I know it is an extremely rare event, but has anyone seen or had a wolf encounter? There is a stable population in Minnesota, and kinda makes you think twice when you are walking out to the stand in the dark. There was a wolf attack about 3 miles from my hunting grounds back in 2013, and in that same year I saw my first wild wolf; seconds after getting in my stand, it stomped out from right under, me, stared at me, and then hightailed it. Just food for thought.
I get to see them fairly often. Hoping to get some good video this year if I can. I don't worry about them when walking in or out. I'm more likely to be trampled by a moose or drowned by a beaver. I've actually been on a bit of a wolfless drought on my cameras. Which is very strange for me. Couple years back my dad shot a doe and it ran towards my stand and died 30 yards from me. The next morning I was sneaking into the same stand and realized there were wolves on the gut pile. Got into my stand and set up without them knowing. Got to sit and listen and eventually watch them a bit before they walked off. One of my favorite sits in the stand.
There was a guy at eh Camp Ripley hunt this ear had 7 walk past him in his stand. Got video of them and all... https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=_68I0Tg3b3U&feature=youtu.be
I wonder how the wolves got into Ripley? What has happened to the deer population in Ripley in recent years? Must have some concentrated global warming up there too.
I am not anti wolf, I just wish the Gov't agencies would be honest about wolf population numbers and when they release wolves like they did at Ripley that they would be honest in saying that they are releasing wolves in an area as an experiment rather than leading us to believe that the range of the wolves has expanded.
I wonder how the wolves got into Ripley? What has happened to the deer population in Ripley in recent years? Must have some concentrated global warming up there too. I am not anti wolf, I just wish the Gov't agencies would be honest about wolf population numbers and when they release wolves like they did at Ripley that they would be honest in saying that they are releasing wolves in an area as an experiment rather than leading us to believe that the range of the wolves has expanded. Well said ^^^^^^ wolves are just like coyotes if you see one you have 10
My buddy was leaving his blind about 5 years ago in the western part of the U.P. and had 2 or 3 wolves surround him, he shot in the air with his gun then walked to his quad, he said they never got within 100 yards of him
That's insane. It's a weird feeling when you try to put urself in that situation; the mental imagery has to have slim comparison to actually seeing those things in real time. Thanks for sharing the video.
I agree with all of the above. I'm not necessarily against reintroducing a stable wolf population to the area, but I'm also not entirely sold on it either. They took away the wolf hunt because they saw numbers "faltering", that is, a slight decline in the annual count. What most people don't understand is that although wolf numbers may be doing horribly in certain parts of the United States from a historic and indigenous perspective, they are doing almost too well in areas that have paid special attention in getting them reintroduced, like Yellowstone for example. IF they were to do TOO well in the coming years, we would definitely feel the repercussions from a deer number standpoint. I guess the question is what counts as a stable population... just wish I was more read-up and knowledgable on the subject. If you were to ask some of these cattle ranchers in the north parts of the state, I guarantee you that most would be more than willing to stop the reintroduction process all together. Some family's are just getting straight hammered, especially because beef prices are a bit up from years past, and the restitution fund that was set aside for these isolated instances of cattle kill has already been used up. I just don't like the idea that if a rancher walks out to a wolf gnawing at the neck of one his calfs that he can't decide to pull the trigger to save his family from economic detriment (I heard the meeting they had up in bemidji on the matter with these ranchers got a bit rowdy... some were asked to leave). I'm sure the trigger has been pulled on an occasion or two, and brushed under the carpet, but to put someone against the law to save their livelihood just kinda makes my skin crawl.
