Wolf Half-truths and Lies

[mountainman]

Not that rare..

[wolfbait]

Do wolves attack people?

Wild wolves generally fear and avoid people, and rarely pose a threat to human safety. In the past 60 years, there have been two wolf-caused human fatalities in North America (Canada and Alaska). Two broad summaries published in 2002 documented 28 reports of wolf aggression towards humans in North America from 1969 to 2001. Nineteen of these involved wolves habituated to people and five involved people accompanied by domestic dogs. There have been no physical attacks on people by wolves in Idaho, Montana, or Wyoming from the time wolf recovery began in the 1980s.

Wolves  passing near, watching, or otherwise behaving in a non-threatening way near humans should not  necessarily be considered dangerous.  But wolves can become habituated to humans in areas where they regularly encounter humans or human food. To avoid habituation, wolves should never be fed or approached. If wolves seem too comfortable near people, or frequent roads or trails where close encounters are  morelikely, they should be hazed using non-lethal methods like air horns or other scare devices.

In the extremely rare event of an encounter with an aggressive wolf, don’t run or turn your back. Stand your ground, act aggressively by stepping toward the wolf and yelling or clapping your hands if it tries to approach.  Use air horns or other loud noise-makers.  Stare directly at the wolf and  retreat slowly while facing the wolf.  Climb a tree if necessary. If a wolf attacks, fight back with any means possible, including bear spray or firearms if necessary.  Wolf-dog hybrids, which cannot necessarily be distinguished from wild wolves, can be more dangerous to humans than wild wolves because they have lost their natural fear of humans. While they are bred from domestic dogs, they still retain the predatory instinct from their wolf ancestry.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/faq.html#9

There have been two close calls in Washington that I can recall. Hirshey was nearly attacked a couple years ago. In elk season this last fall a hunter shot an attacking wolf, had he not had a rifle he probably would not have lived to tell the story. Both of those incidents are documented on this forum.

We never did hear the story as to what happened with the wolf attack in the Pasaytan not long ago, do you suppose it didn't look to good for the wolf/wolves and WDFW?

[AspenBud]

Not that rare..

Compared to most all other predators in the lower 48 it is quite rare. Not saying that can't change, in fact it probably will, but at this time it's a fact. Aggressive wolves are simply an over hyped talking point used by people who don't want them around to scare people. You don't hear much about aggressive wolves in the news because it doesn't occur much. Cougars and bears...sorry, way more common and thereby way more reported as it's seen as way more of a problem. I have a problem with the over hyping of wolf aggression these days, mostly because people see it as a propaganda move. People do need to be aware of the dangers,there are things to do and not do around wolves, but as they are often represented people don't see it as a public service announcement. On the flip side the truly pro wolf side is in utter denial about what wolves can do and have their own spin on them and I have a problem with that as well.   

[GameHunter1959]

Do wolves attack people?

Wild wolves generally fear and avoid people, and rarely pose a threat to human safety. In the past 60 years, there have been two wolf-caused human fatalities in North America (Canada and Alaska). Two broad summaries published in 2002 documented 28 reports of wolf aggression towards humans in North America from 1969 to 2001. Nineteen of these involved wolves habituated to people and five involved people accompanied by domestic dogs. There have been no physical attacks on people by wolves in Idaho, Montana, or Wyoming from the time wolf recovery began in the 1980s.

Wolves  passing near, watching, or otherwise behaving in a non-threatening way near humans should not  necessarily be considered dangerous.  But wolves can become habituated to humans in areas where they regularly encounter humans or human food. To avoid habituation, wolves should never be fed or approached. If wolves seem too comfortable near people, or frequent roads or trails where close encounters are  morelikely, they should be hazed using non-lethal methods like air horns or other scare devices.

In the extremely rare event of an encounter with an aggressive wolf, don’t run or turn your back. Stand your ground, act aggressively by stepping toward the wolf and yelling or clapping your hands if it tries to approach.  Use air horns or other loud noise-makers.  Stare directly at the wolf and  retreat slowly while facing the wolf.  Climb a tree if necessary. If a wolf attacks, fight back with any means possible, including bear spray or firearms if necessary.  Wolf-dog hybrids, which cannot necessarily be distinguished from wild wolves, can be more dangerous to humans than wild wolves because they have lost their natural fear of humans. While they are bred from domestic dogs, they still retain the predatory instinct from their wolf ancestry.
http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/faq.html#9

There have been two close calls in Washington that I can recall. Hirshey was nearly attacked a couple years ago. In elk season this last fall a hunter shot an attacking wolf, had he not had a rifle he probably would not have lived to tell the story. Both of those incidents are documented on this forum.

Correct me if I am wrong, but I thought Hirshey was back country hunting and happened to spot a buck deer head laying on the hillside from several hundred yards away. Then she looked near by and saw a wolf and wolf den. It's been a few years since I read her post, but I don't remember her being almost attacked etc.

[wolfbait]

You are Wrong! The wolves were prey-testing her.

[AspenBud]

You are Wrong! The wolves were prey-testing her.

I'd have to go back and read the account, but I would swear she said she went to check out a kill??? That's always a big no no, it was even before wolves since cats and bears can get protective of those too. Like I said, lots of fear mongering, not enough practical dos and don't and definitely not much advice on hunting them despite all the talk. 

[mountainman]

Might go back and 're read all the confrontations in past posts..the you can come back and tell the posters they are liers. ...

[Bob33]

You are Wrong! The wolves were prey-testing her.

I'd have to go back and read the account, but I would swear she said she went to check out a kill??? That's always a big no no, it was even before wolves since cats and bears can get protective of those too. Like I said, lots of fear mongering, not enough practical dos and don't and definitely not much advice on hunting them despite all the talk.

Here are the links to what I believe you are looking for.
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,79244.msg1034831.html#msg1034831
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,79244.msg1034964.html#msg1034964

[Axle]

Well said its a tragedy they reintroduced them again. Next up is total destruction of either private property or the wolf packs. Not enough room for both

It is a tragedy indeed! And they planned it all along but it is far from a re-introduction. The Canadian gray wolf is not native here so there is no such thing as 're-introducing them'. Especially since we still had a few native Timber wolves around. Canadian grays will kill off the smaller native Timber wolf (which is still a very destructive wolf).

[AspenBud]

You are Wrong! The wolves were prey-testing her.

I'd have to go back and read the account, but I would swear she said she went to check out a kill??? That's always a big no no, it was even before wolves since cats and bears can get protective of those too. Like I said, lots of fear mongering, not enough practical dos and don't and definitely not much advice on hunting them despite all the talk.

Here are the links to what I believe you are looking for.
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,79244.msg1034831.html#msg1034831
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,79244.msg1034964.html#msg1034964

So about what I figured with the added twist of walking into a denning area. Nothing about the encounter should be surprising then. That's as good as stumbling on a sow with cubs.   

[AspenBud]

Might go back and 're read all the confrontations in past posts..the you can come back and tell the posters they are liers. ...

I'm not calling anyone a liar. I'm telling you I can think of three bear attacks off the top of my head for this year alone and I'm probably forgetting some. Those attacks sent people to the hospital.

Whatever encounters people are having with wolves, so far, they aren't amounting to much. Probably because relative to bears and mountain lions there are very few. Like I said, that could well change.

It would be far more helpful for people to know what not to do around wolves and how to hunt them than to continually yell into an echo chamber about Little Red Riding Hood stories that most of the public brushes off anyhow. Why? Because wolves are here and more are coming whether we want them or not.

[mountainman]

Lol

[GameHunter1959]

You are Wrong! The wolves were prey-testing her.

I'd have to go back and read the account, but I would swear she said she went to check out a kill??? That's always a big no no, it was even before wolves since cats and bears can get protective of those too. Like I said, lots of fear mongering, not enough practical dos and don't and definitely not much advice on hunting them despite all the talk.

Here are the links to what I believe you are looking for.
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,79244.msg1034831.html#msg1034831
http://hunting-washington.com/smf/index.php/topic,79244.msg1034964.html#msg1034964

Thanks Bob...
That's was what I thought happened. I would not consider that an "almost attack by wolves" situation. I would call that a wolf encounter. I am sure there are plenty more to come.

[clockwork]

Im far more concerned about being ambushed by a cougar than being attacked by the handful of wolves sparsely distributed through the state. At least im more likely to see the wolves coming.

But come on guys. Were outdoorsmen, if we were truly scared of this kind of thing we'd never go in the woods because theres alot more real dangers out there than a hypothetically aggressive wolf.

You dont want wolves here? Then state a reasonable case. We all know that wolves have historically posed minimal threat to public safety. And the argument about "canadian grays" is weak too.

The real motivation here is deer and elk populations, gotta keep it real if you want any credibility.

[wolfbait]

Im far more concerned about being ambushed by a cougar than being attacked by the handful of wolves sparsely distributed through the state. At least im more likely to see the wolves coming.

But come on guys. Were outdoorsmen, if we were truly scared of this kind of thing we'd never go in the woods because theres alot more real dangers out there than a hypothetically aggressive wolf.

You dont want wolves here? Then state a reasonable case. We all know that wolves have historically posed minimal threat to public safety. And the argument about "canadian grays" is weak too.

The real motivation here is deer and elk populations, gotta keep it real if you want any credibility.

Quite sure a Canadian School teacher would argue your opinion if she could. Most of the US went wolf free for several years so it's easy to say the US hasn't had much of a wolf problem where attacks are concerned. Now we have the USFWS releasing fake wolves they bred up along with the wolves from Canada, what happens when the wolves kill off their prey in an area inhabited by people? Wolf history shows wolves then target people. We now have wolves that haven't been hunted for several years that have no fear of humans, these wolves have been seen inside city limits where little kids play, I guess if a child is taken WDFW will surely have an answer for the parents and the community.

Then there is the diseases that wolves spread, which most of the lower 48 have never had to deal with, another concern that the federal and state game agencies down play.

You can say you are more concerned about a cat getting you, but then you have never had wolves after you, have you? And have you forgotten the impact wolves have and will have on livestock? In the Methow there have been several livestock killed by wolves and each time the local WDFW biologist lied about what killed them.

In six years we have watched as WDFW pretend to care about confirming wolf packs and breeding pairs, one year WDFW said the wolves had grown by one wolf, according to WDFW we now have 52 wolves and 5 breeding pairs. If WDFW had to perform like the working class, quite sure WA would have been delisted in 2010 with wolves to spare.