Have YOU seen a timber wolf, if so when and where?

[lakevet]

A little unscientific survey. A lot of talk going on about timber wolves, but wondering how many posters have seen a wolf. Please start a different topic if you want to comment beyond the questions.

PLEASE answer if you are reading this. "No" and "never" are acceptable and needed answers as I would find it hard to believe that everyone who reads this has seen a timber wolf, esp in the last 3 years.

Four survey questions

1) Have you seen a wolf YOURSELF in 2009, 2010, and/or 2011? Post the date and which county seen. Trail camera pictures not allowed, just wolves seen with your own eyeballs.

2) How many Minnesota wolves have you seen in your lifetime?

3) What is the closest you personally been to a live wild timber wolf? (penned, zoo experiences don't count)

4) How did the wolf react to you?

PLEASE do not list tracks, kills, friend of a friends cousins experience, opinions on what to do about wolves, etc.

For myself :

1) July 2009 St. Louis County. Wolf crossing the road (HWY 2). December 2010 Carlton County. One wolf 75 yards away behind me on logging trail. Took off immediately when I turned to look back down logging road I was walking on.

2) Lost count long ago. First saw timber wolves when I was a young kid. That was a pack of 11 in Carlton county back in the late 60's. Dad identified them for me

3) 15 feet both of us on the ground. Came from upwind and didn't have a clue I was there til it saw me.

4) All have took off once I was identified by them and I was looking directly at them.

Thank you!

lakevet

[Mo Gator]

1) Yes

2) 3 (all in 2010 deer season)

3) 60 yards

4) none of them knew I was there, I was in a stand both sightings. 2 of the wolves were chasing 2 deer and lost them right in front of me, which resulted in the wolves walking by 60 yds from me looking around for the deer.

[walleyeking19]

Yes.

It was in 2009.

That is the only one I've seen.

It came to probably 50 yards and turned off. It came across the trail I used, smelled me, than ran off.

[B. Amish]

1. no

2. 2

3. 200 yards

4. ran away

[mrklean]

Yes fall 2010

only 1

about 50 yards

ran when he saw me move

[poorB]

yes 2011

5-10

about 40yards

long stare down then walked off

[Bear55]

Yes - St Louis County Summer 2010

2 of them at 40 yards

They watched me drive by, didn't even wave.

[Muskie456]

1. 7, Mid Nov.2009, St. Louis County. I was still hunting on a windy cold day and came up on a pack. They ran off across a frozen bay

2. Around 50+/-. I have spent a lot of time in the ely area trapping bait, hunting and fishing

3. 50 yards

4. Ran off

[NoWiser]

Yes, St Louis County. October 2009 and November 2010.

6

About 30 yards

One never saw me. Another was absolutely terrified when it scented me and took off in a hurry. The other encounter two watched myself, my dad, and my Britt grouse hunting, while two others flanked us. It took 3 warning shots over their heads before they reluctantly trotted away.

[cavalierowner]

1) I saw one by itself in 2009 while deer hunting in my stand in Lake County (?) by Isabella. It was about 50 yards from my stand. What a beautiful animal!

2) That was the only timber wolf I have ever seen. Last year a pack of 4 to 5 brush wolves went by me at about 75 yards

3) As said, the timber wolf was about 50 yards from me.

4) It never saw me. But when it came to the trail I walked in on, it stopped, sniffed and went back the way it came from.

As an aside, this year is the first year in a lot of years we have not heard wolves howling off in the distance.

[ANYFISH2]

1. 2009- 3 in Morrison county all near my home in Randall.

1 in Cass county near Leader

1 in Hubbard county near Akeley

2010- 5 in Cass county near Walker

2011- 3 in Crow Wing county along cty rd 12 near Deerwood.

2. Really don't know a solid number, seen many while in Ely during college and trips to BWCA. Also worked as an environmental intern at Camp Ripley in '96-'97 and took part in winter kill survey and wolf study. Saw and touched many.

A guess is 50+.

3. Have touched and collered wolves while at Ripley.

4. Most have stopped and looked then left without any reaction at sll. Wolves in traps would cower and try to go away. Never threatening.

[FishinFools]

1) September 2009, Carlton Cty near Cloquet. Had approx six of them walk straight towards my son and I. We were driving 5 MPH on a logging road at night, came over a hill and had eyes in the head lights 40 yards ahead. They kept coming towards us for about 10 yards then peeled off to both sides. All I can think is that we got between them and a deer they were after.

2) total: close to a dozen in the last 10 years, same area.

3) Closest: had four walk past my tent while I was sleeping. Four distinct tracks/paths. Fresh snow during deer season about 10 years ago. Maybe 10 yards max.

[Big-Al]

1. About 10 or 12 in the last three years. I'm not going top list them all separate but all were in St. Louis Co. 50/50 or so from vehicle and in the woods.

2. At least 130. Most of my 36 year career I have spent 3 or 4 days a week in the woods in the winter.

3. About 50 feet. Actually had one about 30 feet about five years ago but I was inside a vehicle. Came walking out a logging road and lifted a leg 5 times or so as it did a half circle around the pickup as if say #!!&6 You this is my territory

4. After he was face to face for a minute or so I hollered and then hollered louder and waved my arms all all he did was raise his tail and hair on the back of his neck more. I made a couple of quick steps toward him and he started towards me. That's when I went the other way to my truck which was about ten feet from where I stood. Once inside the truck I did not see him again.

[slimngrizzly]

1) NO

2) N/A

3) N/A

4) N/A

* I do not live or hunt where there are wolves. I may not apply to your survey?

[Jameson]

1) yes, October 2009, St. Louis County

2) 2

3) 50 yards

4) Trotted off in into the brush.

[psepuncher]

1] 2008 /2010

2] 1 by me in 08/ 1 by wife 2010

3] drivimg both times near Marcell on county roads.

The one I saw was big black.

The one seen by my wife was making a deposit by the road.

------------stop survey---------------

;

Also,

In 1995 I had been cutting firewood and had a wolf behind me,

when I turned around he just stood there looking and we had the stare down until I backed out. That was in TX, seperated by 60 yards and looked like a Southern RM wolf.

and an FYIThe first wolf-like mammal in the Northern Hemisphere originated in what is now Texas during the Pleistocene era.

[Mike_Top]

-2004, Finland State Forest while grouse hunting in October. This one was almost all white.

-2006, near Lutsen ski area in the winter. Again, mostly white colored.

-My latest sighting was on the 4th of July this past summmer, shooting clays near Outing/Remer. It stopped while crossing the forest road we were on to stare at us for a couple seconds. Real scrawny, dark-colored one.

[Mike_Top]

Sorry, I didn't read the first post until after I wrote a reply ...

1) Yes, I saw one in July 2011.

2) have seen 3 in my lifetime

3) 100 yards

4) wolf stopped to stare for about 10 seconds, then trotted away.

[Red Cabin]

1. 2009 est.

2. 3 total

3. under 50'

4. I stopped my truck when I saw one eating a car killed deer in a ditch, hwy 64 near Akley. It stared and snarled for a moment until I drove away.

[Pinusbanksiana]

What about us who see them all the time? At least 6 times a year?

[leech~~]

1) Have you seen a wolf YOURSELF in 2009, 2010, and/or 2011?

Yes 2009 on Bear bait St. Louis County and two in Cass. 2010 1 in Lake county. 2011 3 in Cass Countywhen they ran by on both sides of my Bow stand.

2) How many Minnesota wolves have you seen in your lifetime? Maybe 15

3) What is the closest you personally been to a live wild timber wolf?

About 25 feet as I had two walk right by me down the dirt road at my buddys cabin one night in the middle of the winter when I was out taking a wiz.

4) How did the wolf react to you?

All that had seen me just stared then turned and walked away.

[BobT]

1) Have you seen a wolf YOURSELF in 2009, 2010, and/or 2011? Post the date and which county seen. Trail camera pictures not allowed, just wolves seen with your own eyeballs. No

2) How many Minnesota wolves have you seen in your lifetime? While hunting...1 (2006). Others, I'd have to guess around 6-8. I spent 10 years in the logging business from 1978-1988.

3) What is the closest you personally been to a live wild timber wolf? (penned, zoo experiences don't count)15 yards. The one I saw while deer hunting in 2006. Daughter took her 8pt. buck about 3 minutes afterward.

4) How did the wolf react to you? It was heading west on my south side with a light northerly breeze. When it caught our scent it stopped. There was a tree in my way so I slowly leaned over to get a better view of it and it saw me. It basically just nonchalantly moved on. Didn't run but didn't take its time either. This was typical of how they've always reacted to me. When they see me they just move on. No big deal.

About a year ago my neighbor, local city police officer, spotted a timber wolf on my property. He said he had to take a double-take as he couldn't believe it at first.

[Odonata]

1. Yes, Carlton County, all three years 2009-2011, St.Loius 2009' Lake 2010.

2. 14: one in St. Louis county, 3 in Lake County, 10 inCarlton county

3. 20-25 yards, while still hunting, came in along a cedar swamp edge, wind in my face, did not see me as I "hid" behind a tree, smelled my trail as it moved past me and isappeared for the next county.

4. Left immediately

I'm not a wolf nut, just spend a fair amount of time outdoors. Have seen my share.

[TProGuy]

1) Yes. One wolf each in all three years. All were seen in Crow Wing County (near Crosslake).

2) 6-8

3) Less than 10 yards.

4) I was walking back to the cabin in the dark from bow hunting. Came around a corner, and got growled at. Shined my flashlight ahead of me on the trail, and the wolf was standing there less than 10 yards away, holding a rabbit in it's mouth. Growled one more time, then walked away. On another occasion, I dragged a freshly killed doe out of the woods to my truck and then went back to get my stand. When I got back to the truck, there was a wolf standing in the road, about 75 yards down-wind of the doe and my truck. It watched me load my doe, then trotted off.

[MN Shutterbug]

Interesting thread.