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RE: [RC] [RC] Wolfes attack for fun??? - Catfish Daniels

Wow!! It just goes to show you that you never stop learning. That sort of behavior doesn't make any sense to me, although that doesn't mean that it doesn't exist. Like I said, the documentaries on television will never measure up to those awful true life incidences. Then again, I'm sure that there are many more documentaries that I have not seen.

Well, those wolves, who'da thunk. I'm still fascinated by them. I will, however, if I ever encounter some in real life, be much more caucious.

Catfish


From: <bobmorris@xxxxxxxx>
To: "'Catfish Daniels'" <CatfishDaniels@xxxxxxxxxxx>,<ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: RE: [RC] Wolfes attack for fun???
Date: Mon, 12 Apr 2004 19:59:41 -0600


Catfish:

Let me say I have had similar personal experience about five
years back. I was managing a back country Wilderness Area
ranch and we were the outfitters and guides for the
surrounding hundred square miles. Not far from the base
ranch we found almost a dozen elk calves slaughtered where
the wolves had caught them in soft snow. The were spread
over several acres and the tracks showed only wolves in on
the kill. A few bites torn out of the underbelly and the
rest left for the ravens and other scavengers.

Not a pretty sight. But then I have seen cats do a similar
thing to a sheep herd. No matter the documentaries you see
on television, it does happen more than the "picture takers"
would like you to believe. Remember, whole sale slaughter,
unless human, does not sell to the public.

Glad you have a fascination with the wolves and hope you
never come upon the realities of nature.

Bob

Bob Morris
Morris Endurance Enterprises
Boise, ID

-----Original Message-----
From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
Catfish Daniels
Sent: Monday, April 12, 2004 7:35 PM
To: ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [RC] Wolfes attack for fun???


OK, I don't mean to argue or anything like that. Plus, it sounds like you are backing your claim with real life experiences. I happen to have an extreme fondness of wolves and admire them extremely. I have, as long as I can remember, had this fascination of these wonderful animals and find your comments rather peculiar about them killing for the pure fun of it. I know the many wildlife specials and documentaries about wolves that I have seen on television don't compare with the real life experiences you have mentioned, but I wonder why I have never seen or heard of such behaviors on these programs.

Hey, perhaps those Game biologists in your area are on to
something.  A completely different theory about the wolve's
behavior, such as the physically demanding task of hunting a
heard of wild elk, killing them and biting off their noses
for the pure fun of it - sounds like an interesting show to
me.  I'd watch it on Wildlife Discoveries any time.

Catfish

DBL Realtors


-----Original Message----- From: ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ridecamp-owner@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of heidi@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx Sent: Monday, April 12, 2004 4:29 PM To: kskf@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Cc: Deblyons54@xxxxxxx; ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx Subject: Re: [RC] snakes and/or bears

> As wolves are and hunt as pack animals, they will look at
an elk herd
> and can pick out the old/weak/sick elk to take, so I doubt
they would
> take on a healthy horse with a human on it. Of course, I
would not be
> able to explain that rationally to my horse.

Wolves do NOT selectively take out the old/weak/sick etc.
They kill for the fun and joy of killing.  Game biologists
in this area have found whole groups of elk slain--prime of
life cows, half-grown calves, etc.--one group had 19 elk all
slain at the same time with just their noses bitten off.
Unlike most other predators who primarily kill to eat unless
they are rogue individuals, wolves CAN and routinely DO kill
just for the sake of killing.

I don't know about a horse with a rider on it, but given
that we had a confirmed wolf kill here a few years ago where
a nearly-full-grown horse was slain in a pole corral within
several feet of the owner's house, and given that we had a
situation last year where a small pack tried to attack a man
and his wife and their saddle horses and pack mules (they
were not mounted at the time--the pack leader was shot in
mid-air by the husband as he leaped to attack the wife, who,
knowing her husband was a good marksman, had the guts to
just drop to the ground to give him a clear shot, and the
killing of the pack leader broke up the attack), I wouldn't
trust that being mounted on a horse would be a deterrent to
a wolf pack.

My biggest fear raising horses here in central Idaho is
having a wolf pack come in on a spree.

Heidi


============================================================ I still prefer what it is that BH100, Tevis, The Duck's Soup of Endurance, etc. has to offer...but, to see a horse canter over sand for those distances...Good Lord, it humbles me. ~ Frank Solano

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There are 2 ways to win at this sport. You take a horse and
race him for a short time and then find a new horse or you
can take one horse , do the homework and spend many miles
and years enjoying that horse. ~  Paddi Sprecher

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you develop the "bond" that causes him to "defer" to you before losing his
cool.
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