Agassiz National Wildlife Refuge

 08 Jun 2009 05:23:27 am

Our job was to girdle aspen trees (right) so the oaks can grow (left)...without getting too scientific. The following are pictures from the week...enjoy











































We saw one other bear that was a little bigger than the one with pictures.

Ok it's story time...you can decide whether you want to believe me or not...because I didn't get a picture of this, but I will try to describe it as best I can so that you will know that I was there.

It was beginning to darken, with the passing rain showers blocking the setting sun, almost pushing it even further down in the sky. The two of us loaded up in the truck, we wanted to get out early. Earlier then we got out there the day before anyways. Map in hand we headed to the heart of the reserves 61,000 acres.

Two wrong turns led us along very similar pools in the marsh, each one with an opportunistic skunk hunting for fresh goose eggs. It’s funny, but I am growing fonder of wrong turns... After our wrong turns had been righted we began our approach to the rendezvous point. Where it was rumored they would meet the cubs. A gathering point if you will. Well, we were hoping for an invitation tonight.

I wanted to get in and get the truck turned around...get settled. The light rain that was hitting the windshield was doing a good job of drowning out the noise of the truck. I was upset the headlights would not turn completely off, but I told myself not to worry. We were here early, something good was happening here tonight.

The windows both rolled down, allowing the rain in when it decided to come heavier. This was good only for a wet left sleeve, but I needed my vision. No pain of glass was going to block my view. Scanning the horizon out of the window going from the tailgate of the truck around the driver side and finally to the headlights, which were now shut off...And back around. back through the cattails out in front of us, focusing in and out of the brush directly to the south, zooming out now glancing to the open field that stretched an easy mile to a large spruce stand that I could not tell where it started and where it finished, my eyes come back in closer now to end up on the same path that we are parked on, back behind us.

The rain has let up slightly, and has given way to the mosquitoes. Which would find their way into the truck even if the windows had been rolled up. We ready the tape, and point the megaphone looking speaker out the window, towards the open field in hopes it catches someone’s attention. Pressing play makes it official, either we see something tonight, or we have to go home disappointed. The tape starts out with one long howl, followed by a shorter one, and then a high pitch howl where the howlee seems to reach down deep inside to make his voice stretch an extra mile or so.

This is followed by silence. I imagine in my head that this is at least a wakeup call to any listeners we have out there...I find out later that this is the call of a lone wolf, looking for company I imagine, or just singing to himself. I think to myself that any deer within a ten mile radius just flipped up his white flag and ran as fast as he could the hell out of there...Better yet I think, what if someone is camping near the edge of the refuge, comfortably tucked away in their tents, and then the unmistakable call of the apex predator comes rolling through the trees. I wouldn't think twice about spending the night in my car.

We repeat the calling several times, and decide a pause is needed. We have hit them pretty hard with the calling, they need some time to get their bearings and play catch up. As we wait the darkness begins to fill around us. I give my buddy next to me a chuckle as I cuss myself for wearing shorts.

I begin scanning the horizon starting at the front and moving around back to the rear of the truck. Trying to keep my eyes out of focus, you see better at night with your peripheral. I also remember from my limited hunting experience that nature gives you a bunch a vertical lines...those are the flora's...you want to look for the horizontal lines, that is where mother nature shows you her secrets. Animal’s especially big game make horizontal lines.

My scan of the horizon finds me a little more than half way around to the back when I see the magical horizontal line. 300 yards out in the darkness blending in and out of the scrub there is something and it is coming this way. "Somethings $%^&#$% moving right there!" I didn't think I just whispered it, or tried to whisper as best I could. My buddy was just as quick to try to call my bluff "B.S." he said. He saw my facial expression and he followed my finger pointing until he too saw this animal approaching.

After the initial shock of seeing the first animal approaching and telling at least at this point that it wasn't a deer by the way it was trotting in with its head held low to the ground, quartering back behind us, trying to wind us. Clever I thought, too clever... I glance along the brush line he was coming in on to notice a second silhouette. This one was easier to see, lighter in color, bigger, and I knew what I was looking for.

We sat in awe, disbelief really...good eyes my buddy whispered. We followed the first silhouette out into the opening behind the truck, it’s a wolf!!! As he came out into the opening on the path our truck was on it reminded me of the lion king. When the hyenas are goose stepping and their eyes are glowing. Maybe my brain wanted him to look more sinister, but any how our call had been answered in silence. If not an answer, we at least provoked an investigation. The first wolf, about the size of a full grown German shepherd, possibly an adolescent, patrolled the tree line at our 4 o'clock and proceeded into the underbrush.

We were really squinting now, they were 75 yards at the closest, but the sun had been below the horizon for some time now. The second grey came to the tree line and stopped. He was much larger, and lighter in color, relatively easy to make out along the dark trees he is now standing in front of.

Sometime passes and we now try to provoke this wolf into giving us the call that we seek. We have it on tape, but we wanted the genuine article. We have heard it on TV, read about it, like you now do, but we needed more. I turn the volume down on our call, and turn the speaker away and let the tape play until it’s over.

I now have to climb out the window and sit on the sill to see over the truck. A moment passes and the answer comes...not to be rude, the first passerby, who is now deep in the scrub lets out a low deep howl. Like I understood what was happening I gazed in the direction of the howl, and now trying to turn this into a human conversation I look to the second comer only to see his head tilt back and watch him as he adds his two cents. The hairs on the back of my neck are on end now. All of myths, movies, books, and even this story don't do it justice...The call of the wild, something so calming and terrifying...It just left us wanting more...

We sat for a while and let them clear out, not wanting them too close when it came time to start the truck. Satisfied, we started back. I don't know when the next time my path will cross with a wolf, but I believe it will be just as moving.


.........the end..................


Ok there's my attempt to paint the picture with words. Hope it makes sense, and you enjoy! I hope to venture back up to this place before my time here is over. I have never felt like I was surrounded by so much wild life as I was here. It was truly unique, and not like any place I have visited.

Good night, and good week to all of ya's

Category : General | Posted By : paul | Comments [9] | Trackbacks [0]