What Caliber For A Wolf Pack?

[Cosmoline]

M44 if you feel like a mounted charge (bayonet out mandatory).

A real sourdough would stick the entire pack on the bayonet, one after the other. I'm afraid I'm not up to that standard. Too much nutmeg in my flapjacks.

I am interested to learn what the wolf population in the USA is.We have more or less wiped out wolves in Europe,through over hunting..

In Ak nobody knows for sure. It's a matter of intense debate when the issue of culling or hunting from helicopters comes up. The conservative estimates are 10,000 to 12,000. They're not threatened or endangered here, and you can both hunt and trap them in many GMU's. Though frankly hunting them is almost never more than an incidental shooting out of bum luck. They're very reluctant to get that close, which is why this is so unusual.

 

[rcmodel]

You don't need no Steenk'n Gun for Wolf Packs!

All you have to do when you go mountain biking is, take a Slower Friend along with you.

They always go for the weakened stragglers.


rcmodel

 

[Wolfgang2000]

I've never had a wolf problem even though I spent 3 years in Alaska. But I have hunted feral dogs when I was younger. At the time all I at the time was a browning light 12 and a H&R 22 nine shot.

To make a scary story short, the Browning with it's auto chambering feature same by bacon.

IMHO if you are worried about, or hunting "pack" animals a 12 gage semi auto with 00 FULL POWER LOADS, will work well. An SKS will do OK also but practice the reload. A back up handgun is a necessity. It should be able to reload quickly also. Single actions don't qualify.

 

[JamisJockey]

When something is "Hard to hit but not hard to put down" the first thing that comes to my mind is not "Rifle" but "Shotgun....stupid".

Wow....eight posts and you're already calling people "stupid".



For the original poster.....
Wolves are pretty quick, so I'd think that something with a medium to high capacity and a low recoil for follow up shots. SKS would be a dandy choice. I'd also carry a sidearm of course, and a good knife.
I don't think Wolves are known for attacking people very often. If its wolf country I'd bet its also bear country...and bears are way more of a threat. For that, a 12ga with slugs or a heavy hitting carbine.

 

[Eric F]

Single actions don't qualify.

Yeah but if you can hold off a pack of wolves with a Sharps you are one BAD MOTHA!

 

[Eric F]

Wow....eight posts and you're already calling people "stupid".

You didnt read far enough

 

[MDHunter]

.338 worked for me...but there was only one.

http://i110.photobucket.com/albums/n95/akhunterinmd/2006 Alaskan Adventure/Wolf.jpg

I used to live on the edge of Elmendorf AFB back in the 60s and early 70s....used to hunt rabbits and ptarmigan with a Crosman .177 caliber pellet gun (until the MPs informed us it was a no-no)...sure glad wolves weren't as plentiful back then, I'd have been an easy mark, and would probably have run, too.

 

[Diggers]

Don't mean to be a buzz kill (well ok I do. )

Has there EVER been a documented attack on a human by a wolf?

I have never heard of one.

Pretty much that is an old myth that caused the wolf to be exterminated from the lower 48 and most of Europe. Don't buy into it.

The most recent encounter came Saturday, when Janet Read was walking two dogs on a gravel road northwest of Elmendorf's flight line, Sinnott said. Once again, a black wolf appeared on the trail, about 50 yards behind her, the lab-retriever mix and a friend's golden retriever.

When Read yelled at the wolf, it walked back into the woods, Sinnott said. But moments later, the black wolf reappeared, this time with two gray wolves. They followed her for about 15 minutes until she reached the main road and her vehicle, despite her yelling at them the whole way, Sinnott said.

These wolves were after the 2 dogs NOT the person. They see them as prey AND competition for food, so they will go after them just like wolves will kill coyotes when they can.

They aren't interested in humans; they are too smart for that.

 

[MDHunter]

Not really...

I don't think Wolves are known for attacking people very often. If its wolf country I'd bet its also bear country...and bears are way more of a threat. For that, a 12ga with slugs or a heavy hitting carbine.

Um, I beg to disagree - maybe in a close-quarters hand-to-hand battle a bear is more dangerous....but if you're being hunted as prey, a wolf pack is smarter, faster, harder to evade, and more ruthless.....

 

[Cosmoline]

and bears are way more of a threat

Not in December they're not. At least not this far north.

Has there EVER been a documented attack on a human by a wolf?

Attack? Yes, certainly. Usually bites from fed wolves. Fatal attacks are extremely rare, but have happened.

http://www.canada.com/topics/news/story.html?id=c0afa479-ebe8-45f6-8e54-166cbdf9af0d&k=8065

It's a matter of the perfect storm. If you have very hungry packs, light snowfall and lots of people and dogs on the trails running into each other the chances of getting attacked are considerably higher than normal. Generally I don't worry about it. Never have before. But then again this behavior is beyond unusual. I've never seen anything like it from local packs.

These wolves were after the 2 dogs NOT the person.

If they're after dogs they target the dogs alone. Typically when chained in a back yard or running loose. This business of going after dogs and humans together is unheard of, and marks a serious change. I'm not talking about extermination here. This is purely a practical issue about what to carry in the backcountry around the city.

In any case, there will likely be a blizzard this weekend and all will become moot. The trails will be too snowy and the wolves will have their moose.

 

[JamisJockey]

Um, I beg to disagree - maybe in a close-quarters hand-to-hand battle a bear is more dangerous....but if you're being hunted as prey, a wolf pack is smarter, faster, harder to evade, and more ruthless.....

I mean it that bears are likely less wary of people, and are more attracted to our food stuffs. I've never heard of wolves raiding a campsite for potatoe chips and donughts, or ripping open a tent to eat the soft gooey center....

Not in December they're not. At least not this far north.

Don't worry, if the AlGoreians (its a new religion I just made up) are right, global warming will kick the bears out of thier hibernation patterns.....

 

[Eric F]

Has there EVER been a documented attack on a human by a wolf?

Now this is a stupid question:banghead:..........Every one knows Little Red Riding Hood is a true story............silly!

 

[jeepmor]

Wow....eight posts and you're already calling people "stupid".

Dom already apologized and stated he was referring to himself, not others.

I haven't seen the 10mm mentioned yet. Plenty of power out to the range you'd need for self defense. And a pistol will be much easier to wield for close range work should they decide to close in on you. For hunting purposes, I'd go with a rifle, whatever you have above .223 power range would suffice it just fine. A wolf fur on the wall would make a great conversation piece.

A few pop shots at them may make them more shy, particularly if you take one of the pack out, like the alpha.

Good luck, be safe. Hopefully you only have to shoot them with your camera, but being their legal to hunt in AK, I'd go for a rug.

 

[atblis]

Yeah

I'll have to go with the semi shotty with extended mag tube. 8/9 rounds of buckshot should do the trick. However, I suspect while you're rolling around on the ground a good knife and a handgun might be more useful. Something to protect your neck/throat. Gorget?

or a saiga maybe?

 

[Red Tornado]

The easiest solution would be to just carry either an old or baby moose with you. If you see wolves, let the moose go, and you're off the menu. Maybe an oversized bicycle basket on the front for hauling around the moose.

I think the SKS would be great, but I'd think that they would break and run at the first shot, whether it hit or not. That's a lot more noise than their normal prey makes and a gunshot is going to be a lot more effective than yelling.

Alaska was formerly Russian territory, so use a Russian gun

Yeah, I think that qualifies the SKS, too.

Do you have a Dragonov?
RT

 

[MDHunter]

Wolf Attacks on Humans...

Don't mean to be a buzz kill (well ok I do. )

Has there EVER been a documented attack on a human by a wolf?

I have never heard of one.

Pretty much that is an old myth that caused the wolf to be exterminated from the lower 48 and most of Europe. Don't buy into it.


Quote:
The most recent encounter came Saturday, when Janet Read was walking two dogs on a gravel road northwest of Elmendorf's flight line, Sinnott said. Once again, a black wolf appeared on the trail, about 50 yards behind her, the lab-retriever mix and a friend's golden retriever.

When Read yelled at the wolf, it walked back into the woods, Sinnott said. But moments later, the black wolf reappeared, this time with two gray wolves. They followed her for about 15 minutes until she reached the main road and her vehicle, despite her yelling at them the whole way, Sinnott said.

These wolves were after the 2 dogs NOT the person. They see them as prey AND competition for food, so they will go after them just like wolves will kill coyotes when they can.

They aren't interested in humans; they are too smart for that.

Wow - an expert - are you with PETA or the HSUS?? 'Cause you're about to be buzz-killed right back!

Google wolf attacks on humans (would have been better for you if you did that before you provided expert analysis), there have been several wolf attacks on humans in Canada in the past few years, and i believe also a couple in the United States. Killed a biologist in Canada, another jogger was running after he got off shift at a Canadian mine, a single wolf (not even a pack) ran up beside him and attacked. He was able to get on its back and hold it around the neck, but was losing strength fast when a busload of other mine workers getting off shift came along and assisted him.

Guess that shoots down the "old myth" theory. And "not interested in humans"? They'll take whatever is a convenient food source in the area they happen to be in....if that happens to be humans, I doubt we're excluded form the menu.

 

[1911Tuner]

A 12-gauge shotgun with as short a barrel as is legal and with a modified choke if it can be arranged. 000Buckshot. Avoid the 3-inch shells. Stick to 2 and 3/4ths in order to recover from the recoil faster so you can swing to the next target...and there will be more than one. You want a stock on it so you can aim it effectively. Rifle sights are good. A ghost-ring is better.

You can't bluff a wolf, but they're not stupid. If they see one or two of the pack fall, they'll break it off and retreat. They may be back later, but it's not highly likely. They're not trying to prove anything by picking a fight with another creature that they know can hurt them.

For a backup sidearm, go with something ear-splitting loud. A .357 Magnum is good. Their ears are many times more sensitive then ours, and a .357 will shake'em up at close range.

 

[Cosmoline]

They'll take whatever is a convenient food source in the area they happen to be in....if that happens to be humans, I doubt we're excluded form the menu.

We usually are, because they usually have much better things to eat. I've never had to worry about them before. The fact that there's still bare ground up here in DECEMBER and we're getting freezing rain is one more sign that crazy Al may not be too far wrong. At any rate, I'm hoping things get back to normal before someone gets hurt.

 

[strangelittleman]

Hmmm....Single actions don't qualify, well I guess I'm woefully under-gunned with my "pitiful" Vaquero .357 Magnum and Marlin M1894CP, they are my "woods guns".

 

[Baba Louie]

Sounds like a target rich environment there Cosmo.

I'd think that once the first wolf was popped the remainder would fall all over him as easy pickins... dogs bein' dogs and all. I'd hate to be the one to test that theory up close and personal-like, however.

 

[ARKIESTEEL]

If I had to pick what I already had it would be my CZ75 9mm and my 1100 Rem 12 loaded with single 0 buck. If I could take anything I could dream up it would be a Thompson .45 with a 50 round drum full auto.

I think after the first shot or two out of a shotgun they will poop their fuzzy little pants and head for the hills.

But I aint no wolf expert....far as I know there is not any in Arkansas so them yankee wolves have a long way to come to bother me.

 

[NG VI]

hahahaha an AR pistol in a thigh holster, serbu super shorty somehow strapped to the small of your back, and the sks!!!

 

[MDHunter]

Cosmo...

Another question Cos...do you ride your bike on the trails around Anchorage, and how do you check your 6 when you're riding?

 

[Cosmoline]

I've got a mirror on my helmet that shows what's behind me, though it's mainly for cars. If I ever see a wolf pack back there I may set a new fat guy land speed record!

them yankee wolves

Who are you calling "yankee"? Alaskans aren't yankees.

 

[Roswell 1847]

Quote:
Has there EVER been a documented attack on a human by a wolf?

During the "Wolf Winters" of 17th century Colonial America there were hundreds of Wolf Pack attacks on Humans.
More than 2,000 wolf attacks were recorded in one year in 19th century Russia.
Attacks by the Indian Wolf are common.

The Mantra of the Conservationists went "No documented non Rabid wolf attacks in the 20th century".
By Documented they meant carefully studied and investigated with rabies ruled out by testing.
This developed into the meme that no Wolf had ever attacked a human.

A similar meme began at about the same time declaring that there was no reliable evidence of cannibals eating missionaries. That meme was busted when Fiji Islanders formally apologized to the descendents of a missionary they had eaten.

Since Wolves became extremely rare in proximity to human dwelling during the 20th Century attacks became almost non existent.
Attacks in the wild go unrecorded because Wolves eat bones and all. The Alpha Males eat only the bones and marrow of large prey ripping away the flesh to be divided by the younger and older males, females and pups. Wolves have been observed chewing meat and regurgitating it to allow elderly wolves to eat it, they take care of their own.

As Wolves overpopulate in some areas they will once again become a danger to the unwary.


Recomendations'
Hi Cap 9mm and/or .30 M1 Carbine.