Possible Fatal Wolf Attack in Chignik... (homes, buy, to live in)

[Jerseykat]

Exactly Arctic I think however odd it may seem, maybe it was better she had the buds on and it was hopefully over quickly. To me it would be worse to have seen the wolves coming, know you can't outrun them and don't have a gun to defend yourself.
Yes she might have been able to try to defend herself I believe against 1 wolf.
But with 2-3 wolves I think she was totally at their mercy.

[arctichomesteader]

Maybe a big stick would have worked as a club to scare them off but if the wolves were that fearless to begin with, I don't know, it sounds to me like her only real shot at surviving was to have a handgun in the close range situation, or a rifle or shotgun if she saw them coming before they were too close to make it easy to use a long gun.

[blueflames50]

Originally Posted by Moose Whisperer

OK, now that's enough!

All of this talk about killing and maiming perpetrated by one of god's purest of creatures is simply hearsay and speculation. These poor, defenseless wolves have not yet retained adequate legal counsel, let alone been read their Miranda Rights. Should this scurrilous and defamatory behavior continue, the fraternal order of Canis Lupus will have no other alternative but to hire Alan Shapiro and the (surviving) members of the OJ Defense team to drag every last one of your sorry Alaskan butts into court for slander and libel.

You have been warned.

you run right out now and grab hold of these creatures and get foot castings from each so they can be compared to the casts made of the prints found by the body so they can be ruled out as the "killer"....... are you giv'n that Ms Feral a place to stay in your home??? shame on you! hahaha

[Marty Van Diest]

There were many things that lead to this unusual opportunity for the wolves. I think that wolves, given the same opportunity would not hesitate to do it again, but they don't often get this opportunity.

1. Wolves were looking for opportunities close to the village. Wolves generally stay further away from settlements. When they do come in close, there are usually problems. Anchorage had some issues with wolves a few years ago. I have lived in villages where wolves became a problem by killing local sled dogs. Wolves kill, that's what they do for a living. If they are close to town they are going to be killing things close to town.

2. This was a small person. Wolves can kill moose so that doesn't mean a larger person is necessarily safe but a smaller person or a child is more of an opportunity worth taking from a wolves perspective.

3. She was running, that can trigger a response in animals to chase.

4. She was unaware, likely she was "in the zone" and didn't see the wolves until she was actually attacked.

5. She was unarmed. Even a small 22 or bear spray probably would have likely discouraged the wolves enough to fend off the attack.

This is a sad situation and should make us all aware that we are not at the top of the food chain unless we are armed.

[RedJacket]

I suspect this attack will change (at least for a while) the behavior of many parents and kids. As for being armed, I doubt very many people arm themselves while jogging, biking, or just going for a walk. Attacks like this are very rare and this woman just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

If there were no posted signs warning of the potential danger of wolves, bears, or whatever, then there should be. Most people will heed those and be more aware of their surrounding environment.

[blueflames50]

Marty...thanks for bringing up the bear spray! I am so accustomed to guns that didn't even think of it....what a easily obtainable, easy to carry and use item for safety.

[Moose Whisperer]

Originally Posted by blueflames50

you run right out now and grab hold of these creatures and get foot castings from each so they can be compared to the casts made of the prints found by the body so they can be ruled out as the "killer"....... are you giv'n that Ms Feral a place to stay in your home??? shame on you! hahaha

I'll be changing my screen name to The Feral Moose

[starlite9]

Originally Posted by Marty Van Diest

There were many things that lead to this unusual opportunity for the wolves. I think that wolves, given the same opportunity would not hesitate to do it again, but they don't often get this opportunity.

1. Wolves were looking for opportunities close to the village. Wolves generally stay further away from settlements. When they do come in close, there are usually problems. Anchorage had some issues with wolves a few years ago. I have lived in villages where wolves became a problem by killing local sled dogs. Wolves kill, that's what they do for a living. If they are close to town they are going to be killing things close to town.

2. This was a small person. Wolves can kill moose so that doesn't mean a larger person is necessarily safe but a smaller person or a child is more of an opportunity worth taking from a wolves perspective.

3. She was running, that can trigger a response in animals to chase.

4. She was unaware, likely she was "in the zone" and didn't see the wolves until she was actually attacked.

5. She was unarmed. Even a small 22 or bear spray probably would have likely discouraged the wolves enough to fend off the attack.

This is a sad situation and should make us all aware that we are not at the top of the food chain unless we are armed.

I think one of my biggest peeves that she appeared to have on the earphones with the music ramped up. It would prevent her from knowing that an attack was coming, even if she had turned around and shouted and waved her arms it may have been enough to ward off the attack.

But wearing something that blocks your senses in an environment where senses means survival wasn't a very good choice.

The Wolves could have done a "Mock" attack attempt to see if she was a danger to them, and they may have mistaken her not responding and continued running as "Flight" and an easy meal as Marty pointed out.

I see kids in town with the stupid ipods in and ramped up so loud I can hear them with my "Bad" hearing. They are looking for an accident that they aren't going to hear coming... Not to mention damage their hearing before they are out of their teens...

[Jerseykat]

Originally Posted by think first

If there were no posted signs warning of the potential danger of wolves, bears, or whatever, then there should be. Most people will heed those and be more aware of their surrounding environment.

Hi Thinks First,

Hate to disagree but this woman was not attacked on a street in a residential sub-division or city, it was a rural/wild area. People who chose to live in these areas are very aware of their surroundings and putting up a sign isn't going to do anything.
What kind of sign do you put up "warning there are animals outside your home that will eat you?"

[Moose Whisperer]

Originally Posted by starlite9

I think one of my biggest peeves that she appeared to have on the earphones with the music ramped up. It would prevent her from knowing that an attack was coming, even if she had turned around and shouted and waved her arms it may have been enough to ward off the attack.

But wearing something that blocks your senses in an environment where senses means survival wasn't a very good choice.

The Wolves could have done a "Mock" attack attempt to see if she was a danger to them, and they may have mistaken her not responding and continued running as "Flight" and an easy meal as Marty pointed out.

I see kids in town with the stupid ipods in and ramped up so loud I can hear them with my "Bad" hearing. They are looking for an accident that they aren't going to hear coming... Not to mention damage their hearing before they are out of their teens...

Situational Awareness is key to just about any activity, and lack of such can often be traced as a contributing factor in many accidents.