Wolves tree DNR worker in Okanogan county

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Absolutely.  It's actually very common.  Fish bios will shock a portion of a river or stream, gather up and insert a transmitter in the fish and later track their movements using a radio antenna/telemetry device.  I helped on a project on the Blackfoot River where cutthroat and bull trout were tracked up in to their spawning streams.  It was crazy the distances some of them traveled and the tiny trickles of water they would head up in to.
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That must have been a really cool job!

[Allen23]

This will happen many more times and more frequently........ when something horrible happens ( God forbid) F and G will look back and tell us they us never saw it coming, or find a way to reverse the blame and tell the victim's family " sorry for your loos but, you daughter should have know this was a den sight" after all we can blame the wolves. 

[Jpmiller]

How is having wolves in the woods with a possibility of endangering a human any different than any of the other animals we have always had? Bear, coyote, cougar, deer etc?

[Allen23]

I do not think that it is, but that last time I checked this page had "wolf" in the title....... Not bears, cougars or coyotes..... Id be happy to give you my opinion on the lack of predator management that this state has chose to not focus on for several years now. Its a joke.

[buglebrush]

How is having wolves in the woods with a possibility of endangering a human any different than any of the other animals we have always had? Bear, coyote, cougar, deer etc?

The wolves we currently have are an illegally introduced invasive species.  Totally different deal.  They were brought in as a tool to further the environmentalists agenda and it's bloody working.   

[Jonathan_S]

How is having wolves in the woods with a possibility of endangering a human any different than any of the other animals we have always had? Bear, coyote, cougar, deer etc?

No difference at all except that wolves are nearly 100% carnivorous and hunt in packs and are 4-5 times bigger than coyotes. Oh wait, those are significant 

Although in Wilkeson it probably won’t make much of a difference 

[gaddy]

Most carnivores in WA are afraid of humans. Wolves have shown not to be. They hunt in pac's where other predators are solitary and opportunistic. Wolves will kill just to kill, It's what they do, all they do, other than breed and spread diseases ( you might want to read up on that stuff). There is a ton, and I mean a ton, of info on this very site if you'r interested on why wolves are more a danger to human life than other predators. Don't forget your furry friends that go into the woods with you that might sniff some wolf scat and contract something, or ??

[trophyhunt]

How is having wolves in the woods with a possibility of endangering a human any different than any of the other animals we have always had? Bear, coyote, cougar, deer etc?

The wolves we currently have are an illegally introduced invasive species.  Totally different deal.  They were brought in as a tool to further the environmentalists agenda and it's bloody working.   

[Jpmiller]

I was speaking to the "fear" factor of wild human interaction. Every animal I listed and many others can transmit disease to humans, and every animal I listed poses a threat to human safety when we venture into the woods. I don't get why we are all not ok with wolves being a potential danger more than other animals other than just not liking that they are here at all.

[Salmonstalker]

I was speaking to the "fear" factor of wild human interaction. Every animal I listed and many others can transmit disease to humans, and every animal I listed poses a threat to human safety when we venture into the woods. I don't get why we are all not ok with wolves being a potential danger more than other animals other than just not liking that they are here at all.

I believe the above comments stated why they are more of a threat than our native and established predators. Ask Idaho how the introduction of the (CANADIAN) Grey Wolf has worked for them.... We're soon to learn the lessons they've learned.

[bigmacc]

I was speaking to the "fear" factor of wild human interaction. Every animal I listed and many others can transmit disease to humans, and every animal I listed poses a threat to human safety when we venture into the woods. I don't get why we are all not ok with wolves being a potential danger more than other animals other than just not liking that they are here at all.

I think it has been stated many times on this site, wolves are killing machines, they thrill kill, as far as I know they are the only animals on the planet that do it. Yes there are bears, cougar and yotes out there when we venture into the woods but they are opportunistic killers when it comes to humans I believe, if we stumble onto them they may attack you to protect their young, a stashed food source etc., Yes I,m sure there are instances of cats hunting down a human but at least you would have a chance to fight your way out of it with a cat. I don't think you would have much of a chance with multiple wolves tracking you down. When my dad was working up in Alaska in his younger years the Eskimos that were friends with my great grandparents would tell stories of wolf attacks, it was the animal they feared most, even more than a Brown bear. They said the thing about wolves was that if you seen one there was 5 more watching you, if you seen one following you there was probably one on each side of you and 3 waiting ahead of you ready to ambush. If I myself had to make a choice, I would enter the woods all day long and take my chances with cougars, bears and coyotes, a growing population of wolves is a whole different deal, you need to go in much more aware and prepared with a whole different mindset....

[wolfbait]

I was speaking to the "fear" factor of wild human interaction. Every animal I listed and many others can transmit disease to humans, and every animal I listed poses a threat to human safety when we venture into the woods. I don't get why we are all not ok with wolves being a potential danger more than other animals other than just not liking that they are here at all.

I think it has been stated many times on this site, wolves are killing machines, they thrill kill, as far as I know they are the only animals on the planet that do it. Yes there are bears, cougar and yotes out there when we venture into the woods but they are opportunistic killers when it comes to humans I believe, if we stumble onto them they may attack you to protect their young, a stashed food source etc., Yes I,m sure there are instances of cats hunting down a human but at least you would have a chance to fight your way out of it with a cat. I don't think you would have much of a chance with multiple wolves tracking you down. When my dad was working up in Alaska in his younger years the Eskimos that were friends with my great grandparents would tell stories of wolf attacks, it was the animal they feared most, even more than a Brown bear. They said the thing about wolves was that if you seen one there was 5 more watching you, if you seen one following you there was probably one on each side of you and 3 waiting ahead of you ready to ambush. If I myself had to make a choice, I would enter the woods all day long and take my chances with cougars, bears and coyotes, a growing population of wolves is a whole different deal, you need to go in much more aware and prepared with a whole different mindset....

And then there's the fact that the wolves haven't been hunted in WA, they don't have the respect for humans that say bears, coyotes or cats do, I'm sure the girl that went tree climbing has a different outlook on pepper spray.

An attack from one wolf you might make it through unarmed, depending on what kind of shape you are in, size etc., two or more wolves highly doubtful.

Read the book, Wolves in Russia: Anxiety Through the Ages, By Will Graves

"This book is a unique review of wolves as experienced in a culture much different than ours in North America. This book summarizes the massive research on wolves, particular those in Russia. The killing of humans by wolves is generally suppressed as reading material. This book documents the fear of Russian people because of the large number of people being killed by wolves. The diseases carried by wolves in another concern. These are explained in this book in detail. The need for control of wolves runs throughout this book. Wolves are not the positive influence in balancing nature as may be thought. Without control there is wide damage to humans, domesticated animals, and wild animals."

https://www.amazon.com/Wolves-Russia-Anxiety-Through-Ages/dp/1550593323

[bigtex]

Little more info on WDFW Officers response to the incident: http://nwsportsmanmag.com/wdfw-wardens-reports-add-details-to-okanogan-wolf-encounter-reaction/

[KFhunter]

Thanks for the link BT 

I've made up my opinion, and that article helped cement it.  Full of contradictions and thought up excuses after the fact. 

I have trouble swallowing this line:
"Trautman’s impetus appears to have also been partially based on his knowledge of the lay of the land and its lack of suitability for landing a helicopter, records show." 
So what qualifications does Trautman have with landing helicopters? I have training on this myself.  How accurately did he know where she was? GPS coords? Obviously he was wrong, the helicopter landed nearby without issue and scared off the wolves.

and this one:
..it was couched as due to the woman’s relative safety in the tree out of immediate danger, and the federally listed status of wolves in that part of Washington. 
What does federally protected status have anything to do with a rescue operation?

another possible contradiction
WDFW states she was near a den, but also states she was at a rendezvous site, so which is it? or is it both a den and a rendezvous site?






IMO..WDFW heard about the woman in a tree they went full wolf PR mode and it went something like this:   (is she safe?  Ok she's safe up in a tree? the wolves can't get to her then good, let's call off the helicopter or the news will be all over this..we can hike in and keep it quiet)

They did not want a helicopter because it would make the news, and give ammo to the anti-wolf people and worse move people off the fence who weren't for or against the wolves yet.  Part of the wolf plan is public acceptance, a public employee (and a woman) up a tree does not help the public acceptance part of the wolf plan. 

[Bob33]

In hindsight they erred by not calling for a helicopter sooner. They've admitted as much. If they had called for a helicopter and it turned out later to be not needed, there would be 30 pages complaining about their poor judgment and the excessive waste of funds they incurred.