Victoria Houston - Loon Lake 14 - Dead Lil' Hustler by Victoria Houston
Authors: Victoria Houston
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I’m not saying wolves don’t have their place in the food chain but Sherry and I aren’t the only trainers of hounds for bear hunting who are of the opinion that just maybe it’s time for more controls over this goddamn wolf population.”
“Have any humans been attacked?” asked Osborne.
“Not that we know of… yet,” said Russell. “When he called, Ray said you got someone maybe lost back in the Nicolet somewhere—that’s not good and I’ll tell you why.”
“I’ll cut him off after ten minutes,” said Sherry with a smile.
“Here’s the deal,” said Russell, hitching his chair closer to the table and pouring a fresh cup of coffee. “Sometime in June the packs gather with their newborn pups in what’s called a ‘rendezvous site.’ These sites are used once the pups are weaned and they stay there until the nomadic hunting periods in the fall and winter when they can join the pack.
“So any people or dogs entering a rendezvous site are at risk?” asked Osborne.
“Definitely the dogs. You may be surprised to hear that the value of the dogs lost this year alone had to be $30,000 or $40,000,” said Russell. “These are not mutts—these are purebred dogs trained to hunt bear.
“Once the DNR hears about a depredation and the owner can pinpoint the location, then they establish a caution area, usually a four-mile buffer around a depredation site. And that’s what’s been happening all along the Pine River in the Nicolet National Forest. Like I told Ray, no one is going near there these days. Not for training their dogs, not for hiking, and not for picnics. You got grandchildren? You better find somewhere else to take ’em wading.”
“Are you saying that once the hunting periods start in the fall and winter, the rendezvous sites will be safe?”
“We don’t know that,” said Russell. “Wolf packs are territorial. I don’t think it’s wise to challenge them in areas where you know they have killed dogs. Who knows what a wolf is thinking?”
“I take it you two are training your hounds elsewhere?” asked Lew.
“Yeah, like in our backyard,” said Sherry with a laugh. “No, we’ve found forest areas where it’s safe to train them right now but we are keeping our eyes open. You never know when a new pack might form and establish a territory.”
“Wolves are very intelligent,” said Russell. “My advice? If you think you’ll be searching in that buffer zone along the Pine, then keep your eyes and ears open. Wolves howl to enforce their territory. You hear that—scram.”
Chapter Ten
“Can you show us exactly where the danger zone is in the national forest?” asked Ray.
“Sure,” said Russell, pulling the map toward him. Lew and Osborne stood up to look over his shoulder. “It starts up here and runs from a logging road south to this section—then figure a four-mile radius around that stretch.” With his finger, he drew a circle that showed the Pine River running through its center.
“What makes it even more dangerous for dogs like ours is that this particular rendezvous site is within the territories of three wolf packs. Incidentally, one entire wolf pack area will average forty to sixty square miles. Sherry and I happen to know the trainers who lost four hounds to wolves in or around that rendezvous site since late May. Now everyone knows to avoid the area—bear hunters, bird hunters, deer hunters, everyone.”
“I assume it’s posted,” said Osborne.
Russell shook his head. “No idea. We haven’t been back there in ages.”
• • •
Half an hour later, Lew pulled into the clearing at Ray’s trailer to drop him and Osborne off.
“I’ll check with you later, Doc. I have to call Bruce—maybe Pecore is right and it was wolves who got to Corbin after he drowned. There must be a food source around there. If they have been weaned and aren’t old enough to hunt, what do you think the pups eat?”
“You mean besides expensive bear hounds?” asked
“Have any humans been attacked?” asked Osborne.
“Not that we know of… yet,” said Russell. “When he called, Ray said you got someone maybe lost back in the Nicolet somewhere—that’s not good and I’ll tell you why.”
“I’ll cut him off after ten minutes,” said Sherry with a smile.
“Here’s the deal,” said Russell, hitching his chair closer to the table and pouring a fresh cup of coffee. “Sometime in June the packs gather with their newborn pups in what’s called a ‘rendezvous site.’ These sites are used once the pups are weaned and they stay there until the nomadic hunting periods in the fall and winter when they can join the pack.
“So any people or dogs entering a rendezvous site are at risk?” asked Osborne.
“Definitely the dogs. You may be surprised to hear that the value of the dogs lost this year alone had to be $30,000 or $40,000,” said Russell. “These are not mutts—these are purebred dogs trained to hunt bear.
“Once the DNR hears about a depredation and the owner can pinpoint the location, then they establish a caution area, usually a four-mile buffer around a depredation site. And that’s what’s been happening all along the Pine River in the Nicolet National Forest. Like I told Ray, no one is going near there these days. Not for training their dogs, not for hiking, and not for picnics. You got grandchildren? You better find somewhere else to take ’em wading.”
“Are you saying that once the hunting periods start in the fall and winter, the rendezvous sites will be safe?”
“We don’t know that,” said Russell. “Wolf packs are territorial. I don’t think it’s wise to challenge them in areas where you know they have killed dogs. Who knows what a wolf is thinking?”
“I take it you two are training your hounds elsewhere?” asked Lew.
“Yeah, like in our backyard,” said Sherry with a laugh. “No, we’ve found forest areas where it’s safe to train them right now but we are keeping our eyes open. You never know when a new pack might form and establish a territory.”
“Wolves are very intelligent,” said Russell. “My advice? If you think you’ll be searching in that buffer zone along the Pine, then keep your eyes and ears open. Wolves howl to enforce their territory. You hear that—scram.”
Chapter Ten
“Can you show us exactly where the danger zone is in the national forest?” asked Ray.
“Sure,” said Russell, pulling the map toward him. Lew and Osborne stood up to look over his shoulder. “It starts up here and runs from a logging road south to this section—then figure a four-mile radius around that stretch.” With his finger, he drew a circle that showed the Pine River running through its center.
“What makes it even more dangerous for dogs like ours is that this particular rendezvous site is within the territories of three wolf packs. Incidentally, one entire wolf pack area will average forty to sixty square miles. Sherry and I happen to know the trainers who lost four hounds to wolves in or around that rendezvous site since late May. Now everyone knows to avoid the area—bear hunters, bird hunters, deer hunters, everyone.”
“I assume it’s posted,” said Osborne.
Russell shook his head. “No idea. We haven’t been back there in ages.”
• • •
Half an hour later, Lew pulled into the clearing at Ray’s trailer to drop him and Osborne off.
“I’ll check with you later, Doc. I have to call Bruce—maybe Pecore is right and it was wolves who got to Corbin after he drowned. There must be a food source around there. If they have been weaned and aren’t old enough to hunt, what do you think the pups eat?”
“You mean besides expensive bear hounds?” asked
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