Wolves in "The Grey"...behavior question

[Tinker]

Maybe some of you from the great white north can answer me something.

(I usually take everything from Hollywood with a grain of salt, but)

In the movie, The Grey, the main character (Liam Neeson) worked as a proffesional hunter for an oil company. His duty was to guard field workers in the bush. He'd set up in a hide, just away from a crew and make sure they weren't attacked by wolves. Apparently (according to the movie) the wolves would attack crews that had strayed too close to thier "den areas". Opening of the movie shows him dropping a large wolf that was making a dead run for two oil crew guys. Apparently, those two were "within 30 miles of a wolf den".

Being a southern boy and have been nowhere near wolf country. Know nothing of thier behavior other than what I've seen on TV or read. I do know that wolves were reintroduced to Yellowstone. I know that a lot of people hike there and have never heard of wolves attacking hikers there. I would think that a hiker or ranger would have, at least once, would have been close to a denning area over the years. Heard of Grizly attacks, but never of a wolf attack on humans.

That is why I'd call BS on this, but.....most Hollywood productions almost always protray animals as being "good" and people as evil. A movie portraying wolves acting this way has my curiousity up. Anything to this?

 

[rcmodel]

See this.
No record of wolves eating oilmen or park rangers in recent history.

Maybe because Liam, or brave men like him killed them all?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wolf_attacks_on_humans

It looks to me like most recorded North American Wolf attacks on record were either captive wolves, or starving wolves.

I call BS on The Grey's!

rc

 

[rajb123]

....like sharks, wolves have no ligitamate purpose in nature and should be destroyed upon sight. Their reintroduction in the lower 48 has been a disaster and deer, elk and livestock heards have been dramatically reduced.

Yes, wolves and sharks will kill and eat anything including humans....

 

[WardenWolf]

rajb123, your ignorant statements have no place in this discussion. Yes, they have caused some predation. However, the damage has not been severe and the problems can be dealt with. Without outright extermination.

 

[rcmodel]

wolves have no legitimate purpose in nature

Not true.

All wildlife must have predators to cull the weak and sick animals and keep over-population in check.
It's a very basic law of nature, and wildlife management.

If you think the loss of a few deer & elk to Wolves is bad?
Think how much worse massive disease spread and starvation due to overpopulation would be.


rc

 

[HOOfan_1]

The premise was such complete BS that I didn't even enjoy the movie.

Wolves have a den for birthing pups...not as a lair....they certainly don't have piles of bones around them either...that would attract other predators. They certainly won't be stalking a group of humans over miles and miles as shown in the movie. Could people be food? Certainly...but they would have easier food that doesn't fight back so violently. Will they chase away or exterminate competition...yes, but I doubt they would see humans as a threat.
It was a movie, with a movie plot and the usual twisting of the truth.

....like sharks, wolves have no ligitamate purpose in nature

 

[Owen]

Their reintroduction in the lower 48 has been a disaster and deer, elk and livestock heards have been dramatically reduced.

I don't know about the disaster, part, but its worked wonders for the overall health of their environments, as well as for the health of the elk and deer herds.

Back on topic: the plot of that movie had me rolling my eyes for the duration.

 

[caribou]

The movie was TOTAL B.S.

'cept the part where he actually Mans up and declares "I'll do it MYSELF!!"

I hunt Wolves in Winter and live 1/4 of a mile from a den at my Salmon camp in Summer, I just love watching them watch us from the hillside, sometimes I get 20 yards away before they up and walk off.

Come Winter I hunt them, and since I know them very well, by sight, I KNOW they have eluded me and Ill be watching them again this summer, 'cause the Salmon have arrived

Come Winter, were back to them dodgeing me, but Ive never , ever had to dodge them.

 

[ZeroJunk]

but its worked wonders for the overall health of their environments, as well as for the health of the elk and deer herds.

No point in starting another endless wolf argument, but most who live in elk country would disagree.

 

[Owen]

health of the herd =/= quantity

 

[Texan Scott]

Humans seem to be one of the few animals that serve no real function in nature... at least they seem to do more harm than good. Their wholesale reintroduction into Alaska has certainly been a mixed bag.

Still, I don't see any call for extreme measures like extermination. Anyway, it's your planet, and I'll let you run it as you see fit. Don't get me wrong- it's lovely and all... but when my tour of duty here is up, I'll be glad to go home.

 

[Robert]

Good grief.