Curiosity killed the Wolf i

We glassed a group of stone sheep just long enough to determine the lead ram deserved a closer look. It's mid afternoon with another 15 km day behind us, I opted to head back down and set up camp while my son shouldered a pack we hastily put together to scramble the 1200 verticle feet to the ridge for a closer look.

We'd literally dumped my pack out on the ground to build a light pack with only a minimal amount of gear and a single rifle. Only 8 weeks after knee surgery and pushing 60 I was beginning to feel the wear and tear of several days of heavy packs and multiple peaks and valleys.

The bowl where we dropped our gear was a perfect circle of long grass 200 yards across. The valley dead ended here, steep ridges rose right behind the fringe of trees ringing this little circle.

I flattened the tent out and had just popped in the ridge pole when I heard a yip in the trees to my right, I knew the sound, a wolf hiding in the dark timber. Another yip, straight out in front, then one howled in the creek bottom to my left at about 150 yards. The count is three and covering a third of the circle.

We'd seen grizzlies and with this in mind my 300 Tikka lay in the grass with a round in the pipe. With the wolf count rising I turned to pick up my rifle. When I looked out over the creek straight behind me two more were trotting out from the trees. They stopped, looked at me then continued in my direction. I dropped down into the grass, rolled over, picked up the 300 and sat up. They had stopped at about 80 yards and were looking my way. As soon as I sat up the bigger of the two was on the move again. The second waited a second to long, and dropped where it stood. The gun shot stopped the other at 70 yards.

We'd gutted my pack earlier as we were both planning on climbing up to look at the band of rams. Every bullet in my pack as well as my clip were in my sons pack. As the first wolf fell I instinctively chambered another round, I could feel and hear the sound of the bolt closing on an empty chamber. The second wolf looked at me from 80 yards and milled around its dead pack mate. Again I dropped to the ground and tore open the pockets on my sons pack until two rounds spilled out into the grass. Lying on my back in the grass I chambered a round, pocketed the second and sat up. The other wolf had retreated to just inside the tree edge at 125. I quickly scanned the circle, to my right a large grey trotted out of the creek bottom headed straight at me, I put the cross hairs on it, waiting, it turned into the trees at 100 yards out. I looked to my left, the other was gone.

15 yards from where my tent sat was the only climbable tree available to me. I grabbed a flash light and a bottle of water and moved over to the tree. 180 degrees from where the dead wolf lay another trotted along just inside the tree edge. I waited, inside 75 yards I'd chance a shot, with only two rounds they'd need to be closer.

45 minutes later my son walked into camp, as soon as we spoke I saw them leave, soundlessly sneaking off through the trees. I saw the big grey one stop in a clearing and look my way, almost long enough for a parting shot, then it was gone.

I've been hiking and hunting for over 45 years now, been frighteningly close to grizzlies, charged twice by black bears, and this is the first time I've had to shoot an animal because I felt that I had no other option. I expected when the day arrived, it would be a bear that forced my hand, I never expected this.

Were they hunting? Or was it curiosity that killed the wolf?

Thats quite the experience, thanks for sharing! Glad you made it out unharmed!

Wolves are always hunting

A buddy of mine had a similar story down in the Southern Western mountains. While they were hiking, he and his hiking buddy got surrounded by a pack of 9 where the trail pinched down. Luckily, you can carry your handgun in the wilderness [please Canada please] and he dropped 2 of them before the pack decided to disperse. When he got down off the trail, the shop owner below said, "Oh yeah, there is a pack up there that has been causing some problems and everyone knows to stay clear".

Thank youfor the story, and well told

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Originally Posted by bc7mm

... Were they hunting? Or was it curiosity that killed the wolf?

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You were being contemplated as their next meal my Friend!!
Good on ya keeping a level head, and collecting at least a little more ammo!

Living in the Arctic as long as we did, I can testify personally that the tales about wolves being not so aggressive towards us Two-Legs ranks right up there with Goldilocks. Been the object of interest a few times myself. Spooky when it occurs.

Happy you made it out safely, and loved hearing this one in person Buddy! ;)

Cheers!
Matt

BC7, Wow, what a great story. I'm glad that you both came out safe and sound and I'm happy to hear that there are a couple less woles around....

That is awesome, glad you got out ok and nuked one..

Im more curious as to why youd carry a rifle with the magazine not only not in the rifle, but in a back pack, and its not even your own. You've been charged and had frighteningly close encounters in your time yet over a few ounces are handicapping yourself with a single shot!?

Well done man.....and yea I would say they were at the very least interested in a test bite lol....good on ya!!!

Take a read of this. It's an paper by Valerius Geist on the myth of the friendly wolf in North America. You were being pushed to see if they could get you moving and provide them a quick bite :). Geist is a retired wildlife professor from Alberta. Good read on wolves and what makes them tick.

http://www.vargfakta.se/wp-content/u...umans-pt-1.pdf

Thanks for the link, a very good read.

Congrats and thanks for the helpful management on preds !

Glad to hear you're not wolf poop! Stories like this make me feel better about the minor weight penalty of more ammo!!

No I do not think they were hunting you but more of a curiosity issue. I have had them doing this on more than one occasion. What was the one you shot, young, old, male, female.
How did the rest of your hunt go did you find a ram.

I don't think it was curiosity that killed the wolf. I'd say it was your bullet.

Might have saved your hide.

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Originally Posted by LBM

No I do not think they were hunting you but more of a curiosity issue.

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Read the link above in post #11 and you may gain a alternate understanding of the behaviors they were showing.....well worth the read...

No sheep, looked at lots, 3 were very close. The last morning we were waiting on a ridge when they stood up out of their beds at 30 yards. The largest looked really close, but just couldn't get an accurate count, and it wouldn't turn so we could check for full curl. We watched them walk off single file. Amazing trip.

I must say this is one of the most interesting reads ever on HBC

Nice work!!
I had a very similar experience once, I dont talk of it, because I doubt people would believe me. Taking out the Alfa male, can make a pack go crazy. In my situation, there's no doubt in my mind, that they were hunting me.

Glad it all ended well.

Cheers!!

I've heard a few too many stories from friends and co workers about being caught with only the 3 rounds in the rifle and 6-8 wolves around them. or in one case, a single round in the tube and 6 wolves. yikes! I may be over thinking it but theres a box of 20 in my pack at all times.

Yup, a mistake I won't make again. Tired, complacent, need to pay attention out there.

We shoot identical rifles, and identical loads, so when we hastily put a pack together we mistakenly took the second clip.

I rarely post anymore, but thought there were a few things here worth passing along.

An important learning here is be wary of the vocal wolves, but watch behind you, the ones that broke cover never made a sound and came from the opposite direction. I was looking in the direction of the ones I could hear. It was only because my rifle was behind me that I noticed the ones out in the open.

Safe travels everyone.

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Originally Posted by Treed

Take a read of this. It's an paper by Valerius Geist on the myth of the friendly wolf in North America. You were being pushed to see if they could get you moving and provide them a quick bite :). Geist is a retired wildlife professor from Alberta. Good read on wolves and what makes them tick.

http://www.vargfakta.se/wp-content/u...umans-pt-1.pdf

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I found this extremely interesting; especially his interpretation of scientific 'peer review' where scientists of differing opinions can be ridiculed by the mainstream and evidence that is accurate but not gathered by approved scientific means by approved scientists can be discounted regardless of its validity. In this case science is no longer reliable for accurate information.

Valerius Geist is calling into question everything he knew about wolves as an accredited biologist, respected by his peers. It is notable that in his retirement where he no longer relies on the support of his 'peers' he can make objective observations without fear of reprisal. Politics in science? Say it isn't so!