A very good family friend of ours told us stories of how he was part of a group (not sure what group or organization) that released wolves in the cascade mountains around 1995. Unfortunatley he passed away about 15 years ago. He said he was their and was physicly handling the crates and was there through the release as well. I dont recall exactly how much he said they released but i vaigly remember that it was 4 or 5 wolves. 3 were black. I was a kid when he told us the stories so obviously i didnt think much of it other than that it was super cool. He was an avid hunter as well. It seamed like the wold topic was abit more acceptable with some hunters back then.
One story I can tell.
One day I was hunting a pretty remote mountain.
Early 90's. I was pretty young. Walk all day kinda guy.
Go all day ,without food or water.Walk till your feet are blisters.
Climbed this mountain, probably 3/4 way to the top.
Then I circled the mountain at about the same elevation,came up over the top and back around to ground zero where I started.
This took me all day till the afternoon. I was taking a break.
So this very old man,using his lever action for a walking stick.
He had walked the same face I had climbed at first light. He sits down out of breath. Next to a huge bull pine pulls out a sandwich and a soda pop. I walk down there sit with him for a few minutes.
I remember it like this ,cause it was late afternoon. I was starving and thirsty at this point. But I never ask for food or drink,of course he doesn't offer.
He did proceed to tell me about these "wild dogs" in the area.
Shoot them on site,don't hesitate he says,just kill them.
Don't drag them out,kill em and leave em he said.
I try to talk at him about deer hunting and other game animals in the area. He just keeps going off about these wild dogs.
Never said wolf,never said coyote, just wild dogs that had been released in the area. So I'm thinking crazy old man.
I was so hungry and thirsty at this point. I was like I'll head down.
I remember thinking to my self,as I left the old timer ,him sitting there under that tree with his lever action. Hope he makes down ok.
Other thought was he probably didn't have to many more trips up the mountain left in him. Since he was using his rifle as a walking stick.
No other hunters,nobody up there that day except him and I.
Which was pretty normal for that area.
Fast forward a few days later....
I was on a different mountain,but only a few miles from the old man encounter. I see a very large dog going down a ridge. Maybe 3 or 400 yards away . Flat cooking hauling balls.
So I remember what the old man had said. Pulled up my rifle was gonna just take a pop shot at it. I watched it in the scope go into a patch of trees,then see it go over the ridge. And never got a shot off.
I thought ,I guess that old man wasn't crazy.
These areas don't have any houses, definitely not a house dog,or coyote. But I can't say for sure it was a wolf.
Everything happened so quick.
Just a story,this looked like a good place to share.
