Report Wolf Sightings Here - Hunting-Washington Wolf Count 158+

[Boss .300 winmag]

Those aren't wolves, they are sheep in wolves clothing!

On the way to Missoula this summer saw one just like that on the side of I-90 eating on a deer,. just on the MT side of the border.

[saylean]

Fairly certain I found a set of wolf tracks in the colokum when I was elk hunting this past archery season....not 100% sure, but two others in our hunting group saw the same set and thought the same thing...so who knows. Maybe some of the rifle elk/deer hunters will run across some more as well.

[rosscrazyelk]

The Department of Fish and Wildlife would not be planting wolves. No way. I don't believe it. Some private whacko wolf lover groups, maybe. But not the WDFW, whose jobs depend on hunting license fees. I don't think they want the wolves here anymore than we do.

there were some people from this site at the wolf meeting last week and they said the guy doing the pro wolf talking was a board member of  washington fish and game.. I do not like that..

[steen]

October 24 or 25  2009 in unit 162.  After dark in the driving rain it crossed the road in front of us.  We saw it in a clearcut with a flashlight and it gave no indication it was scared of us.  Only 1 spotted, it was near Griffin Peak close to where we were camping at the time.  It was to big to be a coyote and the wrong color.  Darker with less brown but I would say it was a 1 or 2 year old wolf.

[Woodchuck]

The pic I posted is in 162, the other side from where you were.

[sebek556]

Have a retired pastor staying at the Lodge and he saw a black wolf cross the Hunters _ Springdale road yesterday . He does know what a wolf looks like. He said it was very large. Location was a little ways from the summit on the Hunters side.   FYI

saw tracks on the summit last weekend, at least two wolves running together.

[Lowedog]

Really frightening encounter South of Rennie Peak... I overnighted Sunday and was on a solo trip into the Lake Chelan Rec Area...glassed all day in anticipation of the high hunt opener on Thursday and found no deer... at 1 PM I spotted a dead head 4x5 in the bottom of the draw.... found nothing else to look at so finally at about 4 PM I decided to go check it out... had a pretty good rock and a clump of red grass to use as reference when I got down there. I got down in elevation and through the trees... there was my rock and clump of grass, but where was the dead head? I walked around the rock to find a den  ... there was old decaying hide outside it (I never did get to see the dead head up close) and I started to back away when I was startled to see a pair of VERY unhappy wolves about 40 yards from me. Very tense times! After much todo, I got back up the ridge realizing I left my spotting scope up top and that nobody would believe me without photos so I went back to get it and took a few quick photos through the spotting scope as they checked their den I will post later. The wolves (I only always saw 2 at one time but at one point there was one above me and 20 seconds later 2 below me) escorted me about a mile out of the area. I hiked 7+ grueling and tiring miles out this evening partially in need of my headlamp. Heads up to anyone planning on hunting that area for the high hunt... I'd suggest finding another place due to a low deer-to-wolf ratio.  I'll be talking to the bios tomorrow about this encounter... none of the wolves were collared, so follow-up to come.

Sorry if I missed your follow up but am curious how your visit with the bios went. 

[hirshey]

Sorry if I missed your follow up but am curious how your visit with the bios went.

Sorry I forgot to follow up... they went back in two days after my report and said they could not locate the wolves, but did find a lot of sign and scat they collected for DNA analysis, and could tell the wolves had spent a significant amount of time in the vicinity. I never did hear if they found the deer carcass. Also they said what I had thought was a den was probably a marmot hole the wolves had dug out trying for another meal or something; it was about 24 inches across at the entrance but narrowed further in and didn't appear to open up again. That doesn't explain why there was portions of the deer in it, however.  Perhaps they were laying in the cool dirt while enjoying an afternoon snack. I was kind of disappointed it wasn't a den, because I could rationalize their behavior towards me a lot more if they were defending offspring... but they never really did growl at me or get vocal or bare their teeth or try to have large postures.. their heads were low and I could hear them kind of snap their teeth once in a while when they were doing their small charges at me... perhaps I really was seen as prey rather than a threat. 

[NWBREW]

 I could hear them kind of snap their teeth once in a while when they were doing their small charges at me... perhaps I really was seen as prey rather than a threat. 

hirsheygirl, I honestly believe you were looked at as both. Like I said before....I believe you dodged a bullet there. Be carefull when your out there and always carry an equalizer.

[Lowedog]

Thanks for following up!  Pretty amazing and scary sighting you had.  I wonder if there aggressiveness had to do with the deer carcass? 

[bearpaw]

Thanks for following up!  Pretty amazing and scary sighting you had.  I wonder if there aggressiveness had to do with the deer carcass?

That's very possible. What I see as the important issue is that these wolves were making advances at hirshey and threatening her well being. The WDFW tries to downplay the real dangers that wolves pose and this needs to be brought to the commission's attention that wolves are already acting aggressively towards humans in this state.

[jackmaster]

all i can say when a human gets attacked in washington by a wolf which will happen i can guarantee that we as a group need to hammer it all over the news and make damn sure the news is made aware that the supporters of the re-introduction of wolves were made aware that attacks on humans were gonna happen and the wdfw and who ever else that has their dickbeaters in this thing wanted to continue on with it anyways, there is alot of the public that has no idea that this is going on, oh and to the state department you think no-one uses campgrounds now and its hurtn your budget, juat wait until your out posting signs that read, BEWARE OF THE BIG BAD WOLF, THEY LOVE TO PRAY ON HUMANS, and see how many people buy your passes or use your campgrounds.....

[Special T]

I'm not surprised that they down played the evidence Hershey provided... I think it would be a great idea to take a video camera and check up on how honest the WDFW is being... A couple of guys with cameras and guns.  Would be a great way to check the authenticity of the WDFW's desire to document wolves.... Also great ammo to show the commission... 

[sebek556]

  kinda tied up with getting kids tagged out right now but after that I am game for going there and looking around 

[Rufous]

-Year and date of your sighting: 10/15/2011
- GMU (WDFW Game Management Unit): Dayton 162
- Local area where sighted: Robinette Mountain
- Explain how many wolves were seen, or voices howling, or sets of wolf tracks: 1 big black wolf sighted at about 50 yards away
- How many adults, how many pups: 1 adult
- Attach any photos of tracks or wolves   (if you take photos of tracks, lay something on the ground next to the tracks for size comparison)
- Tell us why you think what you saw or heard was wolves: obvious- very large, not a pet, no people nearby, remote location
- Note any other helpful info
- Try to be as factual as possible