Posted on 07/16/2026 4:12:45 AM PDT by marktwain
In January, 2012, Glenn Villeneuve was attacked by a pack of 20 wolves. It was a very unusual event. Villeneuvea detailed the event, including pictures of the extremely large pack. He gave an extensive interview to Joe Rogan.
Villeneuve has been one of the stars of the reality show, Life Below Zero. The attack event is discussed starting at 13:30 on the video. Villeneuve explains he never expected such an attack to happen. It was far outside many years of experience dealing with wolves. He does not know why the wolves came after him that day. They had never been aggressive toward him before. The reason for the attack may have something to do with the extremely large wolf pack.
The discussion of the wolf event starts at 13:30 on the video. Glenn Villeneuve sees a pack of 20 wolves on a kill on the lake ice, 500 yards from his cabin. This is an extremely large pack of wolves for the area. It is very unusual. His cabin is far above the arctic circle. In January 2012, it is twilight in the middle of the day.
At first, Villeneuve grabs a camera and walks to about 350 yards from the pack of wolves to take pictures. It is not clear if he is armed on this first foray. His batteries go bad and he starts to go back to cabin to get fresh batteries. Villeneuve looks back and the wolves are running at him. He is 30 yards from the cabin. He sprints to the cabin and gets inside. He looks out the window. The 20 wolves are milling around 50 yards from the cabin. In a short time, the wolves go back to the kill on the lake.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
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20 wolves are a very large pack. They probably started to attack him because of their kill on the ice, they saw him as a threat and were protecting their feast. I’m not sure why he started shooting at them though, he made it to the cabin’s safety, and they would most likely leave after they were full. 20 wolves can make a young moose disappear pretty quickly. But I’m sure he made good use of the fur, so it wasn’t all a waste of ammo.
“I’m not sure why he started shooting at them though”
It clearly states why in the article.
I had an incident that taught me that lesson several years ago. I had a weak battery in my truck, so I decided to put my automatic battery charger on it after church one Sunday just after lunch. Now, it is unusual for me to leave the house unarmed, with my sidearm being chosen for the task at hand. Duty pistol for work, big bore magnum revolver for wear when working around the home place. Well, I wasn't going anywhere for the rest of the day, so I put on a pair of sweatpants and a T-shirt, and settled down with a good book. Time passed, and after dark I remembered that my battery charger was still hooked up to my truck. Without thinking, I walked out to the truck with a flashlight and was about to disconnect the charger when I heard movement in the woods, about 25-30 feet away. I turned my flashlight in the direction of the noise, and it illuminated a huge mountain lion looking right back at me... I instinctively reached for my sidearm, only to feel nothing but the empty waistline of my sweatpants. It was one of those moments when you feel the blood in your veins go cold. I then threw both hands up over my head (keeping the flashlight on the big cat), trying to make myself look as big as possible and yelling "GET!!! GET OUT OF HERE!!!" as loud as possible. Thank goodness it worked. Now, I make sure I have a sidearm on me anytime i walk out the door, even if it is just a daylight trip to the mailbox.
Those big cats have about a 150 mile range, and there were sightings of this around our area for a good while. Our state wildlife agency denied what we were seeing, telling us we were seeing a bobcat. Once several if us provided pictures from our game cameras to the local television stations, the wildlife boys had to admit that yes, the bid cats were here. Since that has happened, they've also had to admit that we now have a bear population returning to our area as well.
The guy was apparently taking pictures of wolves while he was unarmed. Then he grabbed his rifle with limited ammo. Then he shot about 3 of them.
Personally, I’d have been armed from the beginning and once I started shooting I would have pursued the whole pack until I killed most of them. I would have left a small number alive so there would be no doubt the survivors minds at all that man in more dangerous than they are.
The article states he wanted to teach them a lesson, that he was not prey. I’m pretty sure the wolves already knew that. The didn’t see him as prey, but a competitor. They already had their prey, and they were protecting it from him. I’m not condemning the guy, seems there were plenty of wolves, not like an endangered species way up there, and I have hunted wildlife, so I’m not against that either. I just don’t see that his life was in danger since he made it to the cabin. It’s his excuse that I don’t agree with. If his life was in danger I wouldn’t care if he killed them all.
Ain’t much a man can’t fix with $700 and a 30.06.
Wolves have been reintroduced to Colorado over the objections of ranchers. Wolves have been preying on livestock. I wonder how long it will be before they go after a hiker.
Unwritten rule in northern MN. SSS
On November 5, 1939, they found clothes, personal effects, and limited remains consistent with Kolby’s. The most telling evidence was the holstered .357 magnum revolver, still on a buckled belt, with wolf bite marks on the holster. The gun was unloaded, had a broken mainspring, and cartridges were found in a pocket. No pack was discovered
Even bush Alaskans can be lulled into a false sense of security with wildlife.
Canines in packs have complex social behavior. Not just a social hierarchy. You can’t always expect them to be afraid of human beings. The larger the pack, and the other variables and dynamics involved, such as not having fed in some time, strife with the environment, which season it is, how vulnerable you appear to them, etc.
google.com/maps/place/Chandalar+Lake,+Alaska/@67.85,-148.5,10z
“His batteries go bad and he starts to go back to cabin to get fresh batteries. Villeneuve looks back and the wolves are running at him.”
Canids are genetically programed to chase retreating/running prey...
White Fang was better than Call of the Wild.
Really Dan.
Do you live among wolves.
Or do you just have theories about them.
Yes… and today’s biologists and ecologists have no experience with large packs so they tend to base their opinions on what they are familiar with.
Digging around in some old settler records from Illinois was interesting, about blizzards and wolves.
When I’m in wolf (and therefore also bear and cougar) country, I have my fully loaded .30-06 or .30-30 (at least 6 rounds, one in the chamber, safety on), and a 9mm holstered on my hip with 16+1 (first five rounds are Buffalo Bore hardcast for Mr. Bear, one in the chamber, safed with beaver tail safety), and extra mags on the other hip (16 and 13).
I have been stalked by cougar within 15 feet. I have had wild dogs go crazy at me from the brush 50 feet away. I’m regularly around bear, but usually at a better distance. Where I hunt the lowlands by the Snake and Grand Ronde rivers there have been wolves spotted on every mountain around me, though I’ve never heard, seen, or seen the tracks of one.
I DO NOT intend to become prey.
Stay well armed!
(Plus, my pack has a box of 20 extra shells for the rifle … but if I’m digging around in the back pack after having used 50+ rounds already, I’m prolly screwed,,,)
30.06
Hope he had a Garande in this encounter.
Wolves,Bears and Lions ...
I want the Upper Hand in that case.
Yuppers!
Calling for Backup is Not an Option!
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