in a nasty way. So disregarding the federal government and their rules, if some action to dispel them is necessary then so be it.

At the same time if your intruding in their neighborhood and they don't bother you then see how it goes. I mean did they see you open the door, come out and yell and they just said whatever or did you stay indoors? Bears run at anything looking like a human most times. Maybe wolves would too.

If you ever got the opportunity to photo one that would be awesome.

THS · May 13, 2006

I spoke to my uncle last night, he got a close-up look at the wolf that's been frequenting the area here in Wisconsin.

The events leading up to this "meeting" were pretty interesting. They had a 100-120# hog die the other day. He dragged it outside the building for removal the following day. When he arrived the next morning, the hog was gone. They could see the drag marks in the gravel. They followed it down to road, found the pig in the ditch, all mangled and torn up. Hog hide is pretty tough, it was SHREDDED! My grandma hitched onto the remains with the garden tractor, pulled it back up by the barn. Later that day, the hog was gone again. They followed the tracks, found it down by the end of the driveway again, this time it had devoured the entire right front shank. No bones left at all. They were trying to convince themselves that it was a big dog or coyote, thinking that there was no way a wolf would show himself in broad daylight.

He said on Thursday he went into the chicken house, noticed all the shovels and hand tools were pushed down onto the floor. He asked my other uncle and my grandma if they had pushed them over, both said they didn't. They were suspecting that the wolf might've been the cause but they weren't sure. The next step was to buy/borrow a wild game camera and set it up near the entrance to catch pics of whatever it was. Then, yesterday (Friday), my uncle came around the corner of the hog house in the middle of the morning, there was this HUGE wolf standing in a stare-down with him about 10 yards away. My uncle froze, then screamed out "WOLF!!!!!" (to alert my other uncle) which startled the wolf enough to make it jog away. Since there were little kids playing near the house, they ran for the shed to grab the gun in case it were needed for protection. One uncle jumped in the truck to chase it away from the buildings while the other one ran to check on the kids.

My uncle said at one point, while he was driving down the lane trying to "herd" the wolf away from the farm, the wolf turned and ran parallel to the truck. The wolf kicked it into high gear, and was outrunning the truck with no problem at all. He doesn't recall how fast he was actually going, but he said there was no way that anybody could outrun that thing if they were to meet up with it face to face! He said when he was standing there staring it down earlier, he figures it was EASILY as tall as his waist or a little more (at the top of the wolf's back).

My uncle said one neighbor dog that was injured (talked about this in the paper and on local tv news) was a sheepdog or sheepdog mix, the wolf had latched onto the dog's back and picked him up and shook it like a rag doll. They scared the wolf off before it actually killed the dog.

I also heard him say that another neighbor's dog was actually killed (may have even been just yesterday too? I didn't catch what day it was killed though...). It was on a tie-out chain outside the house where it has been for years. Could not get away from the wolf, wolf tore it up pretty badly. I checked the news this morning, that part has not been mentioned yet.

The DNR is trying to trap it so they can euthanize it. The helicopters were flying around the area this week trying to spot it. The do-gooders have started a petition to stop the killing of this wolf. They want it to be taken to a wolf preserve in Colorado. Sorry folks. After hearing how aggressive and unafraid this thing has gotten over the last few months, I'm worried that my cousins are in severe danger of being stalked and injured/killed by this thing. My grandma is in her 80's, she gets around pretty decent but could never defend herself if it had been her that did the stare down instead of my uncle. One of the neighbors measured the paw print, said it was nearing 6" in diameter!

I did remind my uncle that it's illegal to shoot a wolf. He said he'll take the fine and/or jail time if that's what it took to protect his family/animals/livestock. I've read that once a wolf learns how to kill a pig or a calf or a dog, they start hunting them like it was a rabbit or deer or any other wildlife. With school finishing in a few weeks, how will any of the local kids be able to enjoy being outside if they continue to let this dangerous thing roam around? I'm up for live target practice!

BlueRidge · May 13, 2006

An Elk that was tagged in Yellowstone wondered all the way to Missouri. 

What was he wondering about? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

SSS doesn't work very well on a tagged animal. Make sure the tag continues to "wonder" around for a while, then leaves your property in a manner that will not arouse curiosity.

AKfish · May 13, 2006

Yah, 6" diameter paw sounds about right... Waist high, yup that fits, too.

Gotta admit, though. Some of this discussion brings about a big grin and more than a few chuckles...

Attacks in the hundreds if not thousands; really?!? My 80 yr old grandma -- Come on people! Hitch yur pants up and tighten your belt another notch!

What was that line in the Wizard of Oz? Lions and tigers and bears; Oh no! Lions and tigers and bears; Oh no!

Sheesh. AKfish

Westonium · May 14, 2006

( Yah, 6" diameter paw sounds about right... Waist high, yup that fits, too.

Gotta admit, though. Some of this discussion brings about a big grin and more than a few chuckles...

Attacks in the hundreds if not thousands; really?!? My 80 yr old grandma -- Come on people! Hitch yur pants up and tighten your belt another notch!

What was that line in the Wizard of Oz? Lions and tigers and bears; Oh no! Lions and tigers and bears; Oh no!

Sheesh. AKfish )

I don't really know what you are getting at. The coyote attacks in so-cal are in the thousands (if you count killing livestock) and I've personally seen them stalk joggers and witnessed a hired coyote killer flush 2 big ones from shrubs 20-30yds from 2 little kids (3-5 age).

I can't be 24-7 armed escort for my 1.5 year old son until he is old enough to carry his own weapons.

It says that you are in Alaska. If these things don't apply up there, don't assume you know what is going on down here in the lower 48.

The Oregon Elk herds are getting wiped out. My buddies counted *2* calfs the whole time the went hunting. The cougar population has exploded and they've decided to hire pros to kill "problem cougars". The cougar population is estimated at 5000. In Oregon. The wolves are moving in large numbers. It has been in the local Ag paper (Capital Press) as a news topic many many times over the last year.

I guess laughing at other people's problems is ok?

Westonium · May 14, 2006

( Yah, 6" diameter paw sounds about right... Waist high, yup that fits, too.

Gotta admit, though. Some of this discussion brings about a big grin and more than a few chuckles...

Attacks in the hundreds if not thousands; really?!? My 80 yr old grandma -- Come on people! Hitch yur pants up and tighten your belt another notch!

What was that line in the Wizard of Oz? Lions and tigers and bears; Oh no! Lions and tigers and bears; Oh no!

Sheesh. AKfish )

I don't really know what you are getting at. The coyote attacks in so-cal are in the thousands (if you count killing livestock) and I've personally seen them stalk joggers and witnessed a hired coyote killer flush 2 big ones from shrubs 20-30yds from 2 little kids (3-5 age).

I can't be 24-7 armed escort for my 1.5 year old son until he is old enough to carry his own weapons.

It says that you are in Alaska. If these things don't apply up there, don't assume you know what is going on down here in the lower 48.

The Oregon Elk herds are getting wiped out. My buddies counted *2* calfs the whole time the went hunting. The cougar population has exploded and they've decided to hire pros to kill "problem cougars". The cougar population is estimated at 5000. In Oregon. The wolves are moving in large numbers. It has been in the local Ag paper (Capital Press) as a news topic many many times over the last year.

I guess laughing at other people's problems is ok?

woodlot · May 15, 2006

Fish - please take a look at the link. Most of the cases in this report are from North America, but there is a little bit of world history included. If you do more digging into world history you will uncover many, many more discriptions of human-wolf encounters, espically in Europe. Hey, I'm not trying to get all "red-riding hood" like, but the perspective that wolves are cute & cuddly is simply naive. We are slowly learning this in Northern Wisconsin. People & Wolves live to colsely here.

report of human-wolf encounters & attacks