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.

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.

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.

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.

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...

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.

This is what I was talking about elsewhere in this discussion about city people ready to believe there are packs of wolves out hunting humans. 95% of the time in the back country (over 25 years in the rockies) when encountering these large predators, I only see their backside as they run away.

> The Wolves he says always burrow underground to bring forth their young and though it is natural to suppose them very fierce at those times yet I have frequently seen the Indians go to their dens and take out the young ones and play with them I never knew a Northern Indian hurt one of them on the contrary they always put them carefully into the den again and I have sometimes seen them paint the faces of the young Wolves with vermilion or red ochre

-Samuel Hearne

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.

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

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

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

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.