Perils for Josephine (Installment 1) (There will be more to come!)
Josephine seems to lead a life a bit more like a cat--- remember that thing about nine lives?
So this story begins on day 4: Josephine ihas accompanied husband to our farm during this last full week of April (presumed to be the very last of his many trips with her this season for brush-cutting and burning in the woods, courtesy of a very late winter here in MN). On Saturday it was cold, snowy and blustery but he took a walk with her in late morning following a path he has cut through the pine and spruce stands he planted 10-12 years ago. He wanted to check the fresh snow depth, and see if he could remove a few more stumps from his winter brushing. He found the snow too deep to remove stumps at ground level, and conditions too miserable, but he trekked all the way to the back of 40 acres of reclaimed pasture land where the trees are planted. As they turned back to return to the farm house, as she had done all through the winter on other such trips, Josephine was soon zooming off on her own adventure, with her tail high and wagging to explore the scents and presumably make friends (or hunt?) the creatures of the forest.
Steve soon called her back, and soon saw her running back toward him at top speed, but zigging and zagging, under the trees, through the brush, and across the path. She did come right to Steve, this time with tail down between her legs. To his surprise, on the trail behind her (following the trail) was a large timberwolf, likely about 2 - 2 1/2 times the size of Josephine! As Steve grabbed Josephine by her collar, the wolf stopped on the trail but didn't turn and run. Steve then picked her up, and began to shout and scream at the wolf, and, as he told it, "tried to make himself as big as possible". He said the wolf seemed to be studying him, and (he imagined) was sizing up the situation perhaps hoping that Steve would put Josephine on the ground again. As the wolf turned and headed back down the trail, Steve started out of the forest the opposit way on the path carrying Josephine, moving as fast as he possibly could while carrying a 40 lbs. doggie. As he looked to his side, he realize the wolf was moving lock step with him as he made progress down the path, and the wolf kept pace just 2-3 rows of trees away to the side of the path. When Steve reached the road (a 40 acre parcel is 1/4 mile deep), he finally put Josephine down. She stayed by his side as they crossed the road and gladly went into the farmhouse. All the rest of the day she was extremely subdued.
They left the farm then to visit with family and were away until early evening. They spent a quiet, cozy evening in the farmhouse, but as bedtime approached (for Steve the night owl, this was about midnight) he took Josephine out to do her business. He had a large flashlight and found in the farmhouse yard all sorts of sign of deer (footprints, evidence they were bedding down) that had not been there at dusk. Also he noticed prints of what seemed to be a very large dog... most likely the wolf? Steve said that Josephine was as jumpy as a cat on a hot tin roof, and would not, no way, do her business although this is usually her nighttime routine!
Steve thinks she was very smart about not wanting leave her scent for the wolf, as she certainly knew with the wolf as about or had been in the farmhouse yard. We're both thinking her amazing speed allowed her to escape the wolf and make it back to Steve when she realized the wolf was not just another fun play partner!
Steve was chagrined he did not have a camera (wouldn't have been able to use in the circumstances), but the wolf was really beautiful! Alas, Josephine will be severely restricted in her future trips to the farm! Steve heard from the local game wardens that the wolf will take coyotes, so there's no doubt Josephine was at risk in this encounter!
Once again, our little doggie has persevered against nature and won! Josephine - you go, girl!
Comments
I bet that wolf was beautiful.
This was probably a good luck encounter since now Josephine is 100 times smarter than the average shiba for having experienced this directly and having been put under such intense observation by a predator. She the wiser now.
Goodluck, Take care, Ron
I'll say this, they are lucky that was a Timberwolf, if it had been a Carpathian Wolf they would both be dead.
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I don't mean this as a flame in anyway, and I'm sorry to bring it up in your thread, but I think this is a bit relevant to a post that came up a few weeks ago...
This is a good example of why, even in the woods (or desert based on Ron's story above), you should keep your dog on leash.
Please be careful I hate worrying about people I haven't even met.
As to not leashing the dog while we're in the country, a word of explanation, lest you all think we are both demented: Of course, we react from what we know and are used to. My husband and I are both from a rural background, and he and Josephine were at the farm where I lived during my childhood. As I grew up, my family always had a dog (or more than one); and I recall the dogs were continuously outside and free to roam at will (I guess they sheltered in the barn in the bad weather? I know they were not allowed in the house). I don't recall that any dog we owned was ever penned, leashed or crated. (I guess fortunate for our family) I don't recall a problem either caused by the dog harming anyone else, nor wildlife, cars, tractors, etc. harming the dog. Maybe running with all us kids (there were nine of us) kept our doggy pets busy and focused?
As for my husband, he has spent numerous hours in the woods starting from childhood, in various parts of northern MN. Only one other time has he ever seen a wolf, who ran away from him immediately. So, this wolf experience has taught us both something new, and Josephine's freedom will of necessity be severly restricted now while at the farm.
On another note, my hubbie now purchased a "game cam" in hopes of "bagging" a picture of the wolf while not risking the dog (or maybe himself!). The idea (for those who don't know) is to hang the camera on or near a trail that might be used by wildlife, and it is activated by motion. The one he got will take color pics during the day, and black/white after dark (due to a low infra-red light instead of flash). (Some fancier models are heat activated, and can be set to only activate for larger animals, etc.) He's off again for the northlands, and if he catches the wolf in all his splendor, I will post a pic here for you all to admire!
If you plan a trip this way, please let me know. Perhaps something could be arranged.
Oh, one other wolf encounter for my hubby that I forgot. When my he was in college he and a friend took a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) -- a national park in NE MN. which does not allow motorized boats, and most campsites are only accessible via portaging through lakes. One night they sat at their campfire and heard wolves not too far out range of the fire light (that would be howling!). When they switched on a flashlight and looked to the woods, they could see the glow of eyes. I believe they had some sort of weapon on that trip, but didn't have to use it. I know both he and his friend would have much rather seen and had a good camera shot, but that didn't happen either due to the darkness.
I guess part of what is attracting the wolves farther south in MN. and particularly to our farm is the abundance of wildlife prey (bunnies, deer, etc.). I and others have seen sign of them periodically the past 3-4 years, especially in the winter when c-country skiing or snowshoeing in the fields and wood.
Pennsylvania (north east) has become so populated inthe last 10 years that I feel if we are ever going to get the peace and tranquility of northern life and be able to observe wildlife as it ought to be, we're probably going to have to migrate even farter north/northwest..
If we ever decide to go to MN - I certainly will let you know! I'd love to meet Josephine!
Hey Rachael and Chad: Enjoy your trip back to MN.! My hubbie and I say sometimes (when winter gets dreary or mosquitoes intense) we only live here because we were born here! But we keep staying, and my 28-yr old son seems to not want to leave either in spite of enticement to Seattle and Denver-area by prospective employers... I guess another thing is the variety in the state-- big city to wilderness and everything in between!