W.I.S.E.: Human-Habituated Wolves In Idaho
January 16, 2010
Dr. Valerius Geist, a Professor Emeritus of Environmental Science at the University of Calgary, has years of studies in wildlife, including wolves and personal encounters with them. In a republished article I did two years ago, Geist provided for us the seven stages of behavior by wolves leading to an attack on a human. These seven stages are well documented throughout history and yet mostly misunderstood or misinterpreted until Dr. Geist was able to piece them all together.
1) Within the pack’s territory prey is becoming scarce not only due to increased predation on native prey animals, but also by the prey evacuating home ranges en mass, leading to a virtual absence of prey. Or wolves increasingly visit garbage dumps at night.
2) Wolves in search of food began to approach human habitations – at night!
3) The wolves appear in daylight and observe people doing their daily chores at some distance. Wolves excel at learning by close, steady observation. They approach buildings during daylight.
4) Small bodied livestock and pets are attacked close to buildings even during the day. The wolves act distinctly bolder in the actions.
5) The wolves explore large livestock, leading to docked tails, slit ears and hocks. Livestock may bolt through fences running for the safety of barns. When the first seriously wounded cattle are found they tend to have severe injuries to the udders, groin and sexual organs and need to be put down. The actions of wolves become more brazen and cattle or horses may be killed close to houses and barns where the cattle or horses were trying to find refuge. Wolves may follow riders and surround them. They may mount verandas and look into windows.
6) Wolves turn their attention to people and approach them closely, initially merely examining them closely for several minutes on end. This is a switch from establishing territory to targeting people as prey. The wolves may make hesitant, almost playful attacks biting and tearing clothing, nipping at limbs and torso. They withdraw when confronted. They defend kills by moving toward people and growling and barking at them from 10 – 20 paces away.
7) Wolves attack people. These initial attacks are clumsy, as the wolves have not yet learned how to take down the new prey efficiently. Persons attacked can often escape because of the clumsiness of the attacks.
I have summarized the information above as provided by Dr. Geist in his publication. Please follow the link and read the important information about this 7-step process.
Yesterday I posted an article that appeared in the Missoulian in 1916 about wolves killing 113 people and 2,000 animals in one year in Korea. One thing in that article that I failed to point out to readers was an account of how wolves would attack people.
In attacking a man it will follow him for a time and occasionally leap over his head, seeking to unnerve him and cause him to fall to the ground, when it will immediately attack and kill. Oftentimes it will summon its mates to assist in attacking.
Compare that account of nearly 100 years ago with Dr. Geist’s stages 6 and 7 above.
The Western Institute for Study of the Environment posted more of this same information yesterday, along with real life accounts in Idaho of the implementation of these stages by wolves taking place there in the state. WISE also provides links to several articles dealing with human habituation by wolves and coyotes and the consequences that can follow. (required reading)
In a newspaper account of the Lewiston Tribune, January 15, 2010, Eric Barker describes what an Idaho outfitter experienced while waiting for a school bus to arrive and pick up his children.
Popp took his children to their bus stop Monday morning and sat in his jeep while his 6- and 8-year-olds had a snowball fight. The bus pulled up, stopped and flashed its lights. The kids got on and the bus driver pulled into a driveway to turn around. When the driver backed up, the bus emitted warning beeps. After it pulled away, three wolves came out of the woods and walked down the road toward Popp.
He started his jeep and drove toward the animals. They left the road and Popp followed their tracks to see where they had come from. He said it was clear they were sitting in the woods about 30 feet away from the road prior to the arrival of the bus.
“While we were there at the bus stop and those kids were snowball-fighting I know they could hear, and they just sat there,” he said. “They are really becoming habituated to all the sights and sounds that are out there.” …
Dr. Geist responded to this account by saying:
This is absolutely classic! Wolves targeting people sit and watch people. Unlike dogs, wolves and coyotes are refined observation learners.
The a) to h) steps [seven stages] you published below are my addition to Will’s book [Wolves in Russia: Anxiety Through the Ages] (Appendix B.my authorship was left out by oversight); the original paper given in 2005 is now in press, belatedly. A very similar progression was reported in 1999 for urban coyotes targeting children in urban parks by Bob Timm and Rex Baker. Over 200 attacks on children are reported. We are currently co-authoring a paper on this. So, wolves and coyotes target people in an identical manner!(emphasis added)
It is imperative for people venturing into the outdoors and/or living in wolf and coyote populated regions to understand the entire seven stages of behavior. Separately each stage is quite innocuous, with the exception of the final attack. This isn’t an attempt to try to scare people. This information could save a life.
If one will recall documented accounts of encounters with wolves and coyotes, you’ll find that some or all of these stages have been documented. Because the seven stages are spread out over time, what we as humans witness are often just one of the seven stages. Aside from the actual attack itself on humans, livestock and pets, the rest of the stages seem somewhat harmless and as Dr. Geist describes them as “almost playful”.
If we can understand the seven stages and learn to recognize them, it might save a life. The next time you read about or witness an encounter with a wolf or coyote, think about the seven stages and see if you can make a determination as to which stage of behavior is being displayed. This behavior might also give you an indication of the health of the pack and the ecosystem near you.
Tom Remington
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I’ve had wolves follow me in the Sawtooth and Frank Church Wilderness consistently for the last four years.. Especially when the horses are with me.. Over forty years of solo adventures into Idaho State Forests and State Wilderness areas I can say that my sightings of wolves observing me, far out number all cougar and bear sightings combined.. This spells eventual conflicts as far as I am concerned.. I have sat in the wall tent which I will pack into the Frank with the horses, and leave it, and then just walk in and out of that camp, (14miles one way) and i can hear the wolves sniffing at the tent while I am in it, they have barked at me, when I go out they can not usually be seen, but their there.. I take the horses less often because this is just a huge hassle, because you dare not leave them alone and go off scouting or fishing.. You know how the wolves whack sheep, 120 plus in one night in Montana recently. Just think how pissed people would get if that was a church group outing in the Sawtooths, where their are a few church camp associations and or groups, and say a pack of ten or twelve wolves busts them and kills 20-30 kids and a counselor.. Then we’ll see what the wolf advocates are really made of if God Forbid that ever happens.. I believe in the never say never..
I hate to have and say it, Greg, but you’re probably right….These people have conceptions of wild animals as being animated cartoons, without the cold, calculating sense of survival that makes them what they really are.
I’ve seen the stage of coyote attacks, and coyote/dog attacks on cattle and horses, and can assure you it is a mess to see prized animals with their tails and buttocks chewed half off….And, whenever the time comes to do something about it, just grabbing your gun is not going to put an end to it…They are much too smart to stick around and wait to get shot, or trapped….It will only be in the last stages, where coyote/wolves/hybrids are actually targeting people, most likely children, when anything is going to be done about it….Why do people always wait until after the problem actually happens, to do something about it…..Don’t they EVER see it coming?
When a pack of wolves watches children from a few yards away, it is not because the wolves want to play frisbee with them. If the alarm bells are not ringing right now in Idaho, something is very wrong with the system. As much as a giant tragedy might wake people up to the danger of human-habituated wolves, common sense should suffice and the impending tragedy averted forthwith.
PS — thank you, Tom, for your excellent research and reporting. These matters are not trivial or esoteric. Your voice is much needed and much appreciated.
Since having a wolf season in North Idaho the wolves seem to be less bold than in previous years. We do not have the livestock issues like they do down where Greg lives because there is very little open range and just a few ranches and they don’t have the numbers of sheep and cows like down in central and southern Idaho. We’re still seeing a few pets getting munched and the wolves have come down by the houses a few times at night and early morning but I think th hunt has helped condition a few of them. They are having an effect on the deer, elk and moose though. Seems like there are a lot less cats and coyotes also. Personally I’d rather have the cats and coyotes. I sure hope they don’t get them relisted, it wouldbe the worst thing they could do for all the animals, wolves included.
Greg,
The boy missed a big grey last weekend, he fell on his snowshoes sat. and missed on sunday. Knocked the scope off over a foot at a hundred yards. We went today and got him sighted in again so he’ll be back up there in the morning. Still haven’t seen the pure white wolf but I hear he’s still around.
An article showed up in the local paper today and it seems that Fish and game here in northwest Montana are thinking of eliminating the doe deer season altogether next year. What a trade off to enjoy wolves. Hunters in a meeting to discuss the topic last night were not allowed to comment on the wolf situation as it pertains to deer hunting. So as I see it since the wolf food or kill-for-fun supply is getting depleted the next step we will get to see more wolves. I can hardly wait.I wonder if deer hunting will be stopped altogether after next years season? The snow is getting hard after this long thaw we have been having, what animals are left in the winter ranges are now going to get hammerd by the eco-system getting balanced.
Idaho hunters have lost many doe and cow opportunity’s in the last three seasons, maybe four seasons.. Prized tags like the 48 Bull permit or the 49 Bull permit, which is either side of highway 75 which splits the Wood River Valley, has always been controlled hunt units, the reason is and open hunt would have been a massacre, well it is obviously any how thanks to all the years of wolves decimating the two units, including unit 50 which is Copper Basin to the East of this Valley..
4000 hunters found and tagged less than 300 deer. I refused to participate because it makes no sense to go out and kill a deer or elk here. And I would not except that once “prized” Bull permit for either unit mentioned, 50 included, because the elk are under 1000 head, when in 1995 it was 10,000 head. it is the same story every where and I am just waiting for hunting to be closed, mark my words, if next season is not our last the hunting in the next five will be, at some point they will stop it all together. Which has always been the agenda period.. When it comes down to the predators or us we are done.. And eventually the predators are going to be done as well. These Darwinists are a curse on the lands and so is their environmentalism ism ism ism ism DOGMA bullshit religion..
There should be 4500 elk wintering from Fairfield Idaho to Carey Idaho with the Wood River Valley splitting the center of that line and there is not. I can cover that ground in three hours while glassing and NADA. Two little herds in the South Fork Payette watershed, where there should be 10,000+ elk from Garden Valley to GrandJean and not even close.. That is 60 miles of mountains on either side of that Watershed and 1800 elk maybe.. i am heading to the Middle Fork Boise shortly, that is 80 miles of watershed from Spring shores to Atlanta. I expect to see very little.. The winter range near house mountain, along the South Fork Boise, going towards mountain home and Boise, which is a triangle just south of the Spring Shores road to Atlanta, I snow machined across it and NADA. that was and 80 mile loop on the sled.. The Charlatans at Maughans are just that, they have no credibility, their totally blind to the truth..
This is the worst wild life disaster I’ve ever seen in my life.. Worse than super winter storms that left the elk and deer in piles to been seen in the spring which I have Witnessed.. There are a few small groups of game, that’s it.. When the truth is finally out these liars will try to blame hunting by man as the sole reason of the failure.. These people think we hate predators, NO, I hate those people who supported this disaster and still do.. They will have caused the deaths of thousands of ungulates and predators because of their Darwinism unfactual pure filthy bullshit..
25 years ago I lived out there like a mountain man for five years, a person with that expertise trying it now would starve to death, if one person cannot make it our there living like that, how the hell can 3000 wolves be doing it.. Fact is their not, their dying to.. From starvation.. Or their moving to other states..
Looks to me like Idaho’s hunters should do away with the Fish and Game department, altogether….they were created for hunters, by hunters and their license fees, and have left their oath to manage game and serve hunters, and caved in to the “wolfites” , who have never contributed or created the need for the department in the first place…..neither have their dollars! The Fish and Game department could well take their leave, leaving the deer and game for the wolves to finish off…..and themselves…What a waste of resources!
Sad but true. Hunting as we have known it will soon be a thing of the past. It it ever came to a national vote hunters would lose big time. The animals are already losing thanks to these wolf lovers including the wolf.
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The idea that you have to be afraid of wolves and they are habituating to humans in Idaho is preposterous and crazy. First off most any wolf that approached a human in Idaho is probably going to get shot. There are over 300 deaths a year in this nation from domestic dogs attacks and thousands of injuries. There are a few deaths that have been attributed to wolves in the last 100 years but very very few. Are wolves dangerous? Of course, but so are bears, cougars, rolling rocks, rushing rivers. You are many times safer walking the woods of Idaho than walking down the street in any given town in Idaho (or anywhere else for that matter). You have to put it all into perspective.
No one said they are afraid of wolves. People are a bit concerned about the well being of human children out playing with wolves watching them. I have personally witnessed the activity Geist documents in his 7 stage habituation thesis.
Wolves are habituating to humans in Idaho. I’ll take the expertise of Val Geist and his many years of studies of wolves in Canada and his proven thesis on the stages of habituation over any of you so-called u.s. serf talking heads. Your expertise is burning down forests Rich.. Stick to that. Marginalizing this problem by a so-called educated person such as yourself is irresponsible.
So crazy that we had a pack on the local golf course last week. A guy I work with heard them howlng right behind his house last night. A local woman was out doing chores and had her dog with her, the dog got attacked by a single wolf and she beat the wolf off the dog with a shovel. Neighbor lost two of his dogs in the back yard to wolves last winter. To many to list but other than that nothing to worry about. I’ll still take my chances in the wood of Idaho rather than walking down a street in the city any day.
Rich, you write, “The idea that you have to be afraid of wolves and they are habituating to humans in Idaho is preposterous and crazy”
I don’t remember seeing just where the word fear is mentioned in the article, but maybe you could elucidate me…If the word “fear”, was mentioned, perhaps it was in the same perspective as “the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom”….there are time when fear is a great motivator, as long as it doesn’t induce paralysis, and make the person even more of a prey, like the proverbial deer caught in the headlights…
And sometime a little fear is good for the adrenalin, and promotes action, rather than complacency, which is exactly what you are advocating….and complacency in the area of awareness, is a precursor to being preyed upon…Perhaps you are not aware of that, since you are not a hunter, you can not think like one….Personally, I think, you think more like the Timothy Treadwells, who have no fear and no respect for the animals you think you would like to protect, but have no idea how……
A bit off topic, but you’ve really got to check this out. A retarded wolf centred website which advertises “pure” wolves as pets:
http://www.freewebs.com/wolfhavenspiritofthepast/factstidbits.htm
Here are some of its words of wisdom:
Wolves are apparently felines rather than canines, and are closely related to lions
Like cats, wolves can dislocate their joints
Wolves are only aggressive when they have dog blood in them
A pure wolf can live perfectly happily in the back of a truck or cab
Contrary to popular opinion, wolves do not require a lot of space, and can live perfectly well in appartments
Also, check out the photo gallery on these 100% pure animals!
Marcy the McKenzie looks very like the Siberian huskies and malemutes I used to raise. Those comments sound pretty far fetched. More feline than canine???
“Wolves are not natural born killers, they only kill to eat.”
Strange as “wolves are more closely related to lions”…
Either one, in anyone’s opinion, other than these creeps, is a very well equipped killer, whether they eat what they kill or not….and there is more evidence to support the fact that they kill without regard to eating, but for the sheer pleasure and fun of it, than could fill several books..
But then again, this is what you can expect from the clear thinking, left wing wolf lovers….right, Lee….?
Well, I have seen wolves do some very feline type things. I think their agility is just incredible. I believe, no I know wolves are at least ten times more athletic than dogs are, the best dog, and agile, and if the top lab or border collie is considered to be equal mentally to a three year old human child, the wolf has to be seven or nine.. Many people including the wolves blind supporters severely under estimate the ability of this animal. I just wish I had film clips of wolf playing with me, he was amazing. I always had to invent new games or tricks because they only worked in my favor the first few times and then he beat me at them.. We used to kid around at home that if we split his tongue he would master English. His cousins do not deserve the injustice of being used as a political weapon to destroy hunting and private property ownership for the U.N.
Check out the average sizes.. Canadian 150 pounds. I’ve known about this place, I am seriously contemplating a male again.. But I am looking around at other breeders as well..
Our Average Sizes
To help you make a decision on which type of wolf you may want we thought we would give you an idea of what the average size of our wolves are:
Mexican Gray: 25″ at shoulder 200 lbs
Tundra: 22″ at shoulder 75 lbs
Canadian: 26″ at shoulder 150 lbs
Mckenzie Artic: 30″ at shoulder 300 lbs
Usually females are about 20% smaller than males.
Classification: Canus Lupus, The Grey Wolf, also known as the Timber.
I remember reading about habituated wolves in Yellowstone, and have observed several of the stages described by Dr. Geist here in central Idaho. The younger wolves seem to be the least afraid of people and have approached humans on numerous occasions over the last 5 years. This has been followed by “mock attacks” – in some cases. There have been folks out hiking that realize they have a wolf following them. Campers have reported wolves sniffing, growling and howling around their tents and campers at night. Campers have had live stock attacked and killed (including the guard donkey.) Hunters have lost dogs. Neighbors have had wolves in their yards, dogs have been killed. People have tried running wolves off, to have them return shortly. At first we tried reporting wolf sightings to FWS, and were told “it was probably a dog”. Well sir, I happen to know every dog in town and it wasn’t one of them coming at my husband in the driveway a few weeks ago! We hear wolves howling so often now that its not even remarkable anymore.
There are no 300 pound wolves.
“As the smallest subspecies of gray wolf, the Mexican gray wolf varies in size from 50 to 64 inches long (nose to tail), 24 to 32 inches shoulder height, and weighs from 50 to 90 pounds. ” If their wolves weigh 200 pounds they are grossly over weight.
http://www.cosmosmith.com/mexican_wolves.html
jes, why jump on me for statements I did not make? The comments you are remarking about were on the site sent in by SR and comes from someone selling wolves as pets.
I still think their McKinzie wolves look like malemutes.
Lee, I’m not picking on you, I’m just lumping you in with all the other left wing liberal wolf lovers….(is that not where you stand)? Nice photos of wolves on that site, though…Just who was claiming there’s 300 lb. wolves?? To tell you the truth, one decent, healthy, well conditioned wolf of 100 lbs. or less, could easily bring down a man, and kill him….much less a child. Two or more could rip apart any man who is efficient at fighting, and strong enough to tackle one on one….It’s only a matter of time before it is proven in fact…..and has more than likely happened already, without any evidence to conclusively prove it to the skeptics who love the wolf without reservation…
So, Lee, aren’t you upset with the elections in Massachusetts? Me, I’m elated! The people have begun to speak, and if the liberals who have re-elected Kennedy for the last 40 years, have shown their Democratic representatives what they think of what they are putting over on us by giving away the farm with banker subsidies, and health control rather than health help, then you are going to see BIG changes, very very soon.. Thank God! (oh, I forgot, you can’t thank God, you don’t believe in Him, right)?
Lee is the wolf “expert” who has never seen them in the wilds of Idaho, never spent real time with one, and tries to discredit a breeder. And her “peer” reviewed science is the only true dogma, err science with any credibility. You know how it is, Maughan, Cole, and Marvel speak the gospel.
Man written up science is her god Jes.
When one of the most Liberal State in this u.s. corporation comes out and sends a Conservative to the Senate it just means the Liberals out number the Libtards.
I’ve been watching that dual and when it concluded today I was rolling on the floor roaring with laughter..
jes, perhaps you did not look at the site that is selling wolves or read very carefully Greg’s list of subspecies they are selling and their weights. Count up 5 posts from your last one.
And if I feel as you assume I do and if i were a believer why would I thank herim? (that is my contraction to represent her and/or him. It couild also be himer, but ladies first; and then there is shehe or heshe.)
I have no doubt that you are correct in that “one decent, healthy, well conditioned wolf of 100 lbs. or less, could easily bring down a man, and kill him”.
Considering the number of wolves that humans have killed it is possibly a good behavior that they are “sport killers” rather than revenge killers.
Yeah, Lee, I saw the site, and the way they think of wolves, and if you fed a wolf like some people I’ve seen, you would have a 300 lb.wolf….and when you have a pet, you can do that….of course, he wouldn’t have the agility or be able to do much but waddle…..and you are possibly getting too caught up in contractions….or hermaphrodites….or both.
Hello.
Yes, I am Living with Wolves fan.
Jim and Jamie did a good job with the wolves.
I enjoyed the documentary about Kamots, Chemuck, Matsi, Motomo, Amani, Wahots, Wyakin and Lakota, these fine animals.
They really moved my heart.
Thank you.
Gea from the Netherland