Sorry, but I don't feel the same way about wolves.

I figured that haha! But they are amazing creatures who don't get a fair shake!

I've loved wolves ever since I read Farley Mowat's "Never Cry Wolf."

also I've never heard/seen them in the wild, I'm sure it would freak me out a bit :P I'd admire from a distance and keep my dogs closeby By the way, the dogs in your avatar look really cute!!!

Loved the movie!! It was one of the things that inspired me to move to Seattle (as a jumping off point to go farther north - which I still haven't done...yet!

I never saw the movie, but I loved the book. I learned so many positive things about wolves. They're a lot more admirable than humans in many respects. They mate for life, they're monogamous, and they guard against overpopulation. The surplus male wolves in any given area attach themselves to existing wolf families as celibate babysitting uncles.

I need to read the book! Zuzu have you seen the video I linked?? I didn't know all the ways that they impact their local environment!

Living in the same area that wolves do, it makes me not like them like I used to. I still think that they are beautiful, but I am not crazy about having them here. They are introduced, from what I've been told. They have been very destructive here with some newborn lambs and calves as well. I won't go into detail, but you get the picture. They weren't my lambs or calves, but it was too close for comfort. I didn't rest easily until we got the fence up to keep the dogs safer. We have lots of coyotes, but they don't worry me like the wolves do. I'm pretty much not a fan of anything that can kill my dogs, and wolves are on that list. Same with mountain lions, but they aren't seen here as often as wolves.

The ones we saw last year were being chased by a doe, who had probably just given birth. It was obvious that they were hunting, and it was fawn season. The deer were on edge like I have never seen before, and the wolves were looking for a fresh meal. It was both exciting to see them, but very scary at the same time, as they were pretty close to our house. We now keep a gun in the house because of them. If my dogs are in danger, the wolves will be taken care of.

Greg, we cross posted. Forgot to thank you for the compliment on the dogs. I think that they are cute too!

I love the video, Greg! It's wonderful to see how quickly the natural order was restored when wolves were reintroduced into their old habitat. I especially loved the closeups of all the birds and beasts.

I have to agree with Natalie, though, that I wouldn't want to live in the same area as wolves or coyotes or bears or.... My cats can deal with skunks, possums, and raccoons, but I wouldn't want them to have to face anything bigger.

I totally understand! I grew up in Detroit on the east side right near the river, and we had a found cat who never grew very big, maybe 7 lbs but scrawny, sweet but tough also, and she'd bring home these gigantic alley rats - Eeew
they'd be 2 times as large as she was! My family would always be scared that she would get teamed up on and then lose, but she never did! I like rats today - though not those large river/alley rats which I've only seen in Detroit and Boston! Larger than a possum!

You probably wouldn't like the pack rats here either! They are HUGE!! One was busy trying to eat our front porch, which is wood. It won't be doing that again. I'll save you from the details on that, as well. They also like to eat the wiring in our trucks, just as much as our porch, so we are on a mission to get rid of them. We have hawks, bald eagles and owls here that do a pretty good job of keeping most of the rodent population down, but they don't seem to make a dent in the pack rats.

We also have rattle snakes. Found three of them in the yard last year, which were disposed of. So far this year we haven't seen any. Just a couple of gopher snakes and a garter snake, which are more than welcome to stay. The dogs all have their snake shots, but I still worry about them being bitten by a rattle snake.

I forgot to mention the toads that can also kill the dogs. Seems like I'm always trying to make sure that the dogs are at the top of the food chain!

I'm free to like coyotes now after hating them for 30 years. There are not many here at all and my cats are all inside. We had one who spent days outside when we were in SoCal and I always knew he was at risk. Since I plant all 'at risk' plants in wire, I'm even free to like gophers....lol..and I do appreciate wolves. However, I realize that if we lived around lions and tigers and I were to be part of their chosen menu, I would wish them to be extinct......it's all in perspective....

Very true!

Hi Sherry! I used to live in Fortuna! Wasn't there long, but I loved it!

You are so right about the perspective. When we lived in Utah, my husband and I ran a private gun club. There was a mountain lion that lived on the property. I was okay with that, until she had a baby. I knew I was on the menu for sure then. I'm not a shooter, but thought that I should carry a gun when I worked late on Thursday night, and was there by myself at midnight, closing up. I never did carry a gun, but I ran as fast as I could to my truck! Many times, we would see the lion tracks around the building in the snow, and it freaked me out! I wanted that thing gone, but it is probably still living there. The gun club is closed now, so it's free to eat all the other critters it wants to. I'm just glad that I'm no longer on the menu.

I appreciate the fact that I have all of this amazing wildlife around me. It is everywhere, and I feel blessed to live where I do. I don't like the wolves, but I understand that they have a right to be here. I just wish that they were vegetarians.

Funny Natalie!!

Hi, Natalie....and I lived on Whidbey also....lol..

We had the occasional mountain lion in Fallbrook (SoCal) and after a sighting, if I were going out on the property at night, I was always looking over my shoulder up to the tops of the barns and sheds....and the coyotes were quite plentiful, slept with earplugs and a fan on to block the noise of their yapping all night. We do have bear here, but I'm not really worried about them. Of all of these, the rattlers are the things that would bother me the most where you are. I cannot find it in me to feel any kindness toward a rattler.

Natalie welcome!

You are close to where I grew up and went to school (Orofino, White Bird, Moscow). Loved spending time on the rivers, prairies and primitive areas. Good luck with your gardening efforts. You have a few more challenges than my slugs but your location is lovely.

Hi Jewell! We're on Sunnyside Bench, about 13 miles from Orofino! I love that little town!

Hello neighbors!

I hope you don't mind the System Message inviting you to participate in the Pacific Northwest Gardening Forum based on the geographical location in your ATP public profile.

A few days ago, @Greene raised a question over in the Site Talk forum, about which forums correspond to which geographic areas.

The thread "Geographically challenged" in Site Talk forum

The PNW forum wishes to invite our neighbors to join our conversations and start threads relating to your local climates, soils and ingterests.

We came up with this updated "who we are" or "where we're from" description. "Coastal WA and OR" is just one part of the PNW, which sprawls from Alaska to northern California and as far east as anyone who wants to join us.

- - - - - - -

Alaska,
British Columbia,
Washington,
Oregon,
Idaho,
northern California

Welcome to the Pacific Northwest forum. We are bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean, and bisected by the Coast, Olympia, and Cascade mountain ranges. Our diverse region includes temperate rain forests, verdant river valleys, arid desert plateaus, and alpine mountains. Our discussions are lively, cordial, and at times wander off topic. Please join in.

- - - - - - -

Don't worry about any subject being "off-topic" for the PNW forum. If it interests you, it's on-topic!

Alaskans:

@Norm
@Oberon46
@chocolatemoose

British Columbians:

@adele
@Irislady
@laurabrunning5
@RCanada
@kathirudko
@DesertTreeLady
@shuennis
@Planetalker
@bsmith
@sherstewart
@Tophertuttle
@Pwinget
@Charlie
@girliebird
@mdakin65
@eweed
@TomPNW
@lmacmurchie
@Gwen
@Jewell
@neuba001
@kirbylougheed5
@missygs
@mcash70
@Mira
@Gilli

Idahoans:

@kc
@Grams
@Ponditis
@sandyglee7
@inezmeehan1
@scoob
@michelleruark1
@cherissefaulkne
@CHBM3
@mnjtripp
@debbiesalsbury1
@sherrywellsspea
@Natalie < - - Hi, Natalie!
@Paula


The Eastern Oregonians whose towns I recognized:

@MaryE
@roselvr
@zenahohman
@svanamburg0816


Northern Californians:

@lindahdavid
@chrisseekins
@carlondixon
@sarahbarclay14
@mnorberry
@paulettebeck
@wcgypsy
@lorimar196011
@Zanymuse
@Chickensonmars
@janwax
@FBTS
@MagicMaryMac
@tynabegley
@sweetstuff19574
@georginefitzger
@Otter
@Catydid
@soilsandup
@AllMixedUp
@HamiltonSquare
@zuzu
@chalyse
@DadofVlad
@tristinbeach
@wesleyfox165
@kimhadynski
@jennifershroyer
@LJA
@shelleynagle
@Calif_Sue
@stardehaven
@tammibaker7
@cyra
@UndertheSun
@Moiris
@bevykona
@Ecograndma
@wabatala
@sacvalley
@sherrydibenedet
@subhanaansari
@franconia123
@LindaCA
@PudgyMudpies
@GRAMANO1
@igrubb
@JeffreyD
@jessergirl
@jodiechristense
@lillyvranova
@dre
@macguyver
@putitupmike
@Liz
@Iochroma
@NealW
@DJShip
@tarev
@figara
@OakRaid
@Polymerous
@debbiebrowning
@kristiejarvis
@Cruddy