About a decade ago, I went looking for deer sheds in a new place here in NE Oregon. I had a pretty good day and picked up a few buck horns. As a chronic sufferer from next-ridge-itis, I was still a few miles from my truck as it was getting dark. I had stupidly left my headlight in the truck, so I knew it was going to be a long evening fumbling in the snow and deadfall timber.
Right at dark, I heard a wolf howl in the bottom of the canyon maybe 3/4 mile directly downhill (big country). I thought to myself “well that’s pretty cool,” then heard another respond a few hundred yards closer. I was really enjoying the experience until another responded ~100yd behind me in the pitch black timber with a much deeper, gut-wrenching howl.
After a moment of silence, the surrounding area ignited with howls in every which direction. No longer really enjoying the experience, I unstrapped a 4pt shed to protect myself, and began the trek towards my truck—which was right in line with the source of the deep, commanding howl.
So off I go, in the pitch black timber, in a remote area I had never been before, with nothing but a 60” shed to protect myself. Meanwhile the wolves were communicating back and forth, until the alpha would howl and shut them up momentarily with the eeriest howl you can imagine. This continues as I make my way through the woods, however every time the alpha would howl it was still ~100yd behind me. After this happens a few times, I get a solid idea of what is taking place—it’s following me. All I can do is keep hiking.
After a while, I make it back to a trail, and scoot pretty quickly back to my truck. Upon reviewing google Earth later that night and identifying landmarks, I determined that the wolf stayed right behind me for ~2.5 miles as I fumbled my way in a V-shaped line back to my truck. The next day and subsequent weekends, I went back (properly armed) and counted at least 10 wolves in that pack, and was able to identify the alpha based on his howl—a big old gray colored one.
I’ve had cats creep up on me at night, had my share of supernatural experiences (none backcountry related, thankfully), but nothing will make a guy feel more vulnerable than walking through the pitch black woods, without a headlight, without a side-arm, not really knowing where he’s going (pre OnX or GPS for me), and being followed by the alpha wolf. Needless to say, I now always carry a headlight, batteries, and some form of protection on me at all times.