Resident reports run-in with wolf pack
Reports of wolf sightings and tracks have been circulating throughout Northwest Montana recently, avid hunters and Montanans are claiming to have seen more wolves than they have seen before.
“They were howling and circling in front of my vehicle,” Brad Kelsch said after an encounter that sent chills up his spine.
Kelsch, an appraiser in Libby, was appraising a home near Lime Creek and Old Highway 2. He exited his vehicle and walked to the house. However, before he entered the residence he was startled to see five wolves.
“I counted at least five, but it’s hard to say how many there were,” Kelsch said. “I’ve lived here awhile, and I’ve seen more wolf tracks than ever before this year.”
According to a report, issued in October, by Diane Tipton, an Information Officer for Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP), there are approximately 560 wolves in Montana. However, she reports many Montana residents have “yet to see a wolf.”
“Hunters, hikers, anglers, and others are outdoors in force, increasing the odds of a chance encounter this time of year,” Ken McDonald, FWP wildlife bureau chief, said.
Although wolf packs occur primarily in western Montana, wolves can be found anywhere in the state, Tipon said.
An influx of rumors and stories of wolf encounters and track sightings has some Lincoln County residents talking about the “real” number of wolves.
Hunters have voiced frustration toward the wolves, claiming the wolves are feeding on the game they would normally harvest during the hunting season.
Kent Laudon, Wolf Biologist for FWP, is concerned about the perception individuals have of wolves.
“I’ve been tracking and studying wolves since 1997,” Laudon said. “I walk in to wolf dens and count pups.”
According to Laudon, a startled wolf is always going to seem frightening. However, the person startling the wolf might be more frightening for the wolf.
“Startled wolves may make a deep, ‘chesty’ bark,” Laudon said. “A wolf’s bark will cause other wolves to join the other wolf.”
Laudon wants people to know and understand the habits of wolves.
“Wolves don’t sleep in a pile, like a pile of dogs all together,” Laudon said. “They can sleep apart over a quarter-mile area. They are mostly bedded down during the day as well.”
“Is it possible to encounter one during the day? Yes. But, not usually unless one was startled.”
Families ask whether living in rural areas they should allow their children to walk to and from school, and are they safe to wait at the bus stop?
“I would be nervous dropping my kids off or letting them walk home from the bus stop,” Kelsch said.
However, Laudon said most wolves are timid of humans and will run away if they hear people.
“Dogs are something of concern, though,” Laudon said. “I’m always concerned when I have my dog with me. If there was a wolf, there might be a problem; it’s a canine thing.”
Tipton recommends the following examples of what to do if a person was to encounter a wolf:
• Do not allow wolves to become comfortable around human dwellings or inhabited areas;
• Report a wolf sighting to FWP online to assist in the tracking and management of wolves in Montana;
• Keep dogs under voice command or on a leash. Wolves can be aggressive toward domestic dogs;
• If you encounter a wolf and your dog is present, bring your dog to heel at your side as soon as possible. Standing between your dog and the wolf usually ends an encounter,
• Do not try to break up a physical fight between the wolf and your dog, to avoid any risk of injury to yourself.
For more information or to report a wolf sighting persons may go online to www.fwp.mt.gov and click on “report a wolf sighting.”