Wolf attacks on the rise

[Amstaffer]

http://wkbt.com/Global/story.asp?S=6562952

Wolves are growing in population and killing mostly hunting dogs. I wonder what you can do to stop this. You really can't have LGDs with your other dogs all the time.

 

[SharkyX]

Maybe stop sending in hunting dogs all the time to hunt the other predators.
The wolves will eventually have territory/food conflicts with the other predators anyways so eventually one of them will take care of the other.

 

[Amstaffer]

Maybe stop sending in hunting dogs all the time to hunt the other predators.
The wolves will eventually have territory/food conflicts with the other predators anyways so eventually one of them will take care of the other.

I guess I was thinking like a person that does a lot of hiking with my dogs and just bought some property that borders a wildlife refuge 75K arces of Federal/State land that has a wolf pack on it. My dogs don't hunt just walk and run.

I wouldn't hunt with dogs in an area where there are wolves.

 

[SharkyX]

Ah... yeah that would be more of a problem I suppose...
Just from the article it said most of them were hunting dogs...

The problem with some of these hunting dogs is they don't operate in a pack they operate solo...
So when one dog happens across a half dozen wolves... well that's just an easy meal.

Typically wolves are still afraid of humans and wolf attacks on humans are rare (although I can sympathize with not wanting to be the exception to that rule!).
You and your two dogs present a much greater challenge/threat then a lone hound for example so your much much less likely to be approached in the first place.

I would be inclined to get something like a cattle prod or something like that for your walks that would give an animal the size of a wolf a really good jolt and have the ability to do it repeatedly, just in case.

 

[LhasaLover]

It's not just wolves - you've got bears to worry about, too, and perhaps cougars, depending on where you are.

In upstate NY a couple of years ago, in a slightly rural area, a bear chased a dog into his own back yard and ended up getting the owner. She lived, but she was quite injured.

Personally, I'd carry pepper spray & a handgun. If it comes down to my dogs or another animal, it's not going to be my dogs.

 

[squirtsmom]

Get a gun, and be careful.

 

[SharkyX]

If you're going to be using bear spray be sure it's not windy and that your familiar with it's use.
To many people blind themselves while trying to fend off a bear because the wind picked up.

Bear spray is more incapacitating to humans then it is to bears.
If you inhale any you're going to have probs, however about 10% of the time they encounter what is called a "failure" when testing the bear spray, in which the bear powers through and attacks the sprayer.
I wouldn't want to be in that 10% unless I had a gun with me also.

 

[LhasaLover]

Yep. I wouldn't use pepper spray on any large predator for a couple of reasons - (and I'm not trying to scare you here)

1. In order to hit the thing, it has to be close enough; if it's close enough, it's probably charging you; if it's charging you and you miss.......
2. In addition to possibly incapacitating yourself, you could also do it to your dogs. Way too risky.

If you don't want to shoot to kill on the first shot, shoot it into the air - but be ready for the 2nd shot. You also might want to get your dogs used to gun shots, if they're not already, so they don't freak.

Pepper spray would work fine for smaller animals that won't back down.

 

[SharkyX]

Yep. I wouldn't use pepper spray on any large predator for a couple of reasons - (and I'm not trying to scare you here)

Then why, in your previous post did you say?

Personally, I'd carry pepper spray & a handgun.

When all the animals spoken of here are large predators?(wolves, cougars and bears)

 

[LhasaLover]

Seems you missed a couple of parts of those posts...

Personally, I'd carry pepper spray & a handgun. If it comes down to my dogs or another animal, it's not going to be my dogs.

Pepper spray would work fine for smaller animals that won't back down.

 

[SharkyX]

No I saw your points but decided to include the relevant parts to the conversation.

Mainly recomending carrying pepper spray and a handgun with no explanation to the fact that you'd only carry it for small animals. If the matter hadn't been discussed further would you have pointed out that you thought it only valid for small animals?

 

[DogBoyMan]

Probably the best advice would be to make sure you kept an eye on your dogs when they are near wolf areas. But this is not always possible. Of course not all wolves are dangerous some are merely forageres looking for scraps. I personally would not let my dogs near any wolves. If you have a big dog though the wolf might be more scared than him.

 

[mrose_s]

actually, well i don't have to wrry about wolves here. lol.

where i used to live it was boars and buffalos to watch out for. here its just the pigs. which makes me nervous about going hiking. their are great mountains around here but boars relaly frighten me

 

[Doberluv]

I live in some extreme wilderness, black bear, grizzly bear territory and wolves, but the wolves are more north of me. A lot of the old timers here carry guns, but they also recommend the big bear pepper sprays when hiking around in the woods. They're very effective to ward off a bear. They shoot various distances, 25 or more feet, depending on which one you get and it's hard to miss. The bears totally back down with those things, so I've been told. I have yet to get one. Everytime I go down to the hardware store, they're out of them. Then I just procrastinate. Sometimes I carry a hand gun, but not that often. It's a hassle. I just sort of take my chances. Scary, huh. I sing and make plenty of racket. My singing ought to be enough to scare anything away. LOL.