Safety first. This author seems a bit...
Scary article. I read about the man killed by wolves in Canada in Field and Stream or Outdoor Life. I don't understand why the Feds want to introduce a deadly predator or provide its protection when it resides close to humans.
When in the mountains of Idaho, Montana, or virtually anywhere else in the west, I carry my rifle and always have my dog with me. She will sense a wild animal well before I do, and particularly in the case of a cat or bear, they will normally go the other way. The gun is there if they don't.
Wolves tend to really dislike domesticated dogs, but they too will generally go the other way if a man and a dog are present together. But like with the cats and bears, the rifle is there in case they do not.
Just remember...Shoot, Shovel, and Shut-up!
Never go into the woods without it.
Nice to know that the whackos have at least relented to the ranchers. If people or dogs get killed, that is just plain tough.
I feel sorry that he lost his dogs but, he and his dogs were hunting and so were the wolves.
He needs to bring along three or four Great Danes with him the next time, or Mastiffs, or any of the big-boned, powerful fighting dogs; and don't forget the gun.
The guy sounds like a puss. If wolves killed my dog like that it would be wolf hunting time, law or not.
Sad story,i'll be thinking about this all day.I don't know the game laws in Idaho,but in Fl if a gator(or any animal) attacks a human it's hunted down and killed asap.The part of this article that is especially disturbing is that these wolves frequent areas populated by humans.What if they're hungry and they run across a child?
Sad story.
Here's another tid-bit for your viewing pleasure:
"She was trying to get up; her stomach was ripped open and her guts were hanging out a foot. She had more than 60 bite marks and deep gashes all over her body. Her stomach was torn in multiple spots.
Bryon went into action. Off came his shirt, and we wrapped it tightly around her stomach. I carried her back to Bryon’s truck and put her in the front seat; Brian headed for the vets. I remember thinking I wouldn’t see Halley alive again.
I started tracking Blackey next; it did not take long to find him. He wasn’t far from where the wolf came after me. He was dead and lying in a pool of his own blood. He was bit and torn so full of holes that I just fell to the ground bawling and crying. I could not quit thinking, “He gave his life to save me.”
I was sitting there when it hit me: “Lady! I’d better get to Lady.” When I tuned her in, I knew she was within a 100 yards. I lined up with her collar, and the next thing I knew there she was in a heap, her eyes wide open, looking straight into my eyes. For one second I thought she might be alive. When I knelt down beside her, I knew she was dead.
It’s very difficult to describe the type of death these dogs were handed. It was easy to see that the wolves want to cripple their prey, torture it and then kill it. I have never seen a worse way for any animal or person to die.
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It did not take long before we were standing over the remains of the dog that saved me from harm. All that was left of him was his head and backbone. Had we been an hour later, there would have been nothing left of him.
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We piled heavy stones on his grave, and I walked away thinking that it could have been me. I could have been just a pile of wolf scat lying on the ground and leaving people to wonder where I had disappeared to.
I couldn’t help but think of the 22-year-old man who was killed and eaten by wolves in Canada this winter. There’s been a slaughter on hound dogs and pets in Idaho, and it is getting worse daily. I have been assured that if these wolves kill any cows, sheep, goats, pigs or horses, they will become a problem and will be dealt with, and the owners will be compensated.
That’s a relief.
Dogs have no value to anyone in the government, it seems.
So what I love to do is over; I will not send another dog to slaughter or feed another starving wolf pack. My concerns now are that the wolves are running out of easy prey and are now eating dogs.
In wet, muddy areas where elk and moose have always been plentiful, I no longer can find even a track.
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The general public is unaware of the danger that awaits them. Since I retired, I have spent no less than four days a week in the mountains. What has amazed me are how many of these wolves are right around people’s homes. When they are out of easy prey, be ready.
For as long as I can remember, when you were in the mountains for any reason, a dog by your side was a great defense to warn you of predators. I used to believe in this. But now a dog is nothing more than bait to lure wolves.
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The most important thing, in my opinion, is to pack a firearm. I personally believe pepper spray will not work in a pack attack. Keep your dogs quiet when you are walking — no barking. If they are tied up in camp, no barking. And don’t let your children play with your pets and have them barking while they’re playing.
My personal belief is that the war has been lost. It’s too late to save our big-game herds in my lifetime.
What I have loved to do for most of my life is over, so enjoy it while you still can. Be prepared. I pray you never encounter a pack of Canadian gray wolves.
Guess he doesn't realize his dogs are just a step removed from wolves. Dog packs do the same thing.
I wonder what prompted the attack. I know canids in general hate others of the family--wolves will run down and kill foxes just on principle. The other possibility is they really were starving, in which case the population is not being managed properly.
Someone had dumped two dogs out in the country near us. They were some kind of mixed breed. One looked alot like a husky. I don't know why they dumped them. The dogs got very hungry and started hunting on people ranches. They started with small animals like rabbits. We woke up one morning to find them attacking our three bottle fed calves. The smallest calf is probably about 140 pounds. The other two were more like 180. Anyhow these dogs, which were wild at this point, more like wolves, tore the calves hind quarters to shreds! I had no idea how viscious this could be. We had to put one of the claves down immediatley. She was missing a lot of muscle on her back legs, and had wholes torn through them. The other two were also chewed up. We got them to the vet. Infection is presented the moment they get bit. Generally vets don't sew up these wounds right away because they have to drain. It has been almost two weeks. Today we have to take one of the calves back to have her hind leg amputated. The attack destroyed the blood supply. The wounds from these type of attacks get much worse looking before they get better. This is because this type of attack causes so much tissue damage that the tissue has to rot away before new tissue can regrow. On one of the calve, one of the initial bites had about a one and three quarter diameter. Now that all the damaged tissue has fallen away it is about a 5 inches longs and three inches wide. It's really terrible as you can see the muscle and bone. The good thing is that both calves, despite their injuries seem to feel good, and are eating well. As for the wild dogs, well, we caught up with them and no one will be seeing them anymore.
nice article, here in georgia it's the wild hogs (tuskers) and if there is a more evil and cunning son of a bitch than these brutes, i don't know of any.....carry a .357 mag when quail hunting because many times these critters will attack without provocation upon sight....at least when i'm deer hunting i'm usually up a tree, but imagine stumbling upon of of these at 4:30 in the morning getting to the tree....
With all due respect I am sorry that this guy's dogs were attacked HOWEVER this could have easily been a bear or mountain lion. They were treeing sows and were obviously in the wilderness where wild animals are and belong. Bears and mountain lions can be just as dangerous to humans and livestock, should we eradicate them too? This article reads like some hero story out of Boy's life magazine.
I am all for destroying wolves and other animals that attack humans and livestock but it is absurd to whine about dangerous encounters with wild animals when you are in their element. Carry a pistol or rifle and take care of the problem if one arises but otherwise enjoy the wildlife and remember that the wilderness is their world.
I've said it before, there was absolutely no excuse or reason under the sun to reintroduce what our forfathers spent their lives ridding the country of. Wolfs belong in Northern Canada living under the harshest conditions. Not living anywhere in the USA except wolf farms, animal farms, and Zoo's.
Thats why they are called Wolves..