Wolves on Oscoda's Seven Mile Hill?
by Holly Nelson
Oscoda Press
OSCODA, MI - A resident of Seven Mile Hill, an Oscoda subdivision located on Foote Pond, says she was confronted by two grey wolves at 7:20 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 24, a sighting which has not been confirmed by any resource agency.
"I was taking my dog out back and one was coming toward me. Then a second one appeared behind the other and just kind of hung back," Shirley Sharick said. "My dog started to jump. Then the wolf took two steps toward me. I think he saw the dog. When I grabbed the dog, he saw me and stopped. We startled each other. I think I scared him to death."
"I was scared out of my wits. I was telling it to shoo, as I was trying to hang onto my dog. Finally, I just started yelling and screaming at it to get away and he turned around and left."
Sharick said the animals were large -- bigger than her Alaskan husky - and their fur was almost black. "They weren't coyotes. I know what coyotes look like. These were wolves. I know what wolves look like." She estimates she and the first wolf were only about four feet apart. She thinks the animals either went down the Alvin Road power line or crossed River Avenue and went into a wooded wetland which borders Foote Dam.
"It was frightening. I was scared to death," she said.
The first person she called was Richard Hansen of Oscoda, who works in the subdivision. Hansen, an Upper Peninsula native who spent 23 years in Alaska, looked at the fresh tracks. "It definitely looked like wolf tracks. They had two sharp claws on the front end and were tapered, not like dog tracks which are rather round," Hansen said.
He said he saw one of the wolves a few nights earlier, during the rain storm. The animal was drenched and was coming out of the Sharick yard about 9 p.m. "Just cause I say they're wolves doesn't mean they are. I'm no expert, but I've seen a lot of tracks and, as far as I'm concerned, those were wolves," Hansen commented.
He said he believes the animals were drawn by the food put out by residents of the area to attract wildlife.
U.S. Forest Service personnel went to the Sharick property some days later, in response to Sharick's phone call. She also called the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, but has not yet connected with the biologist.
DNR wildlife biologist Mark Boersen said he has never documented a wolf in Iosco County, but does not rule out the possibility that they are here. He said the biologist for the DNR district to the north, which includes Alcona and Oscoda Counties, did investigate some tracks which she was unable to rule out. Just last week, Boersen received a report of an additional reported sighting near the Arenac County line, he said.
Forest Service staff did go to the Sharick home, where they measured the tracks and took photographs, reporting back to wildlife biologist Paul Thompson, who said he can neither confirm nor deny what Sharick saw. "It could have been big dogs, but the details of the tracks were gone when our guys got there," he said. "It's inconclusive."
Between the sighting and track examination, the snow had partially melted, obscuring the tracks and distorting the size. One track was measured at five-inches, which Thompson said could be a wolf, but could also be a large dog. The stride indicated by the tracks was dog-like, he added. "Based on my personal experience, it is very unusual for wolves to come into areas with so many dogs and so much activity."
Thompson, who previously worked in the Upper Peninsula's Hiwatha Forest, said the wolves there avoid all things man made, even the roads. He thinks it would be unlikely that wolves would weave around buildings and fences. However, he added, biologists do not have much experience with wolf behavior in inhabited areas, so it is difficult to know how the animals will react.
Some of the details shared by Sharick support the possibility that these were wolves; other of her information would be more conducive to dogs, the biologist said. "If these were wolves, people don't really have anything to be afraid of," Thompson said. "Wolves are very smart and they avoid people and developed areas." The animals also instinctively avoid conflict, because conflict can lead to injury and, for a wild animal, injury is a threat to survival, he said.
The International Wolf Center agrees. "Most wolves are not dangerous to humans and there is a greater chance of being killed by lightning, bee sting or a car collision with a deer than being injured by a wolf."
Dennis Fijalkowski, executive director of the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy, said he would not be at all surprised if these were wolves. "We've had credible reports of wolves in the club country for some time. We believe they've been in the area for at least 20 years," he said.
The club country refers to the number of large, private hunting camps which dominated Northeast Michigan in past years. Fijalkowski contends that wolves, as well as cougar and other predators, survived by taking refuge in these.
Fijalkowski said the DNR has traditionally scoffed at sightings in this region, but can not continue to deny their existence after one was shot in a trap in the Rogers City area. Based on Sharick's description, Fijalkowski said the animals could be wolves, possibly a male and female trying to establish a pack.
If wolves, Fijalkowski and other experts say the animals represent a very small threat to humans, with only a couple of documented cases of attacks in history. There is, however, a risk to pets.
"Don't feed wild animals, especially the predators," Fijalkowski advises.
This is also the first piece of advice offered by the International Wolf Center, the U.S. Forest Service and the DNR in their tips for living with wolves. Also recommended:
-Do not feed other wildlife as this attracts prey animals which may draw wolves.
-Feed all pets indoors; leave no food outside.
-Dispose of all food and garbage in cans with secure lids.
-Hang suet feeders at least seven feet above the surface of the ground or snow.
-Don't leave pets unattended outside.
-If pets must be unattended, keep them in a kennel with a secure top.
-Also, install motion sensor lights, as these may keep wolves away.
Additionally, Fijalkowski advises that people take precautions to avoid surprising or startling wolves or other predators. Wearing bells on shoes can serve this purpose. Also, he said, carry pepper spray when walking. If wolves are in an area, he also tells joggers to run elsewhere. "Wolves may perceive joggers as frightened prey running from them," he said.
If confronted by wolves, do what Sharick did, according to the experts: do not turn your back on a wolf and make noise. Other suggestions include raising your arms and waving them in the air to make yourself appear larger; backing away slowly; and, if available, throwing objects.
Sharick said she was also careful not to look the animal in the eye. Even though she has survived what she believes to be a face-to-face encounter with wolves, Sharick says she remains frightened, and has modified her outdoor time. "I've never been scared before. Now I wait until mid morning. And I don't go out no more at night time. The dog has to stay in too," she said.
Incidentally, gray wolves are a federally protected species. This means it is against the law to kill or injure a wolf, unless necessary to protect human life in the face of imminent danger.
Oscoda Press
Oscoda Press
OSCODA, MI - A resident of Seven Mile Hill, an Oscoda subdivision located on Foote Pond, says she was confronted by two grey wolves at 7:20 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 24, a sighting which has not been confirmed by any resource agency.
"I was taking my dog out back and one was coming toward me. Then a second one appeared behind the other and just kind of hung back," Shirley Sharick said. "My dog started to jump. Then the wolf took two steps toward me. I think he saw the dog. When I grabbed the dog, he saw me and stopped. We startled each other. I think I scared him to death."
"I was scared out of my wits. I was telling it to shoo, as I was trying to hang onto my dog. Finally, I just started yelling and screaming at it to get away and he turned around and left."
Sharick said the animals were large -- bigger than her Alaskan husky - and their fur was almost black. "They weren't coyotes. I know what coyotes look like. These were wolves. I know what wolves look like." She estimates she and the first wolf were only about four feet apart. She thinks the animals either went down the Alvin Road power line or crossed River Avenue and went into a wooded wetland which borders Foote Dam.
"It was frightening. I was scared to death," she said.
The first person she called was Richard Hansen of Oscoda, who works in the subdivision. Hansen, an Upper Peninsula native who spent 23 years in Alaska, looked at the fresh tracks. "It definitely looked like wolf tracks. They had two sharp claws on the front end and were tapered, not like dog tracks which are rather round," Hansen said.
He said he saw one of the wolves a few nights earlier, during the rain storm. The animal was drenched and was coming out of the Sharick yard about 9 p.m. "Just cause I say they're wolves doesn't mean they are. I'm no expert, but I've seen a lot of tracks and, as far as I'm concerned, those were wolves," Hansen commented.
He said he believes the animals were drawn by the food put out by residents of the area to attract wildlife.
U.S. Forest Service personnel went to the Sharick property some days later, in response to Sharick's phone call. She also called the Michigan Department of Natural Resources, but has not yet connected with the biologist.
DNR wildlife biologist Mark Boersen said he has never documented a wolf in Iosco County, but does not rule out the possibility that they are here. He said the biologist for the DNR district to the north, which includes Alcona and Oscoda Counties, did investigate some tracks which she was unable to rule out. Just last week, Boersen received a report of an additional reported sighting near the Arenac County line, he said.
Forest Service staff did go to the Sharick home, where they measured the tracks and took photographs, reporting back to wildlife biologist Paul Thompson, who said he can neither confirm nor deny what Sharick saw. "It could have been big dogs, but the details of the tracks were gone when our guys got there," he said. "It's inconclusive."
Between the sighting and track examination, the snow had partially melted, obscuring the tracks and distorting the size. One track was measured at five-inches, which Thompson said could be a wolf, but could also be a large dog. The stride indicated by the tracks was dog-like, he added. "Based on my personal experience, it is very unusual for wolves to come into areas with so many dogs and so much activity."
Thompson, who previously worked in the Upper Peninsula's Hiwatha Forest, said the wolves there avoid all things man made, even the roads. He thinks it would be unlikely that wolves would weave around buildings and fences. However, he added, biologists do not have much experience with wolf behavior in inhabited areas, so it is difficult to know how the animals will react.
Some of the details shared by Sharick support the possibility that these were wolves; other of her information would be more conducive to dogs, the biologist said. "If these were wolves, people don't really have anything to be afraid of," Thompson said. "Wolves are very smart and they avoid people and developed areas." The animals also instinctively avoid conflict, because conflict can lead to injury and, for a wild animal, injury is a threat to survival, he said.
The International Wolf Center agrees. "Most wolves are not dangerous to humans and there is a greater chance of being killed by lightning, bee sting or a car collision with a deer than being injured by a wolf."
Dennis Fijalkowski, executive director of the Michigan Wildlife Conservancy, said he would not be at all surprised if these were wolves. "We've had credible reports of wolves in the club country for some time. We believe they've been in the area for at least 20 years," he said.
The club country refers to the number of large, private hunting camps which dominated Northeast Michigan in past years. Fijalkowski contends that wolves, as well as cougar and other predators, survived by taking refuge in these.
Fijalkowski said the DNR has traditionally scoffed at sightings in this region, but can not continue to deny their existence after one was shot in a trap in the Rogers City area. Based on Sharick's description, Fijalkowski said the animals could be wolves, possibly a male and female trying to establish a pack.
If wolves, Fijalkowski and other experts say the animals represent a very small threat to humans, with only a couple of documented cases of attacks in history. There is, however, a risk to pets.
"Don't feed wild animals, especially the predators," Fijalkowski advises.
This is also the first piece of advice offered by the International Wolf Center, the U.S. Forest Service and the DNR in their tips for living with wolves. Also recommended:
-Do not feed other wildlife as this attracts prey animals which may draw wolves.
-Feed all pets indoors; leave no food outside.
-Dispose of all food and garbage in cans with secure lids.
-Hang suet feeders at least seven feet above the surface of the ground or snow.
-Don't leave pets unattended outside.
-If pets must be unattended, keep them in a kennel with a secure top.
-Also, install motion sensor lights, as these may keep wolves away.
Additionally, Fijalkowski advises that people take precautions to avoid surprising or startling wolves or other predators. Wearing bells on shoes can serve this purpose. Also, he said, carry pepper spray when walking. If wolves are in an area, he also tells joggers to run elsewhere. "Wolves may perceive joggers as frightened prey running from them," he said.
If confronted by wolves, do what Sharick did, according to the experts: do not turn your back on a wolf and make noise. Other suggestions include raising your arms and waving them in the air to make yourself appear larger; backing away slowly; and, if available, throwing objects.
Sharick said she was also careful not to look the animal in the eye. Even though she has survived what she believes to be a face-to-face encounter with wolves, Sharick says she remains frightened, and has modified her outdoor time. "I've never been scared before. Now I wait until mid morning. And I don't go out no more at night time. The dog has to stay in too," she said.
Incidentally, gray wolves are a federally protected species. This means it is against the law to kill or injure a wolf, unless necessary to protect human life in the face of imminent danger.
posted by wolf saga at 10:23 AM
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