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

[LatLong]

1.Winter 2009 saw one from the snowmobile. Koochiching County

2.40+/-

3.closest about 50 yds.

4.all but a few have run away. some seen from a vehicle have laid down in the ditch when the headlights hit them.

[Bahrden]

I saw 3 in December 2010 in Beltrami Co

I've seen 10 in the last 5 years

About 40 yards away

They were traveling down a logging road and ran when they saw me

[maros91]

1. No

2. 1 (2000, Cook County, Pike Lake by Grand Marais)

3. 10 yards

4. Looked at my car for about 5 seconds and jumped back in the woods.

[CNCMike]

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

Yes, all three years

Crow Wing, Aitkin, Cass, St. Louis Counties

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

20-30

3) What is the closest you personally been to a live wild timber wolf? 15 feet. Stood under my deerstand sniffing the tree, ground and air

4) How did the wolf react to you?

Which Time? Most of the time they wander off or sneak back into the woods. I did sort of surprise one once that took off running like a rocket!

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?

[HunterLee]

Heard them every year for the last 5-6 years, finally saw a pack of 7 in Norman County in Aug 09,

Saw a pair in Dec 09 chasing a coyote in Norman COunty.

Saw another lone one in Jan 10 in Norman COunty.

All have been while driving around

None have been to scared all have been between 1-300yds just kinda checked me out and trotted away.

Seen around 10 or so, all in Norman County- farm country near the red river.

[shortfatguy]

Yes I have. Saw three different ones last year from my deer stand. I also saw a couple while on the atv and while driving. A couple were completely unafraid. The one in particular just crouched down in the grass and brush 10 yards from my wife and I on our wheeler. 2 other couples pulled up and it still didn't run. It was still just staring at us when we drove off. I don't know for sure how many I have seen in my life but I can say I have seen more in the past three years than in the thirty before. They are becoming too bold for my liking. It's only a matter of time before someone is attacked. They are already taking pets with the owner nearby.

[JayinMN]

Very interesting thread. I figured there would be lot higher sightings from the hunting crowd.

1. I can't remember specific dates too well. October 31 2010 two jumped my lab in my backyard in Cherry, prior to that one was in my yard having a stand off with one of my dogs. Labor day 2011 my other dog got attacked by 4 in Zim. Photographed a litter of 3 wolves and the mother this summer in Iron numerous times. Have seen numerous and photographed a few in lake county this summer. Saw some in Itasca county near my cabin by Balsam. I guess I am at the point its not a memorable experience like it used to be. I see them fairly often.

2. I am guessing a couple hundred.

3. Almost close enough to hit with the stock of my gun scaring them off my dog.

4. Some were curious, some were scared. Some stood and looked at me. Others fled as soon as they were spotted. Never felt threatened for myself in any of my experiences. Just because a wolf ignores you, your car or watches from a distance it feels safe doesn't mean it wants to eat you. Advance at it in an aggressive manner and I guarantee it will run.

These are some that I have uploaded on the net.

From summer 2011

2010

Fall 2009,

[lakevet]

Thanks for staying on topic with the posts. Anyone else?

lakevet

[JBar]

#1- 2009 2 in November in Kooch county

2010 1 in November in Kooch county

2011 3 in October in Beltrami county

#2- Estimate 50 to 100

#3- In 2006 while hunting I was on the ground in a light rain and had one within 15 yards of me pass by on a logging road by grand Maris. This year while bow hunting from the ground again had the 3 I metioned above within 40 yards.

#4- The closest wolf by Grand Maris did not know I was there passed through and seemed to never noticed me. This bow hunting season I was hunting a mock scrape made some doe bleats the wolves came in circled me it was getting dark so I stood up and assurted myself the wolves never ran they followed me about a 1/4 mile out to my pickup never gaining on me or loosing their distance from me. They finally left when I opened the door to the truck and the lights came on.

[BobT]

Thanks for staying on topic with the posts. Anyone else?

lakevet

Whaaaat? How could you think anything less?

[lungdeflator]

1. 2 in 2009 Beltrami county

1 in 2011 Beltrami County

2. 10-15 total lifetime (I am 22 yrs old)

3. Closest has been 75 yards while rifle hunting

4. The closest one spooked when he cut my walking trail in, circled around and cut my cousins trail in and spooked again. Others moved on/spooked depending on situation

[leech~~]

lakevet, what's your plan for this post? Are you going to compile the data and let us know where all the Wolves are by county?

[ozzie]

I have seen 1 in 2010 by Cross Lake

It was crossing the road at 30 yds went into woods and watched us creep by in the truck and then disapeared...about an hour later coming back we saw the same wolf in the same spot on the road just standing there looking at us approaching and this time it went into the woods.

That is the only wolf I have seen in MN

[Musky Buck]

Didn't know they were around much, last Spring, went looking for sheds in a 30 acre piece, found several dead eaten deer so they are around and my dad saw one sitting on his driveway near Bertha which is 200 yards from that 30 acres. Growing in numbers and territory they never used to use.

[titelines]

Have seen a few in the last couple years. In no particular order:

- Crossing highway 16 up by Brimson

- Coming out of the woods by Pine Lake, around Toimi

- Caught one on the trail camera a couple weeks ago. Set up on our property, about 30 yards out our back door in Knife River. We have a large pack in the area and hear them quite often.

- Trotting along the highway just outside of Duluth, by the self-service Spur station.

[gurkster]

Yes, I have seen them on 2 seperate occasions. Fall of 2010 just north of Two Harbors and Fall of 2009 in Northern Pine County by the town of Nickerson.

[DinnerPail]

1. 2009 one crossing my field in the evening, one while on my deer stand, 2010 two in my yard at 10:00 AM, five at one time on my deer stand, 2011 none sighted but had several howling within 200 yards while out scouting before deer season.

2. Don't know an exact number, 20 plus

3. The closest other than the ones my dad shot for bounty when I was a kid was the two in my yard less than 75 feet.

4.The two in my yard didn't care that I was there, left on there own and returned about 20 minutes later.

[rbs]

1. 2009 - Day before rifle opener in Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge.

2. 4

3. It was 25 yards

4. Stood there looking for awhile, then started jumping from side to side...almost like it was playing with us. Then the female came out 10yds behind him and ran away. Didn't even see her standing there. Then 2 others...assuming pups took off also. Was the only time that I can say that I was worried hunting there. We have heard them every year for the past 10 years, with a few other sightings. This is the only year that I didn't hear any up there. Still plenty of deer to go around up there I will tell you that tho.

[Steve Foss]

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.

I see wolves pretty regularly, mostly in St. Louis and Lake counties, but occasionally in Hubbard, Kooch, Itasca and Beltrami. I don't keep track of numbers or dates, but I'd say over that 3-year period I've seen about 30 wolves.

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

I'd guess about 80-90.

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

Eighteen feet once. Twenty feet once.

4) How did the wolf react to you?

Fist one gave me the head-down assessment stare for a few seconds and then trotted off. She knew I was there the whole time she approached me.

Second one stopped as it was walking toward us on the Echo Trail when I held my hand up and told it to stop. I do not know how close it might have come otherwise. We paced it off after the incident was over, and got 18 feet. The wolf (an average sized male) was interested in the little yap-yap dog in the car that pulled over behind our vehicle. It walked into the woods about 20 feet away and stood there for about 30 seconds, slowly filtering its way out of sight through the timber.

[cbrooks]

Last time I saw a timber wolf was up at the NorthWest angle back in mid September crossing the road. It was a black wolf I think it had to be average size or bigger(we were in the car driving by)it turnaround before disappearing into the woods. It had blood all over its mouth maybe some road kill on the side of the road. It was quit a sight. I'm guessing I was 50 or 60 feet away. I've only seen three timbers in my lifetime. I need to start carrying a camera for moments like this.

[motley man]

Spider Hills - 11/10/11

[Kettle]

1.) Fall 2010

2.) 5

3.) within 10 yards Hill City MN

4.) I was grouse hunting and was trail walking and I looked back and they had circled behind me, to have two wolves within 10 yards was scary, you could see the ribs on them, I don't know if they had mange or something similar but I wasn't feeling that confident with no 8 bird shot at the time

Kettle

[certified jumbo]

Summer and Fall of 2011.

Saw none in person, lots on Trail camera.

Carlton County

[nwhunter]

) 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.

Yes, Fall 2009, 2010, and Summer & Fall 2011. All fall sightings were in Lake and St. Louis counties while hunting in October and November. The Summer sighting was in Carlton County in August.

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

10-20

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

16 feet, right under my climber.

4) How did the wolf react to you?

Different reactions each time. Some have run off quickly, while others have stood there and than casually trotted off.