Forum Index > Public Lands Stewardship > Question: Would you shoot a wolf in self-defense?
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Dave Workman
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PostWed Jun 09, 2010 7:27 am 
PLEASE DO NOT TURN THIS INTO A "GUN THREAD." It's a question I dropped into another forum the other day. As noted there, I'm trying to gauge reaction, perhaps to determine whether one group is more or less thoughtful v. reactionary than the other. Hopefully, it will provoke some thoughtful answers. Part 1: Say you are in the wilds or you live in a norther tier state where wolf reintroduction is being pushed to the hilt. If you had to -- considering isolated reports that wolves killed a school teacher in SW Alaska this past winter, and killed a guy up in northern Canada last year -- would you shoot a wolf in self-defense? Straight yes or no kind of question. I'm trying to gauge the sentiment here. The second part of this: If you live in these states (MT, ID, WA, WY, ND) do you carry a handgun in the wilds or will you start as the number of wolves increases?

"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted." - D.H. Lawrence
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Canuck
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PostWed Jun 09, 2010 7:32 am 
I'm not a gun person. That said, if I had one and knew how to use it properly, and a wolf was attacking me, then yes, I would shoot it. Same goes for if it were attacking my kid (I'd kill it even without a gun at that point, with any means available). I love wolves though. I would hate to do it. Edit: in answer to your Part 2, no. But my husband does. He has a concealed weapons permit. I'm not a citizen, so even if I were a gun person, I'm not sure I could get a permit (?).

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jenjen
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PostWed Jun 09, 2010 7:38 am 
If I had a weapon handy, yes I would kill a wolf that was attacking me. I don't carry a handgun.

If life gives you melons - you might be dyslexic
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Backcountry
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PostWed Jun 09, 2010 7:43 am 
Yes Myself or my hiking partner are always armed when permitted by the law/regulations.

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Vertical Smile
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PostWed Jun 09, 2010 7:54 am 
YES and Yes

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jimmylegs
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PostWed Jun 09, 2010 8:32 am 
yes...though i consider the likelihood very very remote / no

guns don't kill people, blood loss and organ damage do.
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joker
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PostWed Jun 09, 2010 8:51 am 
Pretty simple for me to say "no." I don't carry a gun, so I'd be hosed if that were my only viable means of defense. That said, even in a spot like AK, I'd not be terribly worried about this happening - no more so than for several other extremely-low-probability/high-consequence situations (bush plane crash, drunk driver swerving into my lane...). So what are you learning from this "non gun thread" so far, Dave? Are you seeing a difference in how "reactionary" folks are (whatever you meant by the use of that usually perjorative term)? You do realize that, especially now that you've announced that you're doing a an experiment on your fellow community members, you have the problem of a "self selected sample?" Did you clear this human experiment with your Internal Review Board? rolleyes.gif

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DIYSteve
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PostWed Jun 09, 2010 8:53 am 
Dave Workman wrote:
PLEASE DO NOT TURN THIS INTO A "GUN THREAD."
Too late. You already did. shakehead.gif Why limit the query to a wolf (unless you are attempting to provoke on an issue that has been beaten to death on this forum)? The relevant question is "Would you kill any animal* in self defense?" *wolf, bear, domestic dog, human, cougar, snake, etc.

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Z
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PostWed Jun 09, 2010 9:26 am 
ditto.gif How can this be considered anything but a gun thread? The wolves around here are so human adverse that you'd never get a handgun shot. I've been lucky enough to hear, but never see them; It's cool to watch the elk disappear into the woods when they howl. Sorry Dave, but it creeps me out when I run into hikers with guns on their belts. I assume that they're trying to compensate for a deficiency, and I do try to be sympathetic, however.

"Einstein stating that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light, is as a blind man stating that nothing can travel faster than the speed of sound" 1979 They don't make years like they used to.
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Dave Workman
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PostWed Jun 09, 2010 11:24 am 
BigSteve wrote:
Dave Workman wrote:
PLEASE DO NOT TURN THIS INTO A "GUN THREAD."
Too late. You already did. shakehead.gif Why limit the query to a wolf (unless you are attempting to provoke on an issue that has been beaten to death on this forum)? The relevant question is "Would you kill any animal* in self defense?" *wolf, bear, domestic dog, human, cougar, snake, etc.
Okay, would you shoot ANY animal in self-defense? I'm simply trying to provoke some reactions, same as on that other thread. It's a fair question, and one that some folks do not seem to have thought through, on one side or the other. What would be the ramifications for some if they did?

"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted." - D.H. Lawrence
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Dave Workman
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PostWed Jun 09, 2010 11:25 am 
Z wrote:
ditto.gif How can this be considered anything but a gun thread? The wolves around here are so human adverse that you'd never get a handgun shot. I've been lucky enough to hear, but never see them; It's cool to watch the elk disappear into the woods when they howl. Sorry Dave, but it creeps me out when I run into hikers with guns on their belts. I assume that they're trying to compensate for a deficiency, and I do try to be sympathetic, however.
How about taking this over to the gun thread, where we can discuss it further?

"The essential American soul is hard, isolate, stoic, and a killer. It has never yet melted." - D.H. Lawrence
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Z
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PostWed Jun 09, 2010 2:07 pm 
Dave Workman wrote:
How about taking this over to the gun thread, where we can discuss it further?
I stay away from those kind of places!!! eek.gif

"Einstein stating that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light, is as a blind man stating that nothing can travel faster than the speed of sound" 1979 They don't make years like they used to.
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Magellan
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PostWed Jun 09, 2010 2:51 pm 
Link to 'wolf attack' story
Quote:
The jury's finding is significant, because there are no documented cases in North America of a healthy wolf killing a human in the wild.
So now there is one questionable documentation. Since this is not a problem, I fail to understand the question. Link to wolf aggression study
Quote:
60,000+ wolves in Canada and Alaska...39 case contain elements of aggression among healthy wolves...
Ok, fine, I will answer. Yes I would shoot an animal if I thought my life, or my companions lives were in danger. Since I don't pack I guess we will all be eaten alive.

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trails
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PostWed Jun 09, 2010 3:03 pm 
Z wrote:
it creeps me out when I run into hikers with guns on their belts. I assume that they're trying to compensate for a deficiency, and I do try to be sympathetic, however.
Let's hear an AMEM!

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treeswarper
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PostWed Jun 09, 2010 4:04 pm 
More likely in defense of my dog. The wolves go for dogs. But I don't have a suitable gun to pack and would prefer not to pack one. I work in "the wilds" and have never needed a gun or run into any emergency that has required one. Thats 30+ years. Now, if "they" reintroduce the grizzly around here....

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