by Woodsbum
A wolf warning has been issued for the Pacific Rim National Park Reserve near Tofino, B.C. (that’s Canada, eh). It appears that the wolves up there are starting to get overly familiar when it comes to human encounters. Since May 1 of this year, there have been 14 documented/reported wolf encounters.
Here is the article: WOLVES
Because I have been to Washington Dept Fish and Wildlife meetings about wolves and compared those “numbers” to eye witness accounts of people I know (including myself), I know that “official” numbers are always WAY off. I use a rule of 10 when I deal with “official” numbers like this. Since government organizations don’t want to alarm the general population, I always multiply the “official” numbers by 10. If a number seems overly inflated, I divide by 10 to get the more accurate representation. A different system is used when referring to certain political party statistics that include replacing their “official” numbers completely after an average of 10 minutes of research, but that is a different subject…..
In liking to spend time in the woods, I have run into all sorts of critters. I have even seen wolves here in Washington. Of course my encounters have never been added to the “official” encounters list just like 99% of the population’s. Suffice it to say that the sudden increase in wolves around the country is actually quite scary. Wolves are no joke and have really messed up Yellowstone’s animal populations. Some sort of conservation program needs to be implemented to keep wolves from over hunting other animal populations.
Since our government loves to hear themselves regulate and not produce any real results, this means that you must protect yourself. Make sure that you don’t let any wolves within 100 yards of you when you are out in the woods. They will stalk you and they hunt in packs. While you are messing around and focusing your attention on one wolf, there will be others coming up behind our beside you. Carry some sort of protection with you. I like firearms, but you should at least carry bear spray and keep it handy. Also, be really careful about food scent and storage. Don’t keep fresh meat substances in your tent or around your camp. Hang it in a tree away from your camp so there is a “buffer” zone. Also remember the wash plates and bury scraps away from your camp. All this should be second nature to the regular camper, but it is good to repeat these things to at least refresh safety procedures.
Be safe out there…..
