SEELEY, WI., Dec. 26th, 2024 – In the last couple weeks I’ve rolled across two wolf kills on my random rides around the forest, lakes, trails and gravel that surround our home. The most recent wolf kill I came across (in the photo above) was while riding on frozen Camp Smith Lake off Telemark Road. It was very fresh as evidenced by the still bright red blood stained snow and a leg bone uneaten. I ran across a similar kill on the logging road leading to the old CCC camp dynamite shack I shared in my last Wallpaper Wednesday.
The Seeley Hills Gray Wolf Pack that shares the forest with me near where I live has been around since about 2003 when a small group broke away from the Ghost Lake Pack (another great area to ride and explore, FYI) to the southeast of me. I frequently see tracks and other evidence that my wild canine neighbors are out on the trails with me, but I rarely see one in the flesh. On the handful of occasions that I have spotted a wolf, I have not yet had time to get my camera up to make a photo. The wolves lope effortlessly into the trees and disappear before I can raise my camera.
I’m not at all afraid of being attacked by wolves (or black bears for that matter), as they are much more afraid of me than I am of them. In the last century, there have only been two people killed by wolf attacks in the lower 48 states. Dogs and livestock are killed by wolves every year in Wisconsin though (stick around Cowboy). The WDNR tracks all that and reports on wolf depredation every year. Since the program was introduced in 1985, Wisconsin taxpayers have paid about $3.5 million to reimburse hunters who lost dogs and farmers who lost livestock . So I’m not against managing the wolf population with a hunt that includes locally appropriate, science-based quotas. But I personally have no interest in hunting wolves. I don’t want to hunt anything I can’t eat.
Local attitudes about wolves mirror the current political divide. Some people love them and think they should continue to be protected. Others want to see wolves eradicated again. And there is a lot of misinformation and unwarranted fear of wolves out there. I’m an avid deer hunter, and personally I enjoy hunting in the woods alongside these stealthy canine competitors. I don’t mind sharing the local deer population with nature’s other hunters any more than I mind sharing the wild berries I pick with the birds and bears. Mother Nature’s balanced, fair, shared gift economy has provided for humans, fauna and flora since we began walking upright. I feel grateful anytime I am blessed with natural sustenance from hunting, fishing or gathering. If we don’t screw the planet up too much more, it can continue to provide for us all for some time to come.
And my rare glimpses of a wolf, lynx, black bear or other four footed predator in the wild is a thrill I cherish. Those brief encounters nourish my primal need to connect with nature as much as the wild berries I pick and freeze for my morning oatmeal or the venison bolognese on my bucatini at the end of the day nourish my body. I am sure an active wolf pack can push deer out of an area and make deer hunting harder for humans. That said, I have had wolves defecate on my bait pile in Ashland County while looking directly at my trail camera and then had deer in 20 minutes later.
So don’t let the wolf tracks or low snow levels keep you from making a trip to the Northwoods. If you are thinking about coming Up North to ride, I heartily recommend it right now! The snippet above is me riding Seeley Pass a week ago. The recent warm spell melted some of that snow, but you can still ride pretty much anywhere right now.
Although our snow totals are well below the typical two feet of snow we typically get between October and the end of December, we have just enough snow to cover the ground and flock the forest. We also get frequent lake-effect flurries to shake up the snow globe a little to keep things fresh and pretty. And it has been cold enough to freeze the lakes thick enough to make them pretty safe for riding. The area CAMBA mountain bike trails are all frozen and rideable, no grooming needed. Fat bikes are still better than mountain bikes this time of year, but you could get by with 2.4s. Also, studs are great if you have them, as the gravel forest roads are frozen over and icy.
Sadly for the local economy, there isn’t enough snow around my area to attract the hoards of snowmobilers and skiers that keep our area businesses busy during the winter months. That just means it is easier to get served, so we encourage you to come on up with your fat bikes and leave a little money behind.