CBC;
A 22-year-old man from Oshawa, Ont. whose body was discovered Tuesday in northern Saskatchewan, was likely killed by wolves, says the RCMP. The man’s body was found at Points North Landing near Wollaston Lake, about 450 kilometres northeast of La Ronge, Sask. Police have not released the victim’s name.
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,” she said, “but you can’t completely rule everything out until the investigation is complete.” Russell added that 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.
If it’s confirmed that wolves killed the man, it would be the first time in recent history that’s happened in North America.
In fact, it’s the first in a hundred years. Though, had a busload of co-workers from the Key Lake mine not happened by when Fred Dejarlais was fighting for his life this past New Years eve, it would have been the second.
Perhaps the critters are getting wise?
isn’t it Lac La Ronge?
Holy crap, you’re prolific.
I’m a big black wolf and I want to bite you!
Rrrrrrrrrroooowgh!
deleted. off topic.
Why do they hate us??
Gives a whole new meaning to “Dances with Wolves” don’t it?
Has Dr. Suzuki been asked for his astute opinion yet?
Uhhh, what was “Oshawa boy” doing on foot unarmed in the bush?
Anyone who travels the REAL bush on foot without a firearm deserves to be placed on the lower rungs of the food chain…as is the natural location for an unarmed human.
Perhaps it wasn’t the wolves that killed him but cultural Marxism’s indoctrination which states all good state-owned sheepies must spurn and fear firearms and reject their own self defense. Has the “culture of safety” claimed another victim?
We have to wonder whether this is a real “accident” or another entry for the Darwin awards.
Mackenzie:
Bruce Rolston made a similar observation regarding the recent bear mauling in north-western Ontario. He made it look like the victim’s husband tried to fend the bear off with a small knife (i.e. pocket knife). Rolston couldn’t understand why someone would go into the wilderness without at least a real knife at minimum and preferably a rifle.
I grew up seeing plenty of wolves and I was never scared of them until this past summer. I was outside of Hudson Bay, SK going west around 20 miles and my wife and I seen one crossing the road. I got out and the thing stood its ground just inside the bush along the ditch and looked back at me. I’ve never seen one do that before. Gives a whole new meaning to being a naked ape.
When Yellowstone National Park imported wolves from Alberta a few years ago, the organizer stood at the entrance to the park and howled in order to welcome the sedated wolves back “home”. Too bad she wasn’t up near LaRonge doing her howling. She might have saved a life.
The phenominum of Larger predators becoming more agressive ( I’m reminded here of the black bear attacks in N.Ont. and the grizzly and cat attacks in BC as well as the packing and stock damage by coyotes in Alberta) seems to have a link to the fact their numbers are no longer kept in trim by hunting and trapping and they have a few generations that have not been conditioned to fear man.
Wolf attacks aren’t all that rare.
http://www.natureswolves.com/
As a kid growing up in Banff we used to terrorize bears. Most of them in the town site had a healthy fear of man and those that didn’t were carted off somewhere by the Wardens. At 12 and 13 I would be gone the whole day fishing and very seldom even see a bear. When you came across one on the trail you both stopped, you backed away, waited 2 or 3 minutes then carried on. Parks policy has made bears dangerous in the National parks. Example, this spring we had a holdup on the back 9 at the Banff Springs because of a Grizzly and her cubs. Instead of chasing her and the cubs away from the course they let her go where she wanted with people all around. Had they scared them off with noise guns and vehicles they likely wouldn’t return and would be a little leery of humans. Parks should be the preserve of animals but not around the town site. Instead what you have now have is 3 bears with no fear of humans and a potential problem in the future. Something will happen, it�s just a matter of time.
Commenters who say this problem is caused by the lack of fear of humans are correct. This is not Eden; we don’t all get along in peace. These are wild, powerful carnivores, and it is not safe to be around them unprotected.
This is just going to be another black mark against the wolf.
I built my house out of straw.
Because I couldn’t get my license from the Canadian Brick Registry.
“Anyone who travels the REAL bush on foot without a firearm deserves to be placed on the lower rungs of the food chain…as is the natural location for an unarmed human.”
Don’t be so quick to pass judgement. Armed or not…. 1 rifle might not be as effective as you think. Consider a possible scenario: Between 4 to 8 starving wolves vs 1 man + 1 gun + 6 shots before reloading.
If you have ever tried to nail a moving target with a rifle at close range you’d know it’s no easy task. Them there li’l fell’rs got some kick to them dontcha know! An inexperienced person incapable of recognizing an occupied wolf territory, or not enough to know they should avoid one. Has no business in the forest to begin with. A lone wolf will certainly fear an armed person. However, Like domestic dogs, (most serious seemingly unprovoked attacks on adults by domestic canines take place when 2 or more pooches are present) Wolves are pack animals that routinely hunt animals as large as moose. Wolves are often seriously injured and sometimes killed during a hunt. A wolf does not consider it’s personal safety above the well being of the other members in it’s family. Like domestic dogs they are unconditionaly loyal to somebody they feel bonded to. For those who need proof of how limitless a dog’s devotion is (Excluding certain miniature and toy breeds)remember, dogs are used to accomplish thing that are too dangerous for people perform. They are guardians, bomb-dectors, search and rescue, herding cattle, etc.
Extreme hunger, an innate predisposition to regard the survival of their pack above all else, the need to defend the territory encompasing a mile or so surrounding their dens and young from anything they percieve as a potential threat (i.e. human beings. We do hunt wolves, eh.), and confidence inflated by a collaboration of devoted supporters, will most certainly render a wolf fearless. Even a gunshot may not be enough to frighten them. Besides.. unless you are an expert shot and manage to shoot the wolf in a vital region, like the head or neck… it would take more than one shot to kill it.
Wandering alone in wolf territory is simply a bad idea. However, in case anybody is planning to do that, the best means to protect yourself would be to carry a can of bear repellent. Using this would blind the agressor and cause it’s airways to contract making breathing difficult, therefore the beast will practically be incapitated. When sprayed bear repellent will project about 15 to 20 feet perpendicularly and in a parallel direction as well. In a close encounter one blast of spray may suffice to immobilise several predators. A single cannister holds enough repellent to last several blasts if necessary.
The next time you feel the need to make a nasty, insensitive comment about somebody, please try to educate yourself first. Evidently you have never spent much time at all in the “REAL bush”. As for humans being lower on the food chain…. SPEAK FOR YOURSELF.
As a followup, the fellow who was killed was seen a few days earlier with a co-worker on their survey crew (I think), enthralled with the idea that they could get withing 5 feet of a group of wolves.
BTW – wolves aren’t stupid. You pull out a fifle, theyll leave.
As a follow up to “BTW wolves aren’t stupid. you pull out a fifle, they’ll leave.”
This past September, 2005 while moose hunting in Quebec near the ontario border two wolves presented themselves at 40 feet from me and to make a VERY long story short I “SHOWED” them my firearm which was a crossbow and they couldn’t care less about what was in my hand or the screams I made , rocks and sticks I threw at them. In fact after managing to strike one of them in the neck who was now 15 feet from me it only enraged him for the next few minutes before they both eventually backed off enough for me to escape the scene.
So for those who think wolves don’t attack humans all I can say is if it ever happens to you, GOOD LUCK!!
A crossbow isn’t a 30-30, Tom.
OTOH, though – if wolves aren’t being shot at with some frequency (as coyotes are, who certainly seem to recognize a firearm for what it is) they haven’t been “trained” to avoid them.
I remember some years ago, when cougar hunting was outlawed in California, that there were predictions that the animals would lose their fear of humans. That’s been borne out, to say the least.
Wolf wisdom
Following up on a suspected wolf attack in Saskatchewan last week where a man died, the CBC delivers this nugget:
Tim Trottier, a wildlife biologist with the Environmental Department, said last week two conservation officers were sent to the area, ab…