Wolf attacks on humans

[444 Dan]

They do kill people!

http://washingtonwolf.info/human_attacks.html

Many other cases reported back in Europe (that's from a pdf that's to large to upload here):

"A historical research was carried out on the presence of the Wolf (Canis lupus L.) and its interactions with man in the Central Po Valley (districts of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Mantua, Milan, Novara, Pavia, Sondrio, Varese and Vercelli, Northern Italy) and in the Ticino Canton of Switzerland, from the 15th to 19th century. The work, supported by documentary evidence collected from the Record Office, concerns documented killings of wolves (about 600 cases) and aggressions against man (440 cases). Past legislation concerning the wolf was also surveyed in order to obtain more information about the historical background. Data is critically analysed to evaluate the relationship between the wolf and the ancient Italian agricultural society with particular focus to man-eating and the circumstances of wolf attacks (victims are mainly children aged 12 or younger). Hypotheses are proposed to explain the possible causes of maneating behaviour in relation to that particular environmental and socio-economic situation."

[Drillbit]

Just because someone like David Suzuki says "there's no documented record of a wolf attack on a human," doesn't mean it's true.

But, the Wolf savers believe it and spread it like wildfire.

[Gumsehwah]

Yeah, define "documented."

Wolves will kill injured or lost young creatures. Its what they are designed to do. That list of "creatures" would include "humans" if the oppertunity arose.

I don't think that makes them particularly "dangerous" to the regular public. However, I would think twice (think MANY times over) about leaving my son alone in wolf country, especially at sundown. A very "bad" idea, and something only a total chowder head would do. My point is that I live in the middle of Wolf country and don't feel any more threatened by them than I do about the bears around.

I don't think we need to machine gun them with helicopters, I think a regular hunting season - no bounty - would keep fairly good control of the situation.

Now everyone knows that the two most dangerous creatures out there are deer and moose (responsible for the most deaths out there). . .

[Philcott]

Just because someone like David Suzuki says "there's no documented record of a wolf attack on a human," doesn't mean it's true.

But, the Wolf savers believe it and spread it like wildfire.

Wolf attack on Vargas Island in 2007

http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?id=1dcce3eb-981f-4f7f-b621-d86820d548eb

[Fella]

I suppose all those old woodsman stories from colonial days about wolves attacking people are complete bullshit?

[Rock Doctor]

These requirements for documentation negate all historical records!

As with rabid wolves, the biologist can say, "There are no `documented' cases of wild healthy wolves attacking humans." In order to be "documented" these unreasonable criteria must be met:

1. The wolf has to be killed, examined and found to be healthy.

2. It must be proven that the wolf was never kept in captivity in its entire life.

3. There must be eyewitnesses to the attack.

4. The person must die from their wounds (bites are generally not considered attacks according to the biologists).

That is a "documented" attack.

Such criteria make it very difficult to document any historical account of a wolf attack on a human!

RD

[BernDawg]

http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/home/news/pdfs/wolfattackfatality.pdf
Summary
At approximately 6:00 p.m. on March 8, 2010 the body of Candice Berner was discovered next to a snow-covered road approximately two miles from the community of Chignik Lake, Alaska. The Alaska Departments of Public Safety (DPS) and Health and Social Services (DHSS) initially investigated the case and determined Ms. Berner’s death was not the result of a criminal act. The DHSS State Medical Examiner asserted that Ms. Berner died from "multiple injuries due to animal mauling." The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and the DPS Alaska State Troopers (AST) then evaluated both the physical evidence and the eyewitness testimony of Chignik Lake residents. The investigators concluded that Ms. Berner was attacked and killed by wolves. A joint action to lethally collect wolves from the immediate area was undertaken by the two departments to address public safety concerns and to investigate biological factors that may have contributed to the attack. Genetic analysis of samples taken from the victim’s clothing and from wolves killed in the lethal removal action positively identified one wolf and implicated others in the attack.

The only missing element is the eye wittness but pretty well documented if you ask me.

[AltaElkhunter]

Numerous documented that I can recall. One in Sask when a guy was jogging and was found fighting off a couple of wolves by a rig crew. Another in Alta by a timber cutter, he held it at bay with a chainsaw, and shot it when it followed him out to the road to his truck. All found to be healthy animals.

[elkdom]

escaped Bears from a Park in Japan KILLED and ATE 2 female Park attendants , in World News headlines today,,,,

I wonder if David Suzuki will provide an EXPERT explanation for these naughty bear's behavior ??

[Fella]

escaped Bears from a Park in Japan KILLED and ATE 2 female Park attendants , in World News headlines today,,,,

I wonder if David Suzuki will provide an EXPERT explanation for these naughty bear's behavior ??

A steady diet of kelp and raw fish?

[The Dude]

A friend of mine was working as a welder in AB years back when his truck broke down. He was 20-30 miles from town, and he was well-dressed for the cold, so he started walking. Along the way (dusk) he noticed two groups of wolves shadowing him from the fields, one on the left, and one on the right. As they got closer it got darker and darker, and he got only glimpses of them, but they were probing his defenses. He was lucky enough to find a creek crossing the river and some big trees in the cut, and climbed one.
He said he spent the whole night in the tree, with the wolves camped out, staring at him all night.
No, he didn't sleep a wink.

[buzz720]

A couple years ago while fishing out by Kitimat, we overhead a distress call on ch 16. A kayaker had decided to camp on the beach and he was attacked by a pack of wolves.

[elkdom]

and it was wolves that "RUINED",,,, Rishu-Pepper's moose hunt,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[Moose Guide]

Father and son, family name Olson

March 7, 1888

New Rockford (http://www.huntingbc.ca/wiki/New_Rockford), North Dakota (http://www.huntingbc.ca/wiki/North_Dakota). The two men started towards a haystack a few yards from the house to shovel a path around the stack when they were surrounded by a pack and devoured alive.[47] (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/#cite_note-QA-46)





Unknown African American, male
1830
Kentucky (http://www.huntingbc.ca/wiki/Kentucky), near the Ohio (http://www.huntingbc.ca/wiki/Ohio) border. While traveling through a heavily forested area, two African Americans were attacked by a pack of wolves. Using their axes, they attempted to fight off the wolves. Both men were knocked to the ground and severely wounded. One man was killed. The other dropped his axe and escaped up a tree. There he spent the night. The next morning the man climbed down from the tree. The bones of his friend lay scattered on the snow. Three wolves lay dead.[47] (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/#cite_note-QA-46)

[Moose Guide]

James Smith
March 4, 1910
near Springfield, MO (http://www.huntingbc.ca/wiki/Springfield,_MO) [51] (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/#cite_note-50). Wolves attacked him whilst he was alone in the woods, waiting for the return of his brother. When the latter returned he found his brother's bones. In the centre of a circle of five dead wolves, was an empty repeating rifle, showing that he had been overpowered before he could reload his weapon.[50] (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/#cite_note-Prohuman-49)

[Moose Guide]

Trapper and two Natives
1922
Ontario (http://www.huntingbc.ca/wiki/Ontario). When a trapper did not return to the post office as promised, two natives were sent to find him. All three were killed by wolves.[28] (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/#cite_note-BO-27)

[Moose Guide]

Ben Cochrum
1922
Manitoba (http://www.huntingbc.ca/wiki/Manitoba). North of Fisher river on Lake Winnipeg (http://www.huntingbc.ca/wiki/Lake_Winnipeg). The victim's bones were found among the remains of 11 wolves. Seven had been shot and four had been clubbed to death. Only after his rifle stock was smashed did the trapper apparently cease to fight and succumb to the wolf pack.[50] (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/#cite_note-Prohuman-49)

[444 Dan]

Another paragraph :

"It has also been possible to identify two very distinct kinds of aggression against man by wolves:

A) When the attacks have dietary motivations:

o They occur in a rather vast territorial range;
o They are occur homogenously in a long period of time, sometimes even many months;
o They occur principally against young people;
o More than one wolf can be involved;
o If the attack is not interrupted, the victim is transported elsewhere and then dismembered;
o If the attack is interrupted, rabies does not occur in the injured victim.

B) When the attacks are committed by rabies infected individuals:

o The attacks are numerous, concentrated in a small territory, with a behaviour which we can call “bite and run”, and occur in a brief period of time;
o Men, women and children are attacked indiscriminately;
o Unmistakeably committed by an isolated individual;
o The attack never concludes with the transportation of the victim elsewhere or the
successive dismemberment. Hydrophobia is diagnosed in the victim and then his/her
death is recorded."

[anglo-saxon]

My first ever hunt in Canada, back in the early 90's, I was "surrounded" by wolves. Sounds more melodromatic than it was. I was moving up a valley in the South Ghost River area (I'd been walking for less than an hour) and heard the wolves either side of me, up on the high ground. First I heard howls, which really put the wind up me initially, and then I heard some "squabbling" among them. I never did see them. It was only heavily treed on the upper slopes with grass and patches of willow on the lower ground. I felt pretty confident with my rifle, but it sure was a distraction to the hunt. After a while I realized that any game would have skidaddled anyway, so I jist stayed alert for the wolves and enjoyed a walk back to the truck.

[hunterdon]

Below is my post which I posted on an earlier thread regarding wolves attacking humans. The thread "Stalked by wolves" one of canuck shooter's better threads. I'm sure many did not see it as I was late to his thread.


I'm a bit of a late comer to this thread. Hey moose guide, interesting that you mentioned about 1930,s Saskatchewan attack. Big Slim here is a story told to me by my older hunting buddy originally from Saskatchewan. He has passed away since. Although there is no official confirmation of this attack, after all this did happen in the 1930,s in Northern Saskatchewan, knowing the man very well, I have no doubt that his story happened as he told it to me. Here's his account.

Back in the 1930,s somewhere in Northern Saskatchewan, his father along with 2 other men were moose hunting in the winter time. Back then, people relied heavily on moose to sustain them through the winter. These 3 men were on the way back from an fruitless hunting trip of several days walk. (no snowmobiles then) They had hunted hard but had to return home as they were hungry, cold and tired. Their food supply was exhausted. They were only several hours walk from home when they came to a large and wide lake which they had to cross in order to make their way home. The problem was the lake was very wide and would take at least an hours walk to cross and it was already getting dark.

The three men apparently had a heated argument about whether to cross the lake and push on home (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/#) through the night. One man was determined to go on. But the other men, including my buddy's father had argued that it was to dangerous to cross at night for fear ofwolves. He argued that a man would silhouette himself out in the open lake and wolves from miles away perhaps walking along the shoreline would easily see him. Wolves could easily overtake a man before he could make it to shore. Anyways they could not agree and one man left to cross the lake on his own, while the other 2 men made camp for the night.

According to his father's account, about a half hour or so after the lone man left, they heard about 3 rifle shots fired in quick succession. They also heard what sounded like yells or screams. They knew exactly what happened. After a quick discussion, they decided that there was nothing that they could do as by the time they could get there it would be just to late to do anything. First thing the next morning they set out on the lake. They found what remained of their partner. The scene was nothing short of horrible. The snow was colored in blood, 2wolves laid dead and only a few body (http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/#) parts (feet inside boots) along with some fragments of clothing were left. Everything else was consumed by the wolves.

So here is my take on wolves attacking humans. Wolves rarely attack humans. However wolves being pack animals are led by one dominate wolf. They hunt as a single unit led by this dominant wolf. I think wolves are like people in the sense that most wolves act normally. But every now and then, just like people, there is a bad wolf. If that pack is led by a bad wolf, then that could be bad news. Also, in hard times when game is scarce and wolves are hungry, a desperate wild animal will do what it has to in order to survive.

[dukester]

we have one documented attack a few winters ago up north(Sask). Mine worked was out for a walk away from camp. he was MIA then DOA. When i hear there has been no documented attacksit floors me because thre has been. grrrrrrr

[Black Lab]

They do kill people!

"A historical research was carried out on the presence of the Wolf (Canis lupus L.) and its interactions with man in the Central Po Valley (districts of Bergamo, Brescia, Como, Mantua, Milan, Novara, Pavia, Sondrio, Varese and Vercelli, Northern Italy) and in the Ticino Canton of Switzerland, from the 15th to 19th century. ." Sounds more like Were Wolves to me. :twisted:

[xcaribooer]

of course they kill people, how many old pioneer trappers and prospectors went off into the woods for the season and were never heard from again, I am sure wolves got their share of those old boys, only a fool or a tree hugger would believe this wouldnt happen.People like us who actually spend time in the wild accept this, those university biologists who spend a summer observing wolves for a paper they have to write are not getting the full picture. I still believe that with "highly educated" types too much education will displace common sence and reasoning.

[steel_ram]

So what? You enter the wilderness on mother natures terms. Wolf attack is an extremely remote possibility compared to other hazards. Accept them or stay home.

[ohno]

Our very own Rockdoctor had a brush with wolves.
They were chasing his kids which he was towing behind a snowmobile. He shot one and hung it in his woodshed and the other came in the night and ate it.

[BernDawg]

we have one documented attack a few winters ago up north(Sask). Mine worked was out for a walk away from camp. he was MIA then DOA. When i hear there has been no documented attacksit floors me because thre has been. grrrrrrr

"First documented case in North America of a healthy wolf killing a human in the wild"

A coroner's jury in Saskatchewan has determined that Ontario university student Kenton Carnegie was killed in a wolf attack.
Carnegie was 22 when he died in November 2005 near Points North Landing, Sask. On a work term for a company at the mining exploration camp, located about 750 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, Carnegie went for a walk and didn't come back.
Searchers later found his body surrounded by wolves.

Read the rest here...
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/story/2007/11/01/wolf-verdict.html

[Moose Guide]

"First documented case in North America of a healthy wolf killing a human in the wild"

A coroner's jury in Saskatchewan has determined that Ontario university student Kenton Carnegie was killed in a wolf attack.
Carnegie was 22 when he died in November 2005 near Points North Landing, Sask. On a work term for a company at the mining exploration camp, located about 750 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon, Carnegie went for a walk and didn't come back.
Searchers later found his body surrounded by wolves.

Read the rest here...
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/story/2007/11/01/wolf-verdict.html

That is just the first one they couldn't cover up, When my relatives were attacked in the 30's they were told "north american wolves don't attack people" by the officials they reported it to! With the info on the net they can't hide it anymore!