Wolves

Wolves have been celebrated, hated, revered and feared for centuries. There’s something magical about them, and I think they know it. That said, for those who experience wolf problems, they lose their luster pretty quick.  

Wolves eat meat. The deer population in the U.P. has been decreasing significantly, and many believe the expanding wolf population has much to do with that. Others say it’s due to tough winters. I don’t know the scientific data on it. A number of years ago I would occasionally cross a wolf track. Now I can’t go into the woods without seeing fresh sign. Their scat if full of deer fur. Obviously they eat deer. There are also tons of coyotes in the UP and they also eat deer, as do bear and cats. I won’t speculate the primary reason for whitetail deer population decline, most likely it’s a combination of multiple things.

Personally I enjoy seeing and hearing the wolves in the wild. I have to keep a close eye on my dog when we venture into core wolf territory. So far I haven’t had a bad encounter, but I admit it does make me nervous. My dog Kleo doesn’t know how dangerous they can be to her, and I can see the curiosity in her eyes when we spot one in the woods. Thankfully she hasn’t left my side when we see them on our hikes.

In the fall of 2010 reportedly a forester escaped to a tree to stay protected from wolves. That’s the first precarious encounter I’ve heard of in the U.P.

I had some close encounters, but none that seemed threatening. Once I took a German Exchange student, Alex, on a hiking trip through the woods. We were pretty deep in a swamp, and I was looking over the map to plot my course when Alex came running back toward me. There was a wolf hot behind him. When the wolf saw us both he turned and ran away. I don’t think he was actually hunting Alex. I think more likely he was just hunting, and Alex started to run away from him. He was probably giving chase to determine exactly what Alex was, and I’m pretty sure would have turned away if there was only one of us there. Nonetheless, Alex was weak in the knees for a couple hours after the experience. But it was a thrill he sure remembered.

One evening I found myself surrounded by a pack of howling wolves. Night was quickly falling, and it was more than a little unsettling as their circle encroached ever tighter. I made my way out of the swamp and into a clear cut where I had parked my car. Now that I felt safe, it was pretty cool to lay on the ground beneath a full moon and blanket of stars listening to a pack of wild wolves in primitive pre-hunt ritual.

Wolves are currently under the protection and management of the State of Michigan. Their population has reached a level of sustainability. It will take awhile for us to learn how to best live with the wolves. They are a unique and challenging animal for sure.