Wolf attack likely killed man, police say
Last Updated Nov 10 2005 01:34 PM CST
CBC News
It was likely wolves that killed an Ontario man in northern Saskatchewan earlier this week, the RCMP says.

The body of the 22-year-old man was found at Points North Landing near Wollaston Lake two days ago. The community is about 450 kilometres northeast of La Ronge.

An autopsy indicated he was likely killed by animals, according to RCMP spokesperson Heather Russell.

"All of the injuries discovered in the autopsy are consistent with animal bites. But you can't completely rule everything out until the investigation is complete," she said.

Russell said the autopsy hasn't confirmed what sort of animals attacked the man, but noted wolves have been sighted in the area and there were tracks – believed to be wolf tracks – around the body.

It was likely those animals that killed him, she said.

The RCMP haven't released the name of the victim. He was from Oshawa.

If it's confirmed that wolves killed the man, it would be the first time in recent history that's happened in North America.

A 2002 study of wolf attacks in Alaska and Canada done by the Alaska Fish and Game Department found no examples of human deaths attributed to wolf attacks for more than 100 years.

Wayne Galloway, a veteran outfitter in northern Saskatchewan, said he wouldn't be at all surprised if wolves attacked and killed a human.

He said in recent years, he's seen an increase in wolf numbers and a decrease in the wildlife they prey on.

"They're a predator and I guess if man happens to be something that they'll take a pass at, they'll do it," he said. "



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Earlier this year a worker at a mine in the area was attacked and bitten several times by a wolf.

Hello Murf,

I had a pack of 8 go by just after daybreak one year when I was on my moose hunt in Northern Ontario. I had seen moose there just the previous afternoon in that spot. They weren't much interested in me, only the moose. They could easily have ripped me to shreds. All of them appeared to be
in excess of a 100lbs. A pack hot on the trail of its intended victim is an awesome thing to see, maybe scary is a better word. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

A friend and I jumped a couple today. That puts my count up to 11 this year so far.

hello;
I heard this story, complete with the documented part and my eye brows went up. They claim this, everytime some like this happens.
I've sen more wolves in the last six monthe than I have in the lasr 30 odd years and I'm convinced they are getting more numerous and bolder. I shot one about three weeks ago, about 10 miles from here on a grazing lease in the Bergen area. Just one of this years pups, but I stopped in a clearing for a bite of lunch, when he started growling and barking at me. Since I couldn't get a clear shot, I started walking towards him. There was no backing off, he just paced back and forth. the previous week, an aquaintance and I both missed shots at 2 black ones, of a group of 3.
Grizz

dont take a pack of 6 wolves long to shred a mule deer

I don't doubt the wolves (but most likely something else) might have eaten the guy, but I'll bet he died on his own before they got to him. I've been up close and personal with wolves on several occasions, where they had all the advantage, and never once did I feel threatened.

I've had a bull moose put the wind under my kilt once (and cow moose several times!), and a sow bear is nothing to fool with, but wolves have never done anything but sing me to sleep.

I did see a pack of wolves pull down a bull moose once, less than 50' in front of me. That was a pretty gory sight. Thankfully, I was sitting on a D6 Cat at the time, but in the snow under a full moon it was an experience I'll never forget. I was about 18 years old and I'll bet my eyes were the size of dinner plates and you couldn't have drove a flax seed through my sphincter with a sledge hammer!

Sooooo, as my dear old uncle Junt used to say your eyes were as big as choked rats assholes???

the chef

As I posted in the begining a worker at a mine in the areas was attacked and severly bitten by a wolf earlier this year. He had decided to walk rather than take the company bus back to camp.He was lucky as a bus load of fellow workers came upon the scene and drove the wolf away.
I am not trying to start a big bad wolf thread but feel that wolves as any large preditor must be respected and seen as a possible threat. I do not buy into the friendly creature who would never think of attacking a man theory any more than I buy the fierce killer of legends characterization.

Well, since we live in a society where factual truth is steadfastly ignored in favour of government and mass media approved fantasy, what do you expect. Here in the Greater Vancouver area, the nights thunder with illegal pistol shots from unregistered handguns packed by almost entirely Asian gangsters, the vast majority of whom are East Indians.

Whenever the "leaders" of the E.I. community are questioned about this, the immediate answer is that it is all due to "racism" within the larger society. Much the same sort of thing happens in TO with the same lame excuse given by "leaders" of the Jamaican community. Funny how these two cities very seldom had shootings before the arrival, en masse, of these murderous newcomers.

My point is that reality is now deliberately manipulated by various interest groups, the PETA whackjobs being just one among these; this will get worse before the coming upheaval here in Canada, IMHO, about all we can do is to try to keep this country out of the "Eagle's grasping talons". A huge change is coming and it will not be an easy transition....for people, Wolves or anything else.

Kutes

Those aren't Eagle Claws that are grasping at Canada, they are Dragon's Claws.

Hello;
As usual, I'm sure the truth lies somewhwere in the middle, but try and explain that to the rancher, where I shot my March wolf. He claims they've lost 35 calves to wolves this year. Since their cattle spend the summer until October, grazing on the Forest Reserve and aren't supervised constantly, they can't be absolutely certain, but they've encountered a couple of incidents, where they caught them in the act. So by extrapolation, the wolves got them all.
My encounter with my Oct. wolf puzzled me for a while and I thought of the possibility of rabies. Since that time though, I've seen very similar behaviour in our 6 month old German Shephard. When she encounters something that doesn't fit her idea of normal and makes her insecure, she growls and barks and trys to intimidate the unknown whatever.
Grizz

Interesting isn't it, that while it is excepted that bears occasionally show predatory intent towards people, dispite the fact that they are omniverous, but to suggest the carniverous wolf, might do the same results in howels (no pun intended) of protest.

I remember an old Russell Anabell story which contained some interesting observations on wolves in Alaska. Rusty was asked why it was that if Alaskan wolves were so large and aggesive there had been no record of wolves killing and eating people, when the smaller wolves of Europe were known to take peasants on a fairly regular basis. The reply was because peasants in Alaska carry guns and knives and know how to use them.

At the time I thought this was amusing, but in view of Canada's new firearm registry and the recent predatory wolf attack in Saskatchewan, I've quit laughing.

Hello Murf,

I had also heard that there was no previous record of a wolf attacking a human in Canada, but find that hard to believe. Certainly it is no longer true. Best wishes.

Cal - Montreal

Records are funny things. Unless you know where to find them, they are meaningless and over time they fade into obscurity. That goes especially for the Media, who communicate in sound bites and can't remember what the weather was like last week. Obviously, in a successfull attack, its difficult to determine whether the victim died first or from the attack, but there are at least some instances where the circumstances are very suspicious. I remember a news report a couple of years ago where the remains of a native women were found. She was apparently walking home one winter night, when something happened to her. At the time that was reported as a documented wolf attack.
Grizz

quote:

Originally posted by Murf:
A 2002 study of wolf attacks in Alaska and Canada done by the Alaska Fish and Game Department found no examples of human deaths attributed to wolf attacks

since the Disney generation came of age.

remember an old Russell Anabell story which contained some interesting observations on wolves in Alaska. Rusty was asked why it was that if Alaskan wolves were so large and aggesive there had been no record of wolves killing and eating people, when the smaller wolves of Europe were known to take peasants on a fairly regular basis. The reply was because peasants in Alaska carry guns and knives and know how to use them.

I have allways mantain that is was the case here in NA. If a lone mountain man or native disapeared no knew why.

If a wolf or bear showed up around a ranch or farm stead they were shot on site. The aggresive ones were quickly weeded out.

Now we have the trouble of not being allowed to kill them in a lot of areas and the aggresive one tend to breed and pass on their aggresive genes.

So most likely we well be seeing more and more attacks.

Not sure about the Alaska study on wolf attacks, I do recall a documented attack on a logger near Rocky Mountain House in Alta, he kept the wolf at bay with a running chainsaw until help arrived, the wolf then followed the skidoo to the road, the wolf was shot and was found to be a healthy male, around 130 lbs.
The case in Sask is true as well. Perhaps there is a lack of documents cases due to people being alone when attacked, it can be very hard to determine cause of death after a body has been laying around a while, due to scavangers and time etc. This I know from experience. They are large efficent predators, no reason why they would not eat people when they can. There is a book out on documented cases of wolf attacks I have read, I'll post the name of it if I can find it.

I grew up in northern Sask. When I was 15 the town I lived in was in an uproar because a lone wolf was coming into peoples yards and hungrily 'removing' dogs off their chains. In 2 weeks that wolf inhaled a dozen dogs. Then we would see the big bugger stand on the side of the road on the edge of town when school would get out. Every one was scared because the wolf was not afraid. A local wolf hunt was arranged (i wasn't allowed to go) and that wolf was killed along with 5-6 others. All within a mile from town. The man who arranged it watched his dog get taken down and when he ran out there with a bat the wolf bluff charged him.
15 years later I find myself in the most remote town in northern BC. I have met more people here who have had a close encounters with wolves than all you southerners care to know. The main reason people don't get attacked more often is simply every one here owns a rifle and we all keep looking out for the buggers. How any hunters do you know want to turn down a chance to shoot a wolf. A good trophy!
I have shot several and missed twice that many. In 10 years I have been surrounded 3 times by a pack of wolves on the hunt. I'm lucky because I didn't panick. Instead I shot. One wolf was only a cutline width away. He knew what I was but in February at -45c with 3 feet of snow, anything looks delicious.
People you all are in a dream world if you think wolves won't attack or maybe kill someone. They are hunters and meat eaters. They are also opportunists. I lost my moose this fall to a small pack. I shot him went back for help, 3 hours later the wolves were on him.There was tons of human scent all around. They don't care.
The reason there is no reports of wolf attacks is this...Animal rights groups. Back in '82-'84 a huge wolf hunt was initiated in northern BC because of high predation on ungulates and human encounters. Greenpeace tried to shut it down and because of the squawking the gov't supported them. If there was reports of wolf problems it would trigger another wolf hunt. Too many politics so it is easier to keep things quiet.
People are killed by cougers, black bears and grizzlies. Why are wolves so different. There are even reports of coyotes attacking people.
I read all the newspaper reports from the Sask wolf Fatality. People are niave to print things like that. The repoters and office pushers should try living in these remote places. They would change their tune....