Rich Landers: Those were not wolves in deer’s clothing
In less than 30 seconds, a lackluster hiking trip on Saturday became a howling success.
I’d been bracing for some verbal abuse during the first half of a long dayhike on the Stateline Trail along the Montana-Idaho border.
I’d lured my wife and oldest daughter out of bed at 5 a.m. to tackle a 15-mile route with promises of spectacular views, shimmering mountain lakes, huckleberries and a good chance of seeing deer, blue grouse and moose. But the normally scenic ridge that separates the Clearwater and Lolo national forests was shrouded in smoke from the region’s fires.
The lakes below were sometimes difficult to pick out and appreciate, much less the normally mesmerizing views of distant peaks. The huckleberries were far and few between.
The landscape was too dry on the waterless ridge and the temperatures too hot to let our English setters run freely to scout for grouse.
We all felt like we were on a leash of some sort.
And then the situation got worse.
I’ve often joked that Goose Lake was a typographical error on maps. I’ve never seen a goose at the marshy mountain pothole, which is accessible only by muscle power over a minimum of six miles of trail. On the other hand, every visit over the past 10 years has produced a glimpse of at least one moose.
But the lake was almost lifeless this time, save for some ground squirrels squeaking and taunting our dogs as we walked through the vast adjacent meadow.
No moose. Not even a fresh track.
As we headed down Goose Creek, I mentioned that I had seen a wolf track in the trail during my last visit.
“Hmm,” my wife said.
“Let’s get going,” my daughter said.
I couldn’t blame them for being less than bubbling with enthusiasm about another fruitless possibility, but our experience changed just a quarter mile ahead.
“Deer!” I called as a blur of grayish brown burst from a feeder creek just 35 yards to our left.
“No, they’re wolves!” I corrected, as I saw two ears, penetrating eyes and a broad white snout rise from the tall grass.
Another wolf emerged from the creek and trotted to the right while a fourth ambled straight away and then turned to take a good, long look at the intruders.
Then they melted into the forest while we stood slack-jawed.
The lasting impression was their size. Adult grey wolves run 80-100 pounds and 5-6 feet long, which was notably huge in perspective to the English setters leashed and at my heels.
The mood in our family group picked up dramatically for the next four miles down the trail past tracks of two sizes in the powdery trail dust (possibly indicating the pack had pups) and a very, very, very large number of wolf droppings full of dark hair (possibly solving the mystery of the missing Goose Lake moose).
Our pace also picked up.
Gray wolves have made an impressive recovery, having been eradicated in the early 1900s. From 66 wolves reintroduced to central Idaho and Yellowstone National Park about 12 years ago, the wild canines have multiplied to more than 1,200. More than 700 of them are roaming Idaho, and they’re not living on fruits and vegetables.
As a hunter, I’m concerned about the effect wolves are having on big-game herds. I’m anxious for the pending removal of Endangered Species protections so wolf populations can be managed to avoid a bust in elk numbers that would translate into hard times for wolves, as well as cougars and bears.
As a hiker, however, I’m thrilled that wolves are back in our woods.
If nothing else, they force us to pause and think about balance and connections, such as the relationship between the words prey and pray.
Report wolf sightings to the Idaho Fish and Game Department on an online site that also shows where others have spotted wolves and where packs have been confirmed.
Check it out: fishandgame.idaho.gov/cms/ wildlife/wolves.