Arizona -(Ammoland.com)- On 12 July, 2018, a salmon researcher was treed by a pack of wolves in a Washington state wilderness area. She tried pepper spray and yelling, but the pack surrounded her and she climbed a tree. She later climbed down, only to find the wolves still there. She scrambled back up the tree and called for rescue, about 12:30 p.m. From capitalpress.com:
Washington wildlife managers initially opposed sending a helicopter or a search-and-rescue team to save a woman treed by wolves in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, according to recordings and summaries of emergency calls obtained Tuesday.
The Department of Natural Resources pushed back and prepared to dispatch an air crew that eventually executed a swift rescue. Notes from a call between DNR dispatcher Jill Jones and a wildlife officer summarized WDFW’s position, and her position, shortly before the helicopter launched.
“No helicopter. Federally listed species. 3 WDFW personnel saying so,” according to DNR’s call log.
“We are more concerned for her life than the listed animal,” Jones told the officer. “He indicated that she is safe up in the tree. … I told him that we do not know how safe she is. I don’t know how stout the tree is, and if the limbs will continue to hold her or how long she can hold on.”
A helicopter crew, in aircraft N338WN, finally rescued the woman later in the day. The crew consisted of four men, who from all reports, did an excellent job. The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Helicopter members were Devin Gooch (pilot), Jared Hess (crew), Mathew Harris (crew) and Daryl Schie (helicopter manager). It took about 45 minutes to get permission for the helicopter crew to take off, then another 14 minutes for the helicopter to arrive. I have not found the arrival time of the helicopter on site in any media. From seattletimes.com:
The research student was at a Okanogan County campground when she came across a wolf, and tried to use pepper spray on it. But another wolf appeared and then she climbed a tree.
(snip)
“The information we received was that she was 30 feet up a tree with a pack of wolves surrounding it,” Rogers said in a news release.
The sheriff said it would’ve taken his deputies about two hours to hike to her location, but the state Department of Natural Resources volunteered a helicopter that could be there in 14 minutes.
Rogers said when the helicopter arrived, the pilot told dispatch, “We’ve got wolves on the ground.”
The pilot landed and the wolves scattered. The woman climbed aboard safely.
Later reports show the woman to be a seasonal employee engaged in salmon research. She was not a student. She was not at the Okonagan County campground, but miles away from it. The helicopter likely arrived about an hour after the researcher called for help. The Capital Press report records about 45 minutes of debate preceded sending the helicopter.
Researchers have already created an excuse for the aggressive wolf behavior. They say the area the woman was in is a “rendevous site”; therefore the wolf behavior was “defensive” not aggressive. From miltribune.com:
They determined that where the researcher was treed was a “rendezvous” site, and the wolves were likely acting defensively to protect offspring or food sources.
It is easy to create excuses for aggressive wolves. Anyone can do it.
The authorities have decided to allow these aggressive wolves to continue without interference. If traveling in this area, it might be wise to take a defensive firearm and plenty of ammunition. Wolf packs need large territories to produce enough food for wolves to survive. Wolves can easily travel 30 miles a day.
Wolf defenders work hard to claim that any aggressive wolf behavior is defensive. How is a person in the woods to know if the wolves are attacking defensively or aggressively? You cannot.
What difference should it make in your response? None.
If you are being attacked, you need to defend yourself. The woman researcher was lucky. She was able to secure refuge and contact rescuers who were willing and able to come to her aid.
When European immigrants first came to North America, they assumed that wolves were dangerous. All of their experience in Europe showed wolves to be dangerous. Wolves in North America are the same animals as wolves in Europe.
The mythology of the harmless wolf was created out of the success of the developing North American civilization. They were successful at protecting themselves and their animal resources from wolves. The European immigrants brought technology that was effective in keeping wolf populations on the defensive, afraid of contact with man. When wolves came in conflict with men who had access to firearms, steel traps, and poison, wolves learned to fear men or die.
The best way to keep wolves harmless is to keep them in fear of man. This pack in Washington state has successfully treed a woman, without any loss. They have learned from the experience. They are likely to treat the next human more aggressively.
Wolf attacks are rare. Humans need to work at keeping them that way.
Wolves are powerful and effective predators that work in coordination with each other. Unarmed humans are no match against a wolf pack that views them as prey.
©2018 by Dean Weingarten: Permission to share is granted when this notice is included.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
An incredible compendium of stupidity squared. First, the lady had NO business being where she was alone and unarmed. Second, the rescue crew should have been in the chopper and on their way before the last sentence was issued. The beauracracy of some snowflake sitting at his/her desk deciding whether the lady should be saved or let the wolves prepare for dinner is beyond stupid. Imagine if the person at risk had been the snowflakes sister. Would they have hoped for the dinner alternative, or would they have been screaming for help for ‘my little sister’? In WA, the answer… Read more »
I have met bears on mountain trails, I have interacted with a black bear with cubs on 30 or 40 occasions, I have sat on the snowy ground 20 feet from a wolf and talked to him for 15 minutes while he sat facing me, I have “rescued” idiotic tourists trying to feed a bull Elk and have had numerous other wild animal encounters – I have never, at any time, felt threatened in any way. And being from Canada I almost never carried. I don’t know nor do I judge this woman but more often than not the fear… Read more »
my pdw while hiking is a KSG. I’ll let you guess the ammo.
Nobody is obligated to save or protect you from harm. your safety and security is your obligation. not that of state or local governments. SCOTUS Deshaney vs Winnebago county dept of social services.
I worked for the Forest Service for 30 years in Oregon and Montana. Rob is correct in saying Gov. employees are prohibited from carrying a firearm while on the clock. Law enforcement officers of course are armed. Packers carried a pistol in case they had to put down a horse or mule. Employees in Alaska do carry a rifle or shotgun for defense against grizzlies mostly. With the increase in the wolf population in the northwest, they may have to rethink that regulation. You never hear about wolf attacks on people. Makes you wonder if there are more of them… Read more »
Looks like I will be carrying extra magazine next time I go in deep. I have no qualms about dropping a few wolves to teach The rest of the pack to beware of man
Even if you have a firearm it is no guarantee you will survive a hungry wolf pack bent on you for lunch. There was an incident here in B.C. Canada a few years back. Remains of a hunter were found with 3 dead wolves scattered around his remains and a broken automatic rifle. The forensic said he emptied his rifle and then used it as a club. He was unsuccessful and did not survive. Here in Canada we have a 5 round limit in our detachable magazines. This law got this hunter killed.
If you go into the woods you must be prepared to defend yourself. In this case you are talking about the liberal state of Washington. As liberals they believe animals come first regardless of the outcome UNLESS the person requesting help is a liberal politician then the person comes first. It sounds like the WDFW is actually run by former politicians from King County (Seattle) as those people (idiots) are known for questionable thinking.
Having a search & rescue (SAR) helicopter and crew sitting at an airport DOING NOTHING is an absolute waste of money. As a retired SAR helicopter pilot, I can say emphatically that my crew and I never once considered the intelligence, political leanings nor personal philosophies of the people we rescued. If someone was in trouble, WE LAUNCHED! The ignorance and stupidity exhibited by some of the authorities mentioned in this article, as well as some of the commenters here, is almost beyond belief. Almost. Sometimes, probably more often than not, people get themselves into trouble due to their own… Read more »
This is just a dumb human issue. Yes sending a helicopter may have been justified in this case, but it’s completely understandable that the authorities hesitated in doing so. More often a call like that would be placed by someone with an irrational fear of dogs/wolves, under little or no threat of harm. When you’re suggesting a response involving the use of an aircraft likely leased at $500-$1000 per flight hr, burning jet fuel at $30-60(?) per gallon minimum, and paying a 4 man crew whatever their rate is to make up the annual average salary over $100k. Don’t go… Read more »