How to keep wolves from hanging around your vehicles 101.

[smokingman]

It has been cold(northern Minnesota here) and sometimes things get neglected.

Short story.We have had wolves hanging out in the front yard every night for the last 3.They have been all around the garage and vehicles.It bothers my wife a bit because she has to leave in the morning before sun up and often gets home after dark.

We have always had wolves,but they never have gotten this close to the house(within 10 feet of the front door),and it is not one wolf but at least 4 probably more.

Our dogs have been basket cases.We have a 7ft privacy fence in the back yard,but still I have kept a close eye on them when they where out.

Are they THAT hungry?What changed that they are so close?

I figured it out this morning rofl.I guess a 50lb bag of dog food left in my truck smelled pretty tasty to them.

So there it is.If you do not want wolves hanging around when you go to start your vehicle do not leave 50lbs of dog food in it.Neglect on my part,but it was -20F the day I brought the food home and had no immediate need to bring it in.Lesson learned.

 

[buckwacker]

SSS

 

[cwillour]

Please, don't [STRIKE]feed[/STRIKE] tease the animals

 

[red_zr24x4]

Who's got the "more you know" gif?

 

[indyjohn]

That's just cruel.

 

[Bfish]

Yeah I would not be happy if I were your wife either. I have seen some of those wolves up in Minnesota and they weigh like 300lbs! And their paw are huge. They are really kind of creepy. They have circled when pulling deer out of the woods and things... Those suckers are kinda erie.

 

[yote hunter]

I would like to have a full body mount wolf.... Wish I could go hunt them someday... We just get yotes... But I sure love to hunt them things...

 

[smokingman]

Yeah I would not be happy if I were your wife either. I have seen some of those wolves up in Minnesota and they weigh like 300lbs! And their paw are huge. They are really kind of creepy. They have circled when pulling deer out of the woods and things... Those suckers are kinda erie.

I do not find them creepy,quite the opposite.I think they are one of the most amazing and majestic animals on the planet.I know what they are,they are a societal group of apex predators,but they have bonds,relationships,and family that few animals can relate to.They must learn to work together to survive,with each member of a pack having a place they need to be.Yet when they are no longer useful to a pack they are rarely left to fend for themselves.They are intelligent,loyal,and act with purpose which is why humans choose them as companions.
Wolves get my respect,but I do not fear them.A few years ago I was fortunate enough to encounter a mother and pups playing in a creek.I spent a half hour watching them,as mom watched me.Was a pretty amazing experience.
The male that was sizing me up one night when I was working on a truck(after dark) did remind me that they do not consider humans friends though,and we do not go unarmed into our woods.

Minnesota has the largest wolf pack in the USA at 22-23 members.
NPWRC :: A Record Large Wolf, Canis lupus, Pack in Minnesota

 

[parson]

That's just cruel.

Man, that's the biggest 2 pointer that I've seen in a while!

 

[Bfish]

I do not find them creepy,quite the opposite.I think they are one of the most amazing and majestic animals on the planet.I know what they are,they are a societal group of apex predators,but they have bonds,relationships,and family that few animals can relate to.They must learn to work together to survive,with each member of a pack having a place they need to be.Yet when they are no longer useful to a pack they are rarely left to fend for themselves.They are intelligent,loyal,and act with purpose which is why humans choose them as companions.
Wolves get my respect,but I do not fear them.A few years ago I was fortunate enough to encounter a mother and pups playing in a creek.I spent a half hour watching them,as mom watched me.Was a pretty amazing experience.
The male that was sizing me up one night when I was working on a truck(after dark) did remind me that they do not consider humans friends though,and we do not go unarmed into our woods.

Minnesota has the largest wolf pack in the USA at 22-23 members.
NPWRC :: A Record Large Wolf, Canis lupus, Pack in Minnesota

Yeah, watching the mother and pups would be cool... My experience was just not so pleasant and I am sure that is probably why I find them so much more creepy! Black bears are cool though!

 

[LionWeight]

Didn't someone say it was -20??? This poor thing is just trying to use the warmth from the engine running.

 

[Zoub]

Two nights ago I woke up about 2am. So I took a **** and let the pup out to do the same. When I returned to the back door I could tell by his position wolves were about. He will come up and sit on the deck with his butt against the glass door while he quietly and with zero movement surveys the area. So I let him and stepped out, nothing. Then after a minute I heard some howls. Reflecting on it I think the wolves woke him up and he got me up.

Then last night while out playing darts (dart league) my woman texted me that there was a large carnivore or two near the house, be careful coming in, she was already in bed. I think they have been running the river this week. They won't be around long, deer are few in numbers here right now. I still have not worked up the nerve to go night hunting for coyotes alone.

 

[Rocket]

Not smart to night hunt alone. Not with those around. I have always enjoyed watching programs and reading about wolves. But when my family was camping about 30mins from smokingmans place we heard a pack a couple of nights in a row. It was electrifying. The were not too close and we were in tents so that was good. But we were armed. And no one in my family walks those woods alone even armed. We are not the only large and dangerous critters in northern MN. However I would gladly walk those woods alone and unarmed, before you will catch me in Chicago or Detroit

 

[Zoub]

Being alone is part of the beauty of living here . To hunt or fish I just walk out the door and decide where to head. If you don't do things alone, you will never do anything as there are very few people. We watched some reality show last year that was set in Maine and they were talking about how remote the area was with only 10 people per square mile. Shoot, that's too crowded for us, our area is like 5.1 per square. I spent a fair amount of my youth North and West of where Smokingman is now and we could meet for lunch in less than 2 hours if we both drove.

The dogs tend to keep most critters at a distance and in return we never leave the property without something to protect the dogs, and ourselves, from wolves and coyotes. Of course most morning walks in summer and evening walks in winter are in the dark so I carry a spotlight and a surefire as a backup. I shine a spotlight around the property when I let the dogs out, it tends to help move things along. There are plenty of local wolf stories to go around and some will creep you out. Even the best hunters around here take them serious. I always look up the larger trees for cougars.

Speaking of spotlights, I have multiples of this one and I just bought this deal after Christmas so I also like the headlamp. I had free shipping but even with $5 ship this is a good deal. The one I carry for walks has an old mag lite D cell leather belt loop on the handle. It fits perfectly and allows me to retain it while I do other things or even hang it from a carabiner etc.

Cyclops Rechargeable LED Spotlight Plus Headlamp Combo | Scheels

I am laughing because I just remembered my Brothers first night time run in with a bear in northern MN. He was 10 and I was 17. I worked on a resort that belonged to family friends and we vacationed there too. We were up at the boat house hanging out. He runs in with his buddy and they want me to walk with them back to the cabin because a bear walked up on them in the dark. We often walked around with no lights, no nothing except a knife. We tell them hell no, we are going to finish this chess game first. Then my friend hands them his biggest buck knife and I tell them to take the trail along the lake shore. If there is a bear, just jump in the water, but DO NOT lose that knife. God that was funny then and still is now. Its not funny when it is your kids or grand kids but it is when it is your Bro. He also got punked by a wolf once. I saw it coming but he didn't. That's a growl I will never forget. He almost stepped right out of his underwear.

 

[kludge]

Another way to keep the wolves away is to put T-Rex pee on the tires.

 

[smokingman]

Being alone is part of the beauty of living here . To hunt or fish I just walk out the door and decide where to head. If you don't do things alone, you will never do anything as there are very few people. We watched some reality show last year that was set in Maine and they were talking about how remote the area was with only 10 people per square mile. Shoot, that's too crowded for us, our area is like 5.1 per square. I spent a fair amount of my youth North and West of where Smokingman is now and we could meet for lunch in less than 2 hours if we both drove.

The dogs tend to keep most critters at a distance and in return we never leave the property without something to protect the dogs, and ourselves, from wolves and coyotes. Of course most morning walks in summer and evening walks in winter are in the dark so I carry a spotlight and a surefire as a backup. I shine a spotlight around the property when I let the dogs out, it tends to help move things along. There are plenty of local wolf stories to go around and some will creep you out. Even the best hunters around here take them serious. I always look up the larger trees for cougars.

Speaking of spotlights, I have multiples of this one and I just bought this deal after Christmas so I also like the headlamp. I had free shipping but even with $5 ship this is a good deal. The one I carry for walks has an old mag lite D cell leather belt loop on the handle. It fits perfectly and allows me to retain it while I do other things or even hang it from a carabiner etc.

Cyclops Rechargeable LED Spotlight Plus Headlamp Combo | Scheels

I am laughing because I just remembered my Brothers first night time run in with a bear in northern MN. He was 10 and I was 17. I worked on a resort that belonged to family friends and we vacationed there too. We were up at the boat house hanging out. He runs in with his buddy and they want me to walk with them back to the cabin because a bear walked up on them in the dark. We often walked around with no lights, no nothing except a knife. We tell them hell no, we are going to finish this chess game first. Then my friend hands them his biggest buck knife and I tell them to take the trail along the lake shore. If there is a bear, just jump in the water, but DO NOT lose that knife. God that was funny then and still is now. Its not funny when it is your kids or grand kids but it is when it is your Bro. He also got punked by a wolf once. I saw it coming but he didn't. That's a growl I will never forget. He almost stepped right out of his underwear.

I go out fairly often alone,but take at least one of the dogs with me and of course as you said something to protect the dog.The dogs do deter most critters for sure,accept the porcupines.The official people per square mile where I am is 5,but if you took out the "major" cities of Two Harbors,Silver Bay,and Ely that would drop to around one every 25 square miles or so
Also on high alert for cougars,and we had tracks from one this summer on our property.I would rather run into a pack of wolves than a lone cougar.At least with the wolves you know they are there as one will make itself known to try and turn you toward the pack,with the cougar you are ambushed.

 

[TiMMaY]

Who's got the "more you know" gif?

You ask and you shall receive.

 

[Tactically Fat]

Yeah I would not be happy if I were your wife either. I have seen some of those wolves up in Minnesota and they weigh like 300lbs! And their paw are huge. They are really kind of creepy. They have circled when pulling deer out of the woods and things... Those suckers are kinda erie.

300lb wolves, huh?

 

[Zoub]

300lb wolves, huh?

The animal that truly does look 200% of its weight is the Fisher. They look 30lbs easy but are about 15lb. After seeing those, I have zero desire to see a Wolverine up close after dark.