4 ms·

>I'm talking about deep instinctual fear With a 30-30 or 30-06, I'm not sure what there is to be scared of (not mentioning a probable .45 side-arm)? Guns are s

>I'm talking about deep instinctual fear With a 30-30 or 30-06, I'm not sure what there is to be scared of (not mentioning a probable .45 side-arm)? Guns are scarier than teeth.

matt_wulfeck 9y ago
I imagine being hunted and stalked by another animal is frightening regardless of the hardware.
- narrowrail 9y ago
  There are no wolves hunting humans, and the idea is so ridiculous it is astounding.
js2 9y ago
I'm just a runner, not a hunter. A couple years ago, I was out on a run when I was quickly set upon by two adolescent German Shepherds. I was on the opposite side of the street, but they left their property (they were out playing fetch with their owner). Before I knew it, they were circling me and then one took a bite of my thigh. To this day, I'm astonished by how quickly it happened. I'm virtually certain that even if I'd had a weapon, I would not have been able to use it in time. These dogs were not attacking me either. The bite was playful, from a poorly trained adolescent dog. I'm pretty sure that even with a gun, I'd be scared of a pack of wolves. A canine can move very quickly and violently.
- narrowrail 9y ago
  The person I responded to was talking about hunting. So, it stands to reason he had a rifle. Wolves are scared of humans. They recognize the apex predator. Edit: I suppose I should mention that domesticated dogs can be trained to be all sorts of aggressive (esp. German shepherd). Domesticated dogs have none of the lessons taught to them that a wild wolf would learn from their mother. Wolves avoid humans at all costs.
jboggan 9y ago
Most modern hunting rifles have 2-3 rounds loaded. Even if you were rolling around with a 30 round magazine you could only try and shoot the ones that you could see. We had a camp member stalked by a pack while walking between two campsites one night, he was not armed. He heard them and we checked the trail in the morning, the size and number of the prints made our blood cold. Same guy was charged by a mountain lion several years ago and he was lucky to get one shot off that dropped it at his feet, claws out. It ain't Disney out there folks.
thinkharder 9y ago
These aren't packs of feral chihuahuas we're talking about, the adult (american) grey wolf mean weight is 88 Lbs, they can weigh up to 180. Imagine an animal almost as large as you, who's very purpose for existence is to predate mammals much larger than itself. Now imagine being surrounded by 20 of them and aware of the fact they have evolved to hunt cooperatively, to take down ungulates that can weight 5-10 times what they do. You are going to maybe get 1, 2 (if god himself intervenes) shots off with your bolt action 30-06 before they swarm you and literally tear you to pieces. If you had your back to a cliff and a M134 Minigun, you might have a chance. Luckily they mostly choose not to hunt humans, but it ain't because they wouldn't be successful. They just have easier prey most of the time.
- throwaway2048 9y ago
  I have hunted and been an outdoors man all my life. This is total nonsense, one shot and they would all be running. Wolves are deathly afraid of guns, and what predators fear is confrontation. Its easier to run away and go after something that isn't going to result in you dying. They are animals, with a strong desire for self preservation, not a mindless army of killing machines out for human blood. If it was truly this dangerous hundreds of people would be dying a year. Your hyperbole adds nothing but disinformation to the conversation.
  - jboggan 9y ago
    Not an example of using a gun, but this wolf did not seem deterred by confrontation and repeated shots of bear spray to the face: http://www.montanaoutdoor.com/2013/07/wolf-attacks-bicyclist-in-idaho/ http://www.montanaoutdoor.com/2013/07/wolf-attacks-bicyclist...
    - throwaway2048 9y ago
      Its a one off situation, any number of things could have been at play, the pepper spray could have been a dud, he could have missed in a panic or been too far away, etc. People going into environments like that need to carry guns, and they need to understand that running away, especially in a panicked manner makes things worse. I'm not saying they aren't dangerous animals, they clearly are. That's why people need to understand how to handle them, its no different from being prepared to climb a mountain. But hyperbole about needing a mini-gun or you are surely going to die to a pack of wolves is just utter, complete bullshit.
travmatt 9y ago
i like the hubris it takes to assume you know exactly what to do in a situation you've clearly never experienced.
- narrowrail 9y ago
  Maybe after 25 more years in the Rockies with an active back country lifestyle, I will encounter a pack of human-hunting wolves. Hubris indeed.

>I'm talking about deep instinctual fear With a 30-30 or 30-06, I'm not sure what there is to be scared of (not mentioning a probable .45 side-arm)? Guns are scarier than teeth.

matt_wulfeck 9y ago

I imagine being hunted and stalked by another animal is frightening regardless of the hardware.

narrowrail 9y ago
There are no wolves hunting humans, and the idea is so ridiculous it is astounding.

js2 9y ago

I'm just a runner, not a hunter. A couple years ago, I was out on a run when I was quickly set upon by two adolescent German Shepherds. I was on the opposite side of the street, but they left their property (they were out playing fetch with their owner). Before I knew it, they were circling me and then one took a bite of my thigh. To this day, I'm astonished by how quickly it happened. I'm virtually certain that even if I'd had a weapon, I would not have been able to use it in time. These dogs were not attacking me either. The bite was playful, from a poorly trained adolescent dog. I'm pretty sure that even with a gun, I'd be scared of a pack of wolves. A canine can move very quickly and violently.

narrowrail 9y ago
The person I responded to was talking about hunting. So, it stands to reason he had a rifle. Wolves are scared of humans. They recognize the apex predator. Edit: I suppose I should mention that domesticated dogs can be trained to be all sorts of aggressive (esp. German shepherd). Domesticated dogs have none of the lessons taught to them that a wild wolf would learn from their mother. Wolves avoid humans at all costs.

jboggan 9y ago

Most modern hunting rifles have 2-3 rounds loaded. Even if you were rolling around with a 30 round magazine you could only try and shoot the ones that you could see. We had a camp member stalked by a pack while walking between two campsites one night, he was not armed. He heard them and we checked the trail in the morning, the size and number of the prints made our blood cold. Same guy was charged by a mountain lion several years ago and he was lucky to get one shot off that dropped it at his feet, claws out. It ain't Disney out there folks.

thinkharder 9y ago

These aren't packs of feral chihuahuas we're talking about, the adult (american) grey wolf mean weight is 88 Lbs, they can weigh up to 180. Imagine an animal almost as large as you, who's very purpose for existence is to predate mammals much larger than itself. Now imagine being surrounded by 20 of them and aware of the fact they have evolved to hunt cooperatively, to take down ungulates that can weight 5-10 times what they do. You are going to maybe get 1, 2 (if god himself intervenes) shots off with your bolt action 30-06 before they swarm you and literally tear you to pieces. If you had your back to a cliff and a M134 Minigun, you might have a chance. Luckily they mostly choose not to hunt humans, but it ain't because they wouldn't be successful. They just have easier prey most of the time.

throwaway2048 9y ago
I have hunted and been an outdoors man all my life. This is total nonsense, one shot and they would all be running. Wolves are deathly afraid of guns, and what predators fear is confrontation. Its easier to run away and go after something that isn't going to result in you dying. They are animals, with a strong desire for self preservation, not a mindless army of killing machines out for human blood. If it was truly this dangerous hundreds of people would be dying a year. Your hyperbole adds nothing but disinformation to the conversation.
- jboggan 9y ago
  Not an example of using a gun, but this wolf did not seem deterred by confrontation and repeated shots of bear spray to the face: http://www.montanaoutdoor.com/2013/07/wolf-attacks-bicyclist-in-idaho/ http://www.montanaoutdoor.com/2013/07/wolf-attacks-bicyclist...
  - throwaway2048 9y ago
    Its a one off situation, any number of things could have been at play, the pepper spray could have been a dud, he could have missed in a panic or been too far away, etc. People going into environments like that need to carry guns, and they need to understand that running away, especially in a panicked manner makes things worse. I'm not saying they aren't dangerous animals, they clearly are. That's why people need to understand how to handle them, its no different from being prepared to climb a mountain. But hyperbole about needing a mini-gun or you are surely going to die to a pack of wolves is just utter, complete bullshit.

travmatt 9y ago

i like the hubris it takes to assume you know exactly what to do in a situation you've clearly never experienced.

narrowrail 9y ago
Maybe after 25 more years in the Rockies with an active back country lifestyle, I will encounter a pack of human-hunting wolves. Hubris indeed.