this isn't very common in north america, kind of scary
wolf attack

A brutal reminder that humans share the top of the food chain with others. Sad that it happened to someone so well intentioned and dedicated to helping children. Never be so naive as to assume you are always safe around wild things--we are, after all, first and foremost, meat, and secondly, a threat.

yikes.

I know many are worried about bear, but I have always been more worried about a pack of wolves. If they are hungry enough it wouldn't take much to take down one of us. Someone talked about an island last summer with its own pack of wolves. I would not be found on that island. Wolves can get hungry during the summer. calves have grown and are able to keep up with mom for the most part and winter kills are long gone. wolves scare me more than bear. I know they usually stay well away from humans, but as they get habituated to us, that can change.

That is scary - especially considering that I have seen wolves on the Echo Trail when I was running. This is the first case of a wolf attack on a human in North American I have read about that was not from a habituated wolf or had some other cause like cornering etc. Not sure whether it's applicable to Minnesota where the wolves see a lot more people.

Very sad. Glad to read they got one of the wolves. Beautiful animals but as stated, we aren't at the top of the food chain by ourselves. Anyone of us could be the victim in the next news article.

quote Ho Ho: "That is scary - especially considering that I have seen wolves on the Echo Trail when I was running. This is the first case of a wolf attack on a human in North American I have read about that was not from a habituated wolf or had some other cause like cornering etc. Not sure whether it's applicable to Minnesota where the wolves see a lot more people.


"

Ho Ho please don't run when you see a wolf. stop and slowly back away until you lose sight of it. I would assume like an aggressive dog someone running from it can cause a predatory response as mentioned in the article. don't run from wild animals or dogs. please.

Very scary. I've often thought about this while winter camping. The only tracks I ever seem to see in winter are fresh wolf tracks up in the Finland area scanning the forest floor for food. I hope to never encounter one while day tripping from my camp, but I figure it's likely at some point.

The scariest moment involving wolves for me was walking back to our campsite on Wilson Lake from the outhouse, the first night after the area was reopened from the fire this fall. No one else was around, and not more than 100 yards away a pack of wolves started going crazy through the woods. We hurried back to the campsite, stocked the fire with the little wood I had left and jumped in the tent, I calmed my girlfriend (she originally thought someone was in the woods partying & howling...). My pistol remained at my side the rest of the night.

quote serenityseeker: "

quote Ho Ho: "That is scary - especially considering that I have seen wolves on the Echo Trail when I was running. This is the first case of a wolf attack on a human in North American I have read about that was not from a habituated wolf or had some other cause like cornering etc. Not sure whether it's applicable to Minnesota where the wolves see a lot more people.



"

Ho Ho please don't run when you see a wolf. stop and slowly back away until you lose sight of it. I would assume like an aggressive dog someone running from it can cause a predatory response as mentioned in the article. don't run from wild animals or dogs. please. "

Or run with someone slower than you :)

Wolves are the main reason I didn't bring my dog to the Q with me this year. I wonder how effective pepper spray would be?

Yikes! is right.
I am wary about encountering a pack of wolves than a lone black bear or even a lone wolf. The bear is just out for an easy meal (foodpack). The wolf pack is whole different ballgame. The fact that there were only two does surprise. The predatory response. I haven't fretted any over running across only one or two until this. Lord knows, a wolf can get quite large in size and strength.
Another thing worth noting: "At 4-foot-10-inches and 115 pounds, Berner was fit and active." Those 2 wolves sized her up and were confident it would be an easy target.
I bet pepper spray would be effective but one would have to be awfully close to intended target. I mean, a wolf can leap quick and long.
This is not the only documented case although it's rare. Happened many, many years ago. There was crew of oil survey men camped in a remote area of Alaska ???. One of them took a walk along the beachfront of big lake around dusk. He never returned. His crew found remains of bloodied clothes with many wolf tracks around and a body was never recovered. Found less than a mile away from their camp.
That incident has stayed in my head all these years.
Sobering stuff.
Just last year, in Wisconsin, a pack was hunted down and destroyed because a yard dog was mauled and killed by wolves. Them wolves got too close to human settlement and that makes people awfully nervous.

Great, another big bad wolf story. They mention that every wolf within 30 miles was "culled" after the attack.

I live in harmony with a pack of wolves in my area in rural Duluth. I am far more fearful of a thousand other ways to die in the woods than a wolf. Come on! If you're scared of wolves when you are camping you should just stay home and read a book about camping.

Tom

I remember when that happened - spring of 2010. Scary. Just because the thought of being attacked by wolves is scary doesn't mean my rational brain thinks it's likely to happen to me. I think I would be able to NOT run away, but you never know until it happens to you. I've not ever been afraid of wolves while traveling in the BWCA, but that might change if I were solo and they were nearby...

A solemn reminder that wolves are wild animals. Truth is we are all far more likely to win the lottery than be involved in an incident like this.

While at my cabin which is in the Superior National Forest about 7 miles northeast of Isabella off the Wanless road (just south of the Isabella Lake entry point, I had a wolf come with in 50 feet of the cabin and just hang out for an hour or so. It eventually went back into the forest and I thought nothing more about it. Then when I started to go for a walk down a trail it was on the trail looking at me, I just walked back to the cabin and decided not to go for the walk. I had to head home the next day so I don't know if it hung around or left. It was during the latter time of Pagami fire in late September.

It was frightening to know that it was not the least bit afraid of me, and I figured that if there was one, there were probably more close by. That night, I didn't go outside.

I live in Colorado and frequently hike in areas where there are mountain lion, (and they have attacked people here) so I carry a 357 mag. handgun when backpacking in their territory. I may do that in the SNF if I come across more wolves that are not afraid of humans.

I forgot to say in my earlier note, that it was the next day that I started out for my hike, so the wolf had been hanging around the cabin area all night and was still there the next day. Like I said, it was very frightening for it to just look at me and not show the least bit of being scared of humans.

Last week a woman in our city went to break up a fight between her two dogs, and suffered a seizure. The two dogs then turned on her. She died yesterday. Should we "cull" all the dogs within a 15 mile radius?

Northern Minnesota is the only area within the lower 48 where the Timber Wolf wasn't wiped out. How many wolf on human attacks have been documented in Northern Minnesota? None that I ever heard of.

Now consider how many people have been killed by encounter's with deer?

All I am trying to say is that when you walk in the wood's, there are dangers. But you have a higher danger of being killed by a mosquito by far, then any danger from a wolf.

If your wolf is hanging around your cabin, it's far more likely looking for a handout then it is stalking you. Somebody has probably been feeding it.

quote misqua: "I forgot to say in my earlier note, that it was the next day that I started out for my hike, so the wolf had been hanging around the cabin area all night and was still there the next day. Like I said, it was very frightening for it to just look at me and not show the least bit of being scared of humans.
"

I may have seen that wolf, or at least one of the members of the resident pack last summer misqua. It was crossing Wanless road just east of Delay Lake, and it stopped to look at me on a logging trail. It was huge and looked fearless.

neat, i should dig up more scary stories. soon i will have the whole BWCA to myself. people go to yellowstone to watch the wolves, they can see them there because it is quite open. the forests of minnesota are very dense, an animal may be twenty feet from you and you may not be aware of its presence. i had a black lab who loved to roam in the woods when we hiked the angleworm trail. she would always remain within fifty feet of us. one morning she let out a really chilling yip, i don't know who she met but after that encounter she would never leave my side in the woods again. i suppose wolves have been watching me in the woods for forty years now, i am not going to start being afraid of them because of one freakish attack.

The wolves were hungry and acted on an opportunity, as will all animals.

Heard several packs in the Q over the years. The most recent was 2010 and definitely a very large pack. My guess was at least a dozen to 15. They were fearless, as you would expect. They hunted evenings (before dark) as well as most all night. Regularly came within 100 yds of camp. They howled us to sleep every night.

I certainly became more wary and thoughtful. I had children age 10 and 11 along (with other adults), so we had a candid conversation about being in groups, not straying from camp, and being more aware of things around us.

Nothing serious happened. But I can tell you for sure that anyone who does not respect the power, speed and cunning of a 100 plus pound predator is a fool. Specially when a large pack is around. If they can take down a half-ton moose, you can be sure they are going to "size you up" and decide if you are worth the effort.

Fear is not a bad thing. Irrational fear is the problem. I am not afraid to drive a car because I might die in an accident. But I still wear a seat belt, drive at reasonable speeds and stay alert to other drivers around me.

Seems a pack of wolves deserve the same approach.

OK - all you macho guys can all me a 'wus. But that's my story and I'm stickin' to it!

Old Hoosier

I wonder if this poor woman's diminutive size (4'-10", 115 lbs) had anything to do with this. Here's a Link regarding attacks on Russian children.

Well said Old Hoosier!

quote rharjes: "Well said Old Hoosier!"

+1

quote BWPaddler: "

quote rharjes: "Well said Old Hoosier!"

+1"

+2

I think the threat is real, however slight. It's just part of the risk we take, traveling where we do... And for some of us living where we do. I feel safer here than in the cities. Especially in some neighborhoods in North Mpls I felt like I had a target on me while working on a roof... I did chimney repair and masonry work. Back in '74 I managed a Clark Station on 27th and Hennipen, I got robbed by a guy with a shotgun. Also had an employee get beat and stabbed. I feel as safe in the bush as at home and maybe safer than the cities.

The rarity of this wolf attack is off the scale. That said, those wolves and their entire pack, should be destroyed, as wolves are extremely intelligent animals and may very well target humans again, just as grizzlies have been known to do.

I've seen many wolves in the wild, some at very close range, and they have all quickly disappeared when they detected me. That is how we want wolves to behave, and it is in their best interest that they remain that way.

quote Freddy: "A solemn reminder that wolves are wild animals. Truth is we are all far more likely to win the lottery than be involved in an incident like this."

I like your post, Freddy. As for Lotto, I sure could use some $$$ to buy a cabin in Northern Minnesota. ;-)
Like Old Hoosier post too. It rings so clear when common sense and wisdom come together.
Can't help but to love beauty and uniqueness of the wolf. No scary account is going to stop me from my BWCA fix. Nope.

Following a hot trail I walked into a rendezvous site on Isle Royale when I worked with the Wolf Project many years ago. Adults scattered behind tag alder and howled leaving two very confused pups wondering what was going on and what sort of creature this was standing before them. Didn't feel any threat or danger whatsoever.

Also while intentionally tracking and determining where den and rendezvous sites were on the Island I never felt threatened in any way. The wolves were very elusive and shy.

What happened to that young lady was indeed a tragedy but extremely rare.

In the Bdub and Q I am more frightened of a Cow moose with calves or a bull in the rut. And if I was in cougar country I would be very concerned about an ambush.

Good post Woodsandwater!

I fear lightning more than anything. But don't forget, cougars have recently been spotted in the Boundary Waters. With the burgeoning deer population, I would not doubt they begin breeding and establish a population there.

I agree with the points everyone makes that wolf attacks are EXTREMELY rare - even though they are around us all the time up here. So fearing them is not rational, given all the other dangers that are much greater that we confront all the time, like driving on snowy roads or any freeway.

At the same time, I do go running regularly in an area where there are several active wolf packs - in fact I just saw three wolves out on the lake ice yesterday. I have also encountered a lone wolf while I was running; however, it skedaddled when it saw me the first time, and when I encountered it elsewhere along the road on the way back, it hightailed it even faster. But another time when driving on the road here, a wolf just stood in the road as we drove right up to it, then slowly made it's way around the car within a few feet of us, and was not bothered when I got out and yelled at it when it was a little further down the road. That made me a little concerned, kind of like misqua's story. Of course if I encountered a wolf that acted like that when I was running, I'd stop running and do everything in my power to look like something other than prey. But in the article about the Alaska attack they note that wolf packs will sneak up. Is it remotely likely? No. But the sense that this is just something I don't have to have any concern about is gone.

quote Ho Ho: "I agree with the points everyone makes that wolf attacks are EXTREMELY rare - even though they are around us all the time up here. So fearing them is not rational "

+1 Fear of wolves and bears is overblown.

Wolves that are in the wild are not the issue, of course they are shy, and are easily scared off. What is starting to become more of a problem, at least in the U.P., is that the wolf numbers have exploded in the last 20 years. Because of this, pack territories are starting to include some of the smaller towns and villages. These wolves, from pup to adult, have been around people enough to not be scared. They are taking dogs out of back yards, so it is just a matter of time, before there is a real tragedy with a small child. I love seeing wolves in the wild, they are beautiful animals. But not so much in the back yard.

Here in northern Minnesota wolves have been attacking dogs for decades, something that is always in the back of my mind, as my dog is outside most of the time. Our neighbors a few miles away lost a dog to wolves. I guess that's a risk we take.

The wolf population in Minnesota is estimated to be at around 3,200 animals -- more than every other state in the lower 48 combined. This isn't a good or bad thing. It just reflects a wild landscape and a deer population of around a million animals.

I always have to scratch my head when I hear people saying that wolves are threatened or endangered in Minnesota when their numbers are probably higher now in the northern part of the state than they were in pre-settlement days.

Yes sometimes you have to have a little caution,but I am much more worried about the two legged species called human,they are unpredictable.

quote TomT: "Wolves are the main reason I didn't bring my dog to the Q with me this year. I wonder how effective pepper spray would be?"

A biker friend of mine would get chased and sometimes bit by a dog when she drove by a nearby house. On one occasion she used pepper spray and the dog ran away howling and never chased her again.
I suspect if you could deliver an accurate shot, that bear spray might be very effective against a wolf.

That pepper spray is good stuff.

Jess Edberg of the International Wolf Center provided a link to the actual report from Alaska Fish & Game on this incident. The report seems consistent with the newspaper article that started this thread, although of course more detailed.

I also found this this Wolf Safety Brochure from Alaska Fish & Game interesting. It does list pepper spray ("bear spray") as something to use in the rare case of wolf aggression toward people.

quote Ho Ho: "I agree with the points everyone makes that wolf attacks are EXTREMELY rare - even though they are around us all the time up here. So fearing them is not rational, given all the other dangers that are much greater that we confront all the time, like driving on snowy roads or any freeway.

At the same time, I do go running regularly in an area where there are several active wolf packs - in fact I just saw three wolves out on the lake ice yesterday. I have also encountered a lone wolf while I was running; however, it skedaddled when it saw me the first time, and when I encountered it elsewhere along the road on the way back, it hightailed it even faster. But another time when driving on the road here, a wolf just stood in the road as we drove right up to it, then slowly made it's way around the car within a few feet of us, and was not bothered when I got out and yelled at it when it was a little further down the road. That made me a little concerned, kind of like misqua's story. Of course if I encountered a wolf that acted like that when I was running, I'd stop running and do everything in my power to look like something other than prey. But in the article about the Alaska attack they note that wolf packs will sneak up. Is it remotely likely? No. But the sense that this is just something I don't have to have any concern about is gone.

"

I had a further email exchange with Jess Edberg at the International Wolf Center about the wolf encounters mentioned above, which I described to her in more detail. I also asked her whether the Pagami fire had affected wolf distribution and behavior in our area. I thought people might be interested in her response -

Hi Bill,

I would not consider the encounters to be unusual. Wolves and other wildlife tend to become very accustomed to road traffic in their territories and become savvy users of that means of travel. For a wolf to disregard your vehicle and simply step off the road and wait for you to pass is fairly common behavior – most of us just don’t see the wolf before it gets off the road!

Wolves are curious animals that are interested in what goes on in their territory or in new places that they travel. Fall is a time when a lot of movement is seen with wolves. It is often a time of dispersal and keeping to areas such as roads that offer more visibility and safety from other wolves is beneficial to the wolves out on their own.

The fire did likely displace wolves and other wildlife during the most intense times but, based on the area research on wolves and anecdotal evidence, wildlife has moved back into those areas.

Jess

I wonder if many Alaskan residents might have become complacent over time. On my trip, last summer, through Yukon Territory to Alaska, all of the Visitor Centers played up the dangers and had me very apprehensive about possible predator encounters. I always had bear spray with me with fishing or exploring.
Jogging is an activity that can trigger predator responses. I think that I would, at the very least, carry bear spray while jogging outside of town, in Alaska.
Carrying pepper spray might even be a good idea in a city. Nary a month goes by that I don't read or hear about pit bull or other dog attacks.

I don't know any percentages, but it seems that often an article about predatory attacks by wolves, cougars and even coyotes involves a person jogging, running or riding a bicycle. A mountain bike has a profile enough like a deer to trigger ambush by acougar.

I never worry about predator attacks, but in the wild I'm always aware of the remote possibility.

Just for some perspective, I got this from Wikipedia.

It is estimated that two percent of the US population, 4.7 million people, are bitten by dogs each year.[3] In the 1980s and 1990s the US averaged 17 fatalities per year, while in the 2000s this has increased to 26.

In 2010 there were 34 fatal dog attacks in the USA.

Sure, there are lots more dogs than wolves, but they both carry some risks and many of the same characteristics. I feel safer in the wild than in town.

Never had a problem with wolves in the BWCA, but started carrying pepper spray while on walks in my local Forest Preserve. I was confronted by two large, loose dogs while hiking there one day.

quote OBX2Kayak: "

quote Ho Ho: "I agree with the points everyone makes that wolf attacks are EXTREMELY rare - even though they are around us all the time up here. So fearing them is not rational "

+1 Fear of wolves and bears is overblown."

My buddy and I had a wolf tromp right through our campsite on Isle Royale last june. It was a lone wolf, and had no interest in checking us out...which was good, cause I had just come in from a swim on Desser lake. I was dripping wet in my shorts when the wolf came by. The wind was blowing off the lake, and Im sure he didnt smell us. We were the only ones in the campgound that night. The wolf encounter mad every sound in the woods VERY interesting =P

http://elyecho.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=11726&SectionID=16&SubSectionID=33

Story in current Ely Echo of a pack chasing an Ely woman.
The house from which the photo was taken is only about two miles from Ely. I was chased by a wolf about ten years ago on the ice of a lake in the area, too. I, too, outran the wolf, but in my case I got help from my ATV upon which I sat.

Wow. They meant to engage in some serious business. Watch it, Ho Ho! And.......anyone else jogging.

Yesterday afternoon on County Road 88 near the junction of Highway 169 west of Ely I was driving along when a large healthy looking whitetail doe bounded across the road in front of my car. I slowed down expecting more deer to be running up the steep ditch behind her. What did appear was not another deer but a wolf. It stopped on the shoulder even with me as I slowed. It didn't look at me. It was desperately trying to see around the car to where the prey it was pursuing went. The lighting was perfect on his/her white and gray face for a photo if it would have stayed still. It didn't and I watched it bound across the road through the rear window marveling at how big it was.

Since early November my beagle Freddie and I have been living less than a mile from the chasing incident on Shagawa that burntsider linked. I had not been concerned about wolves even though I hear them every night and see their tracks in the yard and along the road I walk...until reading that article. Freddie is an aggressive dog and hopefully will scare them away if they come after me.

I guess a wolf encounter for me would complete a year filled with strange experiences in this area. The Pagami Creek fire evacuation. A bear sneaking up behind Freddie in a campsite on mile island in Fall Lake and actually catching walleyes on Pipestone bay last spring.

I am going to keep carrying bug spray and Hendrick's gin in the Q. I am saving my pepper spray for the office.

gin works as a repellant, i am certain i have repelled more than a few fair creatures after a couple of gin and tonics. when gin won't do the job i can count on my pocket beast, a chihuahua / rat terrier. she does a magnificent job of transforming into 12 lbs of hellfire. it's not a very pleasant sight.

quote burntsider: "http://elyecho.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=11726&SectionID=16&SubSectionID=33


Story in current Ely Echo of a pack chasing an Ely woman.
The house from which the photo was taken is only about two miles from Ely. I was chased by a wolf about ten years ago on the ice of a lake in the area, too. I, too, outran the wolf, but in my case I got help from my ATV upon which I sat."

this is not good news. Be careful Ho Ho and anyone else walking/hiking alone up there. I'm buying some bear spray before I come back to visit. Yikes. and my dog is staying home.

quote jwartman59: "gin works as a repellant, i am certain i have repelled more than a few fair creatures after a couple of gin and tonics. when gin won't do the job i can count on my pocket beast, a chihuahua / rat terrier. she does a magnificent job of transforming into 12 lbs of hellfire. it's not a very pleasant sight. "

LOL

quote burntsider: "http://elyecho.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=11726&SectionID=16&SubSectionID=33

I noticed this interesting line from the article and kinda chuckled


"I remember a time when you seldom saw a wolf, and if you did they would quickly dart into the brush or woods and be out of sight in seconds. They seem to have become emboldened since they have several teams of high priced attorneys on retainer in the cities protecting their rights. "

That is true, however, it would only take once.

quote burntsider: "http://elyecho.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=11726&SectionID=16&SubSectionID=33

Story in current Ely Echo of a pack chasing an Ely woman.
The house from which the photo was taken is only about two miles from Ely. I was chased by a wolf about ten years ago on the ice of a lake in the area, too. I, too, outran the wolf, but in my case I got help from my ATV upon which I sat."

Yeah, that was not a chase instinct, as the woman was not running or jogging. Walking or stopped to take a picture as the wolves decided she was prey. Lucky she made it back up to her home to leave them outside wondering what they missed out on for dinner. Interesting - is hunting particularly hard for them this year or did they mistake her for a deer?

quote BWPaddler: "

quote burntsider: "http://elyecho.com/main.asp?FromHome=1&TypeID=1&ArticleID=11726&SectionID=16&SubSectionID=33


Story in current Ely Echo of a pack chasing an Ely woman.
The house from which the photo was taken is only about two miles from Ely. I was chased by a wolf about ten years ago on the ice of a lake in the area, too. I, too, outran the wolf, but in my case I got help from my ATV upon which I sat."

Yeah, that was not a chase instinct, as the woman was not running or jogging. Walking or stopped to take a picture as the wolves decided she was prey. Lucky she made it back up to her home to leave them outside wondering what they missed out on for dinner. Interesting - is hunting particularly hard for them this year or did they mistake her for a deer?"

Let's not make any assumptions about the intent of those particular wolves.

The lady made it back to her house, so we will never know whether the wolves saw her as prey. There is only one way to find out..........and I've got a brother-in-law that I would be willing to volunteer!! ;-)

I agree that you can't make assumptions about what the wolves were doing - especially based on this multiple hearsay account. One thing I would say is that from everything I have read recently, when wolves do run at you, the last thing you should do is run away, as this woman did. Maybe she wasn't running before the wolves headed for her, but she certainly encouraged a chase by running away. Of course, if your door was right there, maybe it would make sense to make a dash. But from the story, it sounds like she had to run a distance. If the wolves were really trying, I find it hard to believe they would not have caught up. But they stopped. Not sure what to think, except this is not like the incident in Alaska.

Only the wolf knew what it was thinking.

Bear story back about 1969. My brother was fishing brook trout about a mile of the Echo trail from shore by himself in the evening before dark. He caught a couple of trout and had them by shore,he looks behind him and maybe 15-25 yards away stands this black bear. Well my brother decides to leave and grabs his fish,just went a little ways and here comes this bear,well he threw the fish to the bear. Well my brother kept going(at this time to get to the lake you had to cut cross country over a rock ridge)and the bear kept following him. By this time lets just say he was getting worried. When my brother stopped the bear would stop. My brother threw a rock off to the side and the bear stands on its hind legs. Well when my brother got about 50 yards from the parking lot and echo trail the bear turned around.All this time the bear showed no aggression but just wanted to tag along.

Only the bear knew what he was thinking.(I bet that bear had stories he told his kids)

Note: My brother shortly after bought a pistol he carried for a while when going fishing.Now he does not carry it any more.

Sad story for the girl and her family.

As for wolves or bears in the Q.(never seen either one yet) Moose yes many times,but I'm more worried about a tree falling on me in my sleep when it's storming. ( I commonly lay awake long into a storm when sleeping under my canoe or tent)
Not that it happens often either. The lure of danger is part of why we travel to places such as quetico is it not? For the sense of adventure. To live the books we read or the stories we heard or watched as kids. Some sort of adventure. I may sound weird for saying. But if my time was up while I was in the northland. Enjoying nature. Then so be it. I'd rather be taken out by some random natural act than cancer.

Now on another note I carry a really big knife. And if I was lucky enough to win the lottery or be attacked by a wolf. It would atleast remember me lol. Or I'd be rich..........I'm often not very lucky though =P

True all on the assumption piece, my bad. Glad she didn't have to find out.

Yes if you think there is a threat take precautions.In comparison tho, how many humans killing humans each day. If a four legged animal did as much in one year as we do to each other in a couple of hours there would be a uproar.

I think a controlled managed wolf season which is due, will maybe get rid of some of the tameness that is more frequent in recent years.

One thing mentioned above,is nobody wants to take the wild out of the wild. That is very true, that's what is appealing about the area.

Naguethey - me too.

Carry a very large bowie knife when up North.

I am absolutely sure I would lose a fight with a bear if he really wanted me, but I might be able to convince him that I am not worth the trouble.

I carry a loud compressed air horn to scare them off. The knife is "Plan B."

(There ain't no Plan C)

Old Hoosier

Bears can be a nuisance when they become habituated by we humans. There are lots of stories about folks feeding bears, stories of begging bears, etc. Yards full of bird feeders, easy access to garbage cans, and even people who feed them on purpose, because they are so "cute." Eventually, a habituated bear becomes a problem bear.

I wonder, in areas with wolves, if the same types of behavior's occur. This may account for why the wolves would be so emboldened to hang around houses and cabins, and come running when they see a human. They may see us as a meal ticket, not particularly as a meal.

After all, isn't that how we acquired the first "dog's". All the dogs we know today, came from the wolf who was lured to our campsites.

I don't want to carry a firearm in the BWCA or anywhere else. So I was looking for an alternative that wouldn't impart injury but would be effective. Unfortunately, my search ended in frustration as I found the perfect defense I believe would work: SA-8 PepperBall Launcher. Only sold to law enforcement/security personnel.

Two years ago in early December I was skate skiing on South Hegman when I saw 4 wolves crossing the lake about a half mile away. When one of them caught site of my movement they all turned towards me (I was downwind) and began to trot towards me, spreading out as they moved. I stopped skating and watched - I assumed that the somewhat unusual method of travel made it difficult to recognize what I was. When they got within 50 yards or so the wind shifted, once they caught my scent they changed direction an moved away from me at a much quicker rate of speed. I saw that group three more times on that outting, each time they moved away from me. I spend lots of time alone relatively deep in the woods in the winter, and come across wolves with some regularity. I have never felt threatened. My guess is that the wolves in the article moved to the woman in order to identify what kind of creature she was. Not easy to tell what is moving on the ice at distance.

I have never heard of or seen any home or cabin owner purposefully feeding bears or wolves in Minnesota. (Except for during hunting season or at Vince Shute’s) I’m also pretty sure the vast majority living within bear and wolf country know the risks of having bird feeders, leaving out pet food, and putting out the trash on trash day. In my first summer of owning a place in bear (and wolf) country, I learned that even a compost pile of leaves and cut grass is attractive to bears.

I also highly doubt that grey wolves have changed their behavior to scavenge for human "leftovers".

quote Banksiana: "Two years ago in early December I was skate skiing on South Hegman when I saw 4 wolves crossing the lake about a half mile away. When one of them caught site of my movement they all turned towards me (I was downwind) and began to trot towards me, spreading out as they moved. I stopped skating and watched - I assumed that the somewhat unusual method of travel made it difficult to recognize what I was. When they got within 50 yards or so the wind shifted, once they caught my scent they changed direction an moved away from me at a much quicker rate of speed. I saw that group three more times on that outting, each time they moved away from me. I spend lots of time alone relatively deep in the woods in the winter, and come across wolves with some regularity. I have never felt threatened. My guess is that the wolves in the article moved to the woman in order to identify what kind of creature she was. Not easy to tell what is moving on the ice at distance."

I think that is a good analysis. Thanks!

If you ask me once they are in your cross-hairs they look an awful lot like a coyote...;)

Near Brule this summer...

That is an incredible once in a lifetime pic.

quote inspector13: "
I have never heard of or seen any home or cabin owner purposefully feeding bears or wolves in Minnesota. (Except for during hunting season or at Vince Shute’s) I’m also pretty sure the vast majority living within bear and wolf country know the risks of having bird feeders, leaving out pet food, and putting out the trash on trash day. In my first summer of owning a place in bear (and wolf) country, I learned that even a compost pile of leaves and cut grass is attractive to bears.


I also highly doubt that grey wolves have changed their behavior to scavenge for human "leftovers".


"

http://www.wolf.org/wolves/learn/basic/wolves_humans/pdf/wh_close_for_comfort.pdf

Above is a link to an online article produced by the International Wolf Center in Ely, outlining the problem of habituated wolves. Included is a reference to a woman living near Ely that was feeding wolves. The wolves became "habituated" and when the woman left the area on business, the wolves began hanging around the neighbor's houses. It appears that grey wolves will indeed scavenge for human leftovers.

I'm sure that you and your neighbors are responsible, but there are hundreds of summer residents, and thousands of visitors in and around the arrowhead area every year, and I would bet that there's a portion of those "tourist" folks that are feeding the wildlife, which includes the wolves.