Two weeks ago, my family and I packed up and headed to my wife's family reunion in MN. The plan was to go as far as possible (Jackson WY area being the ultimate goal) on the first leg. From there we were going to spend a couple of nights in Yellowstone, one in the black hills, and on to MN.
I could only make it to the Targhee NF (about 30 miles short of Jackson) and had to pull over for some sleep. We let the two boys stay sacked out in the truck and the wife and I threw a tarp down next to the truck. As we were laying our bags out...wolf howls. We hear coyotes every night at home, and I once owned a wolf hybrid so I definitely know the difference.
My wife said those are wolves, but I said probably just yotes so she would not freak out. We laid our bags down and crawled in. This was about 1230 AM. There was a camper in the same gravel pullout already there when we pulled in.
About 0430, more howls, this time very close. I know they always sound closer than they actually are, but it sounded like they were in my sleeping bag!! My wife woke up, jumped out of her bag, and into the truck in less than a second! I woke up and grabbed my .44 and looked around while still in my bag. Seeing nothing, I too crawled into the truck.
I could not get comfortable in the truck and went back to the tarp. I awoke about 0530.
About 0600, a lady from the camper came over. She says "did you hear those F'ing b*****ds last night? They were trying to get in my cooler and I could hear them walking around the camper. I told her my wife and I were sleeping on a tarp, so yes we heard them!! She said we were nuts and that she had lived in WY and MT her whole life and that these dogs just have no fear of humans.
We walked over to her little trailer she was pulling behind her camper. A tarp was half ripped off of it with large prints all over. The prints were is gravel dust so it didn't come out in pictures (of course).
Here are my questions:
Would wolves try to get into coolers like a bear would?
Do you think my wife and I were in real danger?
Do you think they milled around and howled on their way out, or were near us while we were in the truck?
I have spent very little time in wolf country, so I am looking for a little insight...
