Wolves tree DNR worker in Okanogan county

[buglebrush]

A friend's wife and daughter were attacked in their yard.  Locked themselves in the garden until the wolves finally left.  I don't have permission to post anything more than that, but it's one of three people I know personally who've encountered aggressive wolves in the past two years.

In Washington?

In North Idaho.  Close enough.

So where wolves are managed. Contrary to the belief of at least a few in this thread, this wouldn’t happen in an area where wolves are delisted and managed by the state.

These wolves spend plenty of time in WA, and they've only been managed for a few years now.

[jackelope]

A friend's wife and daughter were attacked in their yard.  Locked themselves in the garden until the wolves finally left.  I don't have permission to post anything more than that, but it's one of three people I know personally who've encountered aggressive wolves in the past two years.

In Washington?

In North Idaho.  Close enough.

So where wolves are managed. Contrary to the belief of at least a few in this thread, this wouldn’t happen in an area where wolves are delisted and managed by the state.

These wolves spend plenty of time in WA, and they've only been managed for a few years now.

I fully agree with you and am definitely not trying to argue or debate anything you said. The point was made earlier that if these WA wolves were managed and hunted, they'd have a deeper fear of humans. Maybe their deeper fear of humans will have to come after more years of hunting.
 

[Cougartail]

A friend's wife and daughter were attacked in their yard.  Locked themselves in the garden until the wolves finally left.  I don't have permission to post anything more than that, but it's one of three people I know personally who've encountered aggressive wolves in the past two years.

In Washington?

In North Idaho.  Close enough.

So where wolves are managed. Contrary to the belief of at least a few in this thread, this wouldn’t happen in an area where wolves are delisted and managed by the state.

These wolves spend plenty of time in WA, and they've only been managed for a few years now.

I fully agree with you and am definitely not trying to argue or debate anything you said. The point was made earlier that if these WA wolves were managed and hunted, they'd have a deeper fear of humans. Maybe their deeper fear of humans will have to come after more years of hunting.

Wolves have been hunted and trapped in Alaska for as long as man has been around and will still come into camps/villages to snack on a sled dog.

[O. hemionus]

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/jul/14/helicopter-rescues-biologist-treed-by-wolves-in-ok/

A few more details.

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2018/jul/13/helicopter-rescues-biologist-treed-by-wolves-in-ok/

Your link didn't work for me.  So I did a search on that site and found it.  Weird.........

The Loup Loup pack must be huge.🤔

I don't think that is the case. She only encountered two wolves...

[nwwanderer]

Unverified mention of seeing two wolves, no way of knowing how many she encountered.  Seeing them and number around rarely are the same.
Was she ordered not to talk about it? 

[jackelope]

Unverified mention of seeing two wolves, no way of knowing how many she encountered.  Seeing them and number around rarely are the same.
Was she ordered not to talk about it? 

Nobody knows any of the answers to your questions. That'll be the problem with this event.

Is there a legit reason why she would be ordered to not talk about it?

[KFhunter]

 

That would not surprise me at all, you just know the news media wanted an interview, so why isn't there any info from her?  Not even a statement?...


stinks of a gag order from her bosses

[jackelope]

I'm not trying to be a wise guy when I ask this....what reason would they have for silencing her?

Legit question...genuinely curious to hear why you guys think this is a possibility. The wolves are no secret. This is an area where there are confirmed wolves. They even said the breeding male collared wolf was found to be in the area via his collar. People have wildlife encounters all the time. What's the secret?
 

[bearpaw]

Some of the facts.

https://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/updates.php?year=2018

After unsuccessful attempts to scare the wolves away (including yelling, waving and deploying a can of bear spray in the direction of the wolves) the individual climbed a tree and used a radio to call for assistance.

Whenever a wolf comes close enough to deploy a can of bear spray and won't leave I would consider that something to be concerned about. I don't see it as an over reaction as some might seem to suggest. It's a known fact that wolves study prey before attacking. Range riders who help protect cattle have watched wolves watching cattle many times over a period of several years in some cases before they eventually attacked the cattle. So, I definitely do not see this as an over reaction!

A friend's wife and daughter were attacked in their yard.  Locked themselves in the garden until the wolves finally left.  I don't have permission to post anything more than that, but it's one of three people I know personally who've encountered aggressive wolves in the past two years.

In Washington?

In North Idaho.  Close enough.

So where wolves are managed. Contrary to the belief of at least a few in this thread, this wouldn’t happen in an area where wolves are delisted and managed by the state.

These wolves spend plenty of time in WA, and they've only been managed for a few years now.

I fully agree with you and am definitely not trying to argue or debate anything you said. The point was made earlier that if these WA wolves were managed and hunted, they'd have a deeper fear of humans. Maybe their deeper fear of humans will have to come after more years of hunting.

Wolves have been hunted and trapped in Alaska for as long as man has been around and will still come into camps/villages to snack on a sled dog.

I totally agree with the thought that you can never fully remove the danger factor from all predators. But I have observed that predators that are hunted and shot at by humans are overall more fearful of humans. It would certainly seem inaccurate to suggest that all hunted wolves would never confront humans or that all non-hunted wolves would confront humans. But, I would suggest that shooting at wolves or any other predators can alter their behavior when humans are encountered again in the future. In my experience predators are much faster learners than ungulates and from what we have observed in Idaho wolves seem to be the smartest of all the big predators.

Wolves Watch & They Prey Test
Several people in the Colville area walk local county roads for exercise and have been flanked by wolves numerous times. One elderly lady is afraid to leave her house anymore. Another lady I went to school with had wolves follow her more than once. She told me the wolves were flanking her again one morning and it had her worried, then a truck came along which stopped and talked for a while, it looked like the wolves had left so she decided to keep walking. Shortly after the truck left she noticed the wolves were flanking her again. She no longer walks without a gun, she always has her pistol when she walks now. (this is in the territory of the Smackout pack and was occurring two or three years ago)

I have mentioned my neighbor who was followed by a pack of wolves (also the Smackout Pack) and then suddenly was attacked by one of the wolves, he wounded the wolf in mid air springing at him, that attack has been verified and recorded by WDFW. That wolf wasn't wanting to lick him on the face, it wanted to kill/eat him! The guy told me it literally scared the dickens out of him.
https://stevenscountycattlemen.com/2014/12/01/hunter-stalked-by-smackout-pack-wolves/

I know a rancher that grazes in the Smackout pack territory. They have a range rider who has observed the wolves watching their cattle many times over several summers when the cattle are on range. For several years there was no problem, but eventually those wolves quit watching and started attacking cattle.
http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2017/jul/20/four-strikes-youre-out-smackout-wolf-pack-lethal-removal-authorized/

Wolf poached: https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/2-wolves-shot-in-eastern-washington-poachers-feared/

Making The Connection
This year I have not heard of an incident involving the Smackout Pack. This is after the pack was following my neighbor and he shot the wolf that attacked him, this is after WDFW removed wolves that were attacking cattle, and this is after a Smackout Pack wolf was poached. Maybe it's just a coincidence? But, I think those wolves have learned to avoid humans. I'm not suggesting the Smackout Pack wont cause trouble again in the future after new pups become members of the pack, but I am saying that the history of events does suggest the Smackout Pack's habits seem to have been altered. 

[bearpaw]

some interesting perspectives...

https://stevenscountycattlemen.com/2014/12/01/hunter-stalked-by-smackout-pack-wolves/

Hunter stalked by Smackout pack wolves
A pack of wolves that have been the “poster children” for the effectiveness of non-lethal methods to deter wolves from livestock recently stalked a hunter near Smackout Road, forcing the hunter to shoot at the wolves in order to avoid being attacked. Most disturbingly, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife(WDFW) has suppressed the incident by not issuing a notice to the public about the danger of the Smackout wolf pack.

According to a written statement obtained by the Stevens County Cattlemen’s Association, the elk hunter said he was out along Smackout road on Oct. 30 when he heard something in the brush. Turning around, he saw a “black wolf skirting him” from about 15 yards away. The hunter yelled at the wolf and waved his arm to get it to leave, but the wolf “trotted out in front” of the hunter. The hunter shot in the air to try and scare it, but the wolf did not retreat and three other wolves started to close in around the hunter. The hunter backed up and then heard something coming at him. The hunter said he was “scared for his life.” As a wolf came at him, he shot at the wolf, hitting it in the shoulder. The wolf “was growling and biting its shoulder” and then went up the hill away from the man. The hunter, who has asked not to be named due to potential threats or harassment from environmental groups, said he then got on the radio to tell his hunting partners what going on and to “warn them about the pack of wolves on the ridge.” The hunter also gave the written statement to WDFW.

Stevens County Cattlemen’s Association President Scott Nielsen said the Smackout Pack has been touted by groups like Conservation Northwest to be a “success story” about how non-lethal methods can be used to deter wolves from livestock. However, the efforts are having a troubling effect.

“What we are seeing is a group of wolves that are not afraid of people; are not afraid of guns and were willing to stalk a man who is alone in the woods,” said Nielsen. “These wolves have been totally desensitized to people by the same methods that the environmental groups are saying are effective for livestock operations. What we are creating here are killers that view people as possible prey. This is a serious threat to public safety.”

Even more concerning is the fact that WDFW made no efforts to alert the public as deer season was about to open in the Stevens County area. Late deer season in the Smackout wolf pack area ran from Nov. 8-19.

“Clearly the Department doesn’t want to acknowledge the human threat caused by these wolves and is willing to sit back until something terrible happens. That is unacceptable,” said Nielsen. “If WDFW is going to ignore public safety because their management has created the problem, we need to question their management. ”

SCCA is encouraging citizens to call in any wolf attacks or encounters to the Stevens County Sheriff’s Department by calling 684-5296.




After all the hoopla of wolves coexisting this is the Smackout pack: http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2017/jul/20/four-strikes-youre-out-smackout-wolf-pack-lethal-removal-authorized/

[gaddy]

I'm not trying to be a wise guy when I ask this....what reason would they have for silencing her?

Legit question...genuinely curious to hear why you guys think this is a possibility. The wolves are no secret. This is an area where there are confirmed wolves. They even said the breeding male collared wolf was found to be in the area via his collar. People have wildlife encounters all the time. What's the secret?
 

Only reason I can think of is that the wolves were harassing a person. Doesn't fit with the whole wolves aren't a danger to humans theory. 

[KFhunter]

I'm not trying to be a wise guy when I ask this....what reason would they have for silencing her?

Legit question...genuinely curious to hear why you guys think this is a possibility. The wolves are no secret. This is an area where there are confirmed wolves. They even said the breeding male collared wolf was found to be in the area via his collar. People have wildlife encounters all the time. What's the secret?

All it would take is one wolf loving boss somewhere up the chain to silence her, all federal agencies fear the news, and until forced to testify I could see them totally being silent about this.

[Jpmiller]

Am I to take it from posts about her not being armed and needing escorts and groups of people that it would be foolish to be alone in the woods or alone and unarmed? I oftentimes find myself in the out of doors away from a road or trail by myself and occasionally without an accesible weapon, effectively being disarmed. Am I too being foolish?

Are we really all that terrified of wild animals that we need to constantly be ready for a confrontation with them?

[KFhunter]

The "woods" are changing, it's not as safe as it was when I was a young man tromping around miles away from anyone without a gun.  All it takes is one time, which may or may not happen to you.

[mazama]

Story was posted in Seattle times  this morning,wolves below tree when helicopter showed up.