I talked to my son tonight who'd just come in from bowhunting near Black River Falls, WI.  Coming back to his cabin after dusk he'd stopped on a hill for a few seconds when he heard a sound behind him.  He swung his flashlight to his back trail and was shocked to see a pack of 7 or 8 timberwolves just 10-15 yards away.  They looked at him for a few seconds until he yelled at them, and then they ran down the hill to his side.  He quickly finished the hike to the cabin but they continued to shadow him all the way back, staying about 30 yards off to one side.  My thoughts are they were either curious about what he was doing or they were being territorial to an intruder in "their" territory.  Either way this experience really got to him.  His voice still had some alarm in it when he was telling me the story an hour later.

Can only imagine what was going through your son's head. Must have been quite erie. Just glad he made it back to safety.

I would not wish that experience on anyone.

I have been hearing about wolves in WI. My Brother has told me several Bar stories that were not credible and a bit over the top.  I have heard them as far south as Richland center and know one was shot near our family farm.

Wolves are big and if I was your son, I would be a little unnerved also.  

It is rumored wolves in Wi are almost to hunt able levels and they may start having a lottery and season of them.

Id imagine if you placed the meanest, baddest,tatooed, mixed martial artist, cage fighter up against a pack of hungry timber wolves the said fighter would be transformed into wolf food in a hurry! Id be rattled too!! Glad your sons ok!

Wolves in Wisconsin are way past huntable numbers. The reestablishment goal set several years ago was 300 animals.  Now, most estimates place the population at a thousand or more.  U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is trying to delist them, but anti-hunting groups keep tying up the action in the courts. In addition to farm livestock, they're killing a fair number of hunting dogs and pets.  Can follow their activities on the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources Web site.  I hunt in the far northern part of the state, and it's not that unusual there to be escorted out of the woods by a wolf or wolves.

When I am bowhunting down in the desert at a dam or trough on my own, I like to have the little Winny (.30/30) with me just in case the dingoes get a bit friendly like that. It hasn't happened to me yet, but I have heard stories, so the little rifle makes me feel better.

I am starting to hear too many stories about wolf and not that many pics of them down.

Wolves will generally avoid humans, however one should never underestimate what a pack of wolves will do. Remeber, these are natures greatest predators. Right off there is no question that these wolves would have circled enough to get your son's scent and they still followed him. Once he confronted them they chose to still pursue. A good friend of mine had a single wolf follow him and his daughter for over two hours. My friend kept a very close eye on the wolf and did not tell his daughter (10yrs at time) what was happening. The wolf attacked in the end and was headed for his daughter, he shot it with at savage .22/.410 combo he was carrying for grouse.

I have had wolves follow me while fishing rivers in the north. It is not a very fuzzy feeling at the best. I'd recommend your son carry big cannister of pepper spray at minimum and perhaps a small calibre pistol if law permits. With some luck hopefully the pack will move on out of your area. If they don't the deer hunting will not be very good.

I heard on some program that there aren't any credible reports of wolf attacks on humans in the entire history of record keeping.

Having said that, I would worry that I could be the 1st if I found myself in your son's shoes.

I seriously doubt that remembering that good news wouldn't have meant very much to me had I been in his situation..lol

God bless,Mudd

Want to see what wolfs are doing to hunting dogs in wisconsin? Go to  www.dnr.state.wi.us
There are maps that show how many hunting dogs have been maled or killed by wolfs.That is the ones that have been reported. They are however neet to heare at night. Sure will make the coyotes shut up fast. But when you hear a wolf 20 min. before dark, and you have a mile hike to camp. All your senses are working over time on the 2 min. mile you are about to do.

In March of this year a teacher in a remote village in my home state of Alaska was killed by wolves while jogging a few miles out of the village.

http://articles.latimes.com/2010/mar/13/nation/la-na-wolf-attack13-2010mar13

I've almost always carred a handgun when out and about in AK, but for bears, not wolves.  Never ever seen a wolf in the wild.

Mudd,

Maybe not in Missouri, but there are lots of them up here. Last year, wolves attacked and killed a guy in Alberta. In Ontario last year a wolf attacked five people on a beach on Lake Superior before wardens shot and killed it. We had a girl (jogger)killed by a pack of coyotes in Nova Scotia earlier this year. Our Ministry of Natural Resources has lots of these stories, they just choose not to say too much.

Just about any of my buddies that have spent enough time in the bush in Northern Ontario can tell a story similar to this one here. It is not all that rare. One of my moose hunting buds had a pack suround him in a marsh last year. They circled him all the way back to the cabin. All he had was his compound and he said he has never been that scared in his life. After shouting at them they closed in even closer and he feels he was damm lucky to make the cabin. He'd had enough after that and trapped 8 of them on his place last winter.

What we must realize is that game numbers in North America are higher at present than ever in most cases. As most game flourishes the predators will flourish even more due to good food supply.

Then you have the wonderful folks that think they should reintroduce predators to keep game numbers down. This of course does exactly what they intended but only in much bigger numbers than they figured. Thus causing the predators to flourish at higher rate and expand their territory. If not stopped you will see wolves in Missouri in the next 50yrs.

I stand corrected.

I guess that just because the Animal Planet program has been telling us something as fact doesn't make it "a true fact".

Now at least I feel better about why I would be uneasy even when "armed" with Animal Planet "truths"....lol

God bless,Mudd

Just watched a TV show on Wolf and Coyote attacks. They are on the rise big time. Wolf's kill and attack more people then you'd think. To many wolf's living to close to humans.
If it were me I wouldn't waist any money going to Alaska for a Wolf!!

I was moose hunting a few weeks ago and we had some wolves come into our calls just before dark.  We never saw them but when they howled it sounded like they were right next to us.  This is the second time I have had them come in to moose calls.

I'm waiting anxiously to hear from him this morning as he said he was still going out again today in spite of his experience last night, but he was taking a hand gun.  I think it's all territorial, but I don't know for sure.  A few years ago I had two wolves cross my trail in the snow and urinate on either side of my tracks.  There's a pack of 13 wolves on our family property according to our local Dept of Natural Resources, and talking to one of them about this incident they said the wolves were telling me this was their territory but I could cross it.  Interesting stuff, although 8 wolves that close to you in the dark is more excitement than I'd want.

Stories like this have become more and more common. The U.P. of Michigan has many stories very similar to the one described. Too many! Imagine how many people have stories to tell who have`nt told them.

It is the wolves checking for weakness. It is what they do. If it was a territory dispute, your friend would have been in real trouble. Ask any hunter who has lost a dog due to territory disputes. There is no warning...it begins and it`s over.

Imagine a couple young girls out hiking. Six or seven wolves appear within fifteen yards. They panic, scream, and run. One is faster than the other, or one falls down. With wolves behaving like this, it is only a matter of time.

Wolves should be absolutely terrified to be anywhere NEAR a human. We should see only tracks and scat. A wolf...ANY wolf, that is unafraid of humans is a bad wolf, and they will teach other wolves to be bad wolves. A wolf should tremble in fear of the slightest whiff of a little girl.
Wolves behaving like this is OUR fault. "We the people" have allowed it.

Fifteen yards?!!!?...In the dark?!...Following me after I yelled at them!?!  My .40 Smith would have been speaking loud and proud. Some folks might not like that statement...but it`s the truth. I was attacked by ONE Rotwieller that was just coming on 1 year old, and I had my hands full. Rotwiellers do not have to rip out throats for a living, so I`m sure wolves are better at it.

Instinctive shooting works great for more than just bows.

Y'all need to handle that situation. If you killed one would the others eat it? Just a thought.LCH

I'm glad we don't have wolves in Texas.

My close friend has land in Black River Falls. You are right, there are ALOT of wolves there. He has caught them on his camera and they are reaking havoc on the fawn population..IMO, they are out of control