Wolf prevention

[David Lorenz]

Greetings! I am new to BPL and didn't find much in the forums about encounting Wolves while backpacking Wyoming and Montana. My intrigue in this topic is due to the increasing population of wolves in many areas around public areas. A year ago as I overnighted in Glacier I followed strict bear prevention practices, but never considered wolves as potential visitors. In the morning I saw a "lone" wolf walking alone the jeep trail. Do any of you who frequently hike WY and MT take any additional prevention measures? Have you ever used bear spray? Just curious…. Dave

[Kelly G]

Thanks for thinking to post this question. Wolves have recently entered Oregon so are now on my radar. They were no issue in my earlier years of outdoor life. I look forward to others' advice. Kelly

[Jesse Hutchinson]

I dont know how wild your wolves are, but here they are hunted and trapped, and like bears, a wolf that is scared of people is a wolf that will not cause trouble… WOlves are something cool you listen to at night, not something to be even remotely afraid of, IMO. Coyotes are a bigger concern, just because they acclimate to people fast. Coyotes are always trying to eat chickens, peoples dogs, etc. Every wolf I have seen out in the bush, and there have been many wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. Again, I dont know about your area, but I wouldnt worry too much.

[Dave @ Oware]

Saw wolf tracks all over the place in the fire ash from the Kettle Complex fire last weekend. My buddy heard howling mid day. Will post photos if I can get them off my cell phone. Danger to people is minimal. However if you have a dog with you, they may take offense. Pepper spray should work, but you may not have enough for a pack. The tracks we saw were of 5 animals, including some small pup prints. I would guess they would be very protective of the young-uns and want to kill any dog you might have with you, They are protected in WA state, you can use lethal force to protect your animals only when the wolves are in the process of attack.

[David Lorenz]

Thanks! That is encouraging to know. I considered it a privilege to have encountered a wolf in the wild, therefore the last thing I want to do…or not do, is something that would put them in a situation where they are subjected to being euthanized because of my ignorance.

[Jesse Hutchinson]

Again, just my experience here. I hunt upland birds with a dog, and guys run dogs here for deer. I think a lone dog in the bush is at risk, but if you have a dog under your control, either with rock solid verbal training, or leashed, you will be fine… If you really want to have some fun, buy a twenty dollar rabbit in distress call, learn to use it, and try and bring some animals in at night for a closer look. Foxes and bobcat respond to them too. You might not be a hunter, but the same tactics can allow for a pretty up close experiene. I am a bit odd though, so take the call thing with a grain of salt! Experiences with animals and the natural world are amzing! The more experience you have the more comfortable you will become. Yes, I hunt, and run a registered trapline. but I can appreciate watching a deer, wolf, fox etc in the off season!

[Dave @ Oware]

Lembert Mtn. http://blog.owareusa.com/2015/10/21/lembert-mtn-fire-and-wolf-tracks/

[Scott S]

All you worried people need to chill out. I couldn't find a single instance of a wolf attack from the reintroduced wolves in the US. There have been a handful of attacks in Canada and Alaska (and a number of those were rabid). But in the wild, you are FAR more likely to be killed or hurt by almost anything you can think of than by wolves. That would include dogs, bees, lightning, exposure, hypothermia, dehydration, falling, or just about anything else imaginable. Wolves are, on the whole, not a threat to humans. If you're worried about your dog, leave it at home.

[Dave @ Oware]

I don't think anyone is worried. They sure add interest to the outdoors. Being bitten by a rabid wolf is somehow better tho?

[Scott S]

Also, don't call me dood, dude. The fact that a lot of wolf attacks are rabid animals implies that the average, non-rabid wolf is even less likely to attack people than you would think by just looking at the numbers.

[John S.]

And don't call me Francis.

[Diane Pinkers]

Can I call you Shirley? (don't call me Shirley!)

[Kattt]

That is an impressive print for a canine !

[David Lorenz]

Thanks for adding the pictures of the wolf prints David….it is amazing how big they are. Seeing only one wolf on my hike in Glacier makes me wonder how many others I missed. When I was down around Gray's River in WY the bank was full of prints.

[Alexander S]

There have been two fatal predatory attacks in the last fifteen years, both north of the lower 48 (Canada and Alaska).One is thought to have been in part due to habituation of human proximity. To say the risk of a wolf attack does not exist is proven to be wrong but I suspect the actual risk is somewhere between mountain lion and black bear attack. Possible and inevitable but exceedingly rare. Considering a wolf's sensitive olfactory organs it is likely that pepper spray would be effective.

[Dean F.]

Discouraging others from planning for potentially dangerous wildlife is like a religion to some people. Yes, by all means make the point that attacks are very rare, but don't discourage them from planning for it. For one thing, we often plan for unlikely events that have profound repercussions. Because risk isn't just likelihood. Risk is likelihood times repercussions. Even if statistically speaking an automobile accident is unlikely on any given day you should still wear your seatbelt. Deciding where that line is on the risk spectrum is a very personal choice. But more importantly THEY'RE WORRIED, and anything that makes them less worried will improve their outdoor experience. Yes, education will help that, but I also think that carrying an 8oz bear spray is a low price to pay for the peace of mind.

[Anonymous]

"Risk is likelihood times repercussions." A fact often overlooked in discussions of risk. Personally, I prepare with more of an emphasis on consequences than likelihood, especially when the consequences are severe. That doesn't necessarily mean carrying more gear but, rather, in most cases a very thorough thinking thru of various scenarios and potential ways of avoiding them in the first place. More gear is literally the last alternative in my analysis protocol.

[jimmy b]

"Personally, I prepare with more of an emphasis on consequences than likelihood, especially when the consequences are severe. That doesn't necessarily mean carrying more gear but, rather, in most cases a very thorough thinking thru of various scenarios and potential ways of avoiding them in the first place." +1 Predatory animal attacks aside IMO the most common backcountry accidents may very well be avoided by a little better judgement but certainly not by any particular extra gear. Like knowing when to turn back, find a better route or when to simply slow down when fatigue sets in. Quite frankly I would be a heck of a lot more worried about a simple fall with the possibility of a leg or foot injury than any wolf, bear, buffalo or other critter mauling ….well not counting GCNP squirrels of course. Those freekin' things are visious. jimmyb

[Ito Jakuchu]

A fact often overlooked in discussions of risk. Agreed. I can't pull up the precise quote right now but I was reading in a climbing / mountaineering book (I think in English) about different categories of risks. Low chance of happening, low impact. High chance of happening, low impact. Low chance of happening, high impact. High chance of happening, high impact. And thinking in advance about different scenarios and deciding how you want to prepare or not for these different risks. (Don't hold me on precise quote, might be incomplete – I can easily imagine medium chance / impact added to form a more elaborate matrix – but just wanted to share).

[Ralph Burgess]

"carrying an 8oz bear spray is a low price to pay for the peace of mind" But when the risk of animal attack is virtually non-existent, this particular "solution" to a non-existent problem is not without consequences. There's a good reason that bear spray is banned in some places – Yosemite for example. In somewhere like Yosemite, friendly fire casualties from accidental discharge and mistaking people for bears would outnumber actual bear repulsions by thousands to one. Of course, in wilder places where wolves are present the calculus would differ, but friendly fire is still a consideration. For similar reasons, I'd never hike with somebody carrying a gun, except in places where there's a genuine risk of attack from (say) Grizzlies or Polar Bears. Too much risk of getting shot during a nighttime bathroom break.

[Buck Nelson]

But when the risk of animal attack is virtually non-existent, this particular "solution" to a non-existent problem is not without consequences. There's a good reason that bear spray is banned in some places… I agree. There is no doubt that the solution of carrying bear spray is far more dangerous than wolves. In this case I think the solution IS education and experience.

[Kattt]

"Discouraging others from planning for potentially dangerous wildlife is like a religion to some people. Yes, by all means make the point that attacks are very rare, but don't discourage them" ^^^ +1 to that and to considering consequences and not just likelihood.

[Buck Nelson]

I don't think anyone is doing that. A pack of wolves has nearly a 100% chance of killing me if they want to. But history shows there is nearly a 0% of that ever happening to me even if I lived thousands of lifetimes. There has never been a backpacker killed by a wolf in North America history. Ever. If we carried an extra 8 ounces for every conceivable danger of equal or greater magnitude we couldn't lift our packs. This is Backpackinglight, after all.

[Dave @ Oware]

Ralph, I think you might better redo your risk assessment. Say compare predatory animal attacks to accidental kybo shootings.

[Kelly G]

I think it makes sense to understand the normal behavior of any large critter out there. I've seen multiple black bears over the last few years — and now I revel in the experience — but from a distance. (One sighting got me worried. He didn't scatter. Just mosied along, looking at me.) It's only smart to understand wolf behavior too. Now, recent rumors of moose sightings in NE Oregon… now *that* might worry me, hiking in that area. Kelly

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