For the past few months I’ve been walking my dog at the Butze Rapids trail although I am aware that there have been attacks on dogs there in the past. I know that wolves are often aeen in Port Ed and on Ridley Island as well. I’ve also hiked up Mt Hays along the roadway and Kiwanis trail and have never seen or heard of wolf sightings or problems on the mountain. So I was wondering, does anyone know if the packs of wolves tend to stay at lower elevations or do they spend time at the higher altitudes on the island as well.
Wolves are always on the move.( in my experience) A pack can usually patrol 3 to 4 large valleys over the course of 24 hours.They seem to access the city limits via the North end of the mountain. ( mt Hays).I haven’t heard many reports of wolves coming over the mountain. On occasion, we get a visit from a rogue wolf looking for a quick meal. Most of these types of sightings are from the Crestview/ end of 11th ave.
to answer your question about elevation, The tracks I’ve seen in the Shames/ Zymacord valley have been at low elevation. ( bottom of the valley)
I’ve walked my dogs all over PR and even to Oliver Lake and Butze Rapids and have never seen a wolf. However I don’t walk them in places wolves habituate during early morning or late evening. Early afternoon walks seem to be a good way to avoid the wolves.
The pack of wolves that roam our island, do go over the top of the Mnt Hays, they also go around its shore line. the pack is small 3 to 6 wolves since this last winter when two were shot by the RCMP, its basically a crap shoot on where the wolves will be, one thing is for sure they cant be every were at once. there are however a few places on the island you can find them lingering more.
- near there den site that has not changed from the same location in the last 4 to 5 years. this site is sort of central in location to the island.
there is also a huge misconception that the wolves people are seeing are lone wolves, wolves hunt separately and and as a pack when needed. Go out at dusk and in the early morning and you can experience the wolves calling and coming into the den site. or meeting near the golf course, before going up and over the Mnt Hays.
The reasons the wolves come into town is the easy pickings of deer and other smaller creatures that live in around town. just a few days ago we watched a wolf cross the golf course.
I for one will not take a dog to Butze Rapids, there is a reason why there are signs suggesting not take dogs there. and when I do walk there I usually take bear spray and that’s not for the wolves but for the bears that also frequent the area.
This past year there have been numerous wolf sightings on Butze, I saw one there on Monday (last week) in the dip after the large parking area at 4 pm and it was busy as it was a nice day. It was a large grey/white beautiful wolf and it took off when it saw me. However, I know for a fact this wolf took off after a dog on the trail about two weeks ago. I walk/run the trail 4 times a week with my dog and this is the first time I have ever seen a wolf in ten years of doing so. My partner has seen them there about 3 times, one midday sunday very sunny lots of people. same spot as mentioned above. The reality is they are everywhere, they roam the island and we have to learn to coincide with them. I hike everywhere along the Skeena, and have had only two other encounters, Mt. Blaine and across from Rainbow Lake Lodge. Both times they took off. Last month I had my scariest encouter on GEORGE HILLS WAY ! but that is not going to stop me from walking down to Cowpuchinos ! Wolves or not I am not to to torture my dog by not taking her into the wilderness. Use caution on Butze, keep your dog on a leash and carry an airhorn/bear spray, walk in a group.
Thanks to everyone for their thoughts and replies. You’ve all given some great info. I’ve only ever seen wolves out by Kloya and on Ridley despite being here for 50 years. It makes sense that most of the sightings would be where there is more human traffic which is why I was curious as to whether there have been encounters/sightings/activity at higher elevations.
Next question… Do the wolves merely pass through the higher elevations or is their primary food source (ie. deer) found and hunted at lower elevations? I’ve never seen deer at higher elevations either so I’m curious.
Thanks again
You never see deer in the higher elevation as they are not habituated. they hear and smell you way before you get near and bolt, just because you never see them does not mean they are not there. You may hear them crashing through the forest if it is thick vegetation. Going up Mnt Hays in winter is a great time to track wildlife as you will see plenty of track in the snow, deer, wolves and bears in the spring. That how I tracked wolves a few years ago on the Mountain.
My dog and I were in Butze recently and a wolf followed us. I do not believe in taking a dog into Butze but this is a working dog whose job is to alert me to trouble. Having said that - I do not go anywhere without being loaded for bear. My dog is always on a leash for his own protection. At the beginning and end of the trail I let an airhorn go, plus along the way. Just to let the pack or any other predator, know we are there. I only caught a glimpse of the wolf and because he was downwind, my dog didn’t know it was there. However, he did follow us the entire circut and met us in the parking lot. He did not challenge us - it was almost an escort from his territory. They are very territorial and will kill any animal that gets caught unattended. If challenged by a wolf, the animal in front is usually the alpha - that is the one you take out with bear or pepper spray. When the injured animal turns tail, the rest of the pack will follow.
We met a woman with a little kid and a boxer puppy off leash. I told her about the wolf but she shrugged and said “oh well - I don’t care” sort of response. Why have a dog if you don’t care enough to protect it. Talk about an idiot - but there are many of them in there. Little dogs - meals on wheels really. Dogs that are allowed to run through the bush – the wolf won’t be seen and bam, your dog is dead.
That is my 2 cents on how to protect your animal if you insist on taking them into wolf territory. They also hunt at dawn and dusk - that’s not to say any other time is safe, but it would be prudent to avoid these times.
Excellent. Thank you.
[quote=“Astro”]The pack of wolves that roam our island, do go over the top of the Mnt Hays, they also go around its shore line. the pack is small 3 to 6 wolves since this last winter when two were shot by the RCMP, its basically a crap shoot on where the wolves will be, one thing is for sure they cant be every were at once. there are however a few places on the island you can find them lingering more.
- near there den site that has not changed from the same location in the last 4 to 5 years. this site is sort of central in location to the island.
there is also a huge misconception that the wolves people are seeing are lone wolves, wolves hunt separately and and as a pack when needed. Go out at dusk and in the early morning and you can experience the wolves calling and coming into the den site. or meeting near the golf course, before going up and over the Mnt Hays.
The reasons the wolves come into town is the easy pickings of deer and other smaller creatures that live in around town. just a few days ago we watched a wolf cross the golf course.
I for one will not take a dog to Butze Rapids, there is a reason why there are signs suggesting not take dogs there. and when I do walk there I usually take bear spray and that’s not for the wolves but for the bears that also frequent the area.
kaienislandwolves.com[/quote]
just an aside - I hope that people use more caution and precaution IF they continue to take dogs into Butze trail because it would be a crying shame to have yet another human-created wolf death at the hands of Conservation or the RCMP. Consider the position you are potentially putting these people in. Consider the wellbeing of the absolutely magnificent and majestic animal, and trust me, although it was only a glimpse, that animal was so beautiful it was awe-inspiring. Leashes are cheap - rope also works if you can’t afford a leash - Bear bangers are cheap - air horns are cheap - bear spray is expensive but bear season is just around the corner and may also be on the trail so relatively speaking, it is cheap too. Precaution and good old fashioned common horse sense, can go a long way.