BicycleCrazy

"His nightmare began with a gray wolf sprinting out of the woods 60 miles west of Watson Lake and surprising the passing cyclist with an initial chomp that just missed his pedal."

Here is the story on Idaho News Site

DX-MAN

I'm thinking a pump sprayer with a 50% solution of pure capsacin extract for wolves. (Sorry, my 'spirit brothers', but you can't munch on us pedalers.....)

I'm thinking, as much as it may be motivated as stated in the article (young or old & desperate wolf, maybe used to seeing humans as food carriers), that it can also be the shrinking ecosystem for the critters.

Cougrrcj 

Back 59-62 when we lived outside of Dayton, my dad carried a squeeze bottle full of ammonia. Never had a repeat offender on his commute.

License2Ill

Smells like cow poop.

RyderTheRider

I think just a bit of drama in the retelling. The last of his spray, drivers slowly to survey the scene before speeding off, etc.

SpeshulEd 

"At first, Hollan tried to out-race the wolf, but the predator reeled him in with the ease of a peloton erasing the lead of a dope-free breakaway rider."

Nice.

License2Ill

Yeah, the story was some serious dramatic embellishment of details for sure. I don't know what was up with this lone wolf going down to the highway to hunt by himself, but the whole bear spray from the hip while pedaling for my life deal with him biting at my pedals and then at tent bags, etc sounds way fishy.

It's just yet another unfortunate jab at wolves in the wild that they just don't need with the freaks in places like Idaho where this guy is from.

tagaproject6

A one wolf wolf-pack? Unusual!

RyderTheRider

What do you mean? Are the people there trying to come up with excuses to wipe them out?

ursle

Couldn't have been Mcqueen must have been Nicholson

License2Ill

Always.

Seattle Forrest

Yes.

Cougrrcj 

Without the natural predators, the 'prey' critters will take over and become a nuisance.

Looigi

That's how wolves and dogs feel about cyclists.

Burton

The only really brilliant comment I see in that little essay is 'I don't know'. The expression 'lone wolf' has been around for decades and is based in fact - not fiction. Maybe you want to read up on it: http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lone_wolf_(trait)

RyderTheRider

Oh, . Are the wolves a real problem or just isolated events over years?

License2Ill

Real problem is isolated and embellished events getting them more negative press, followed by fear. They've only recently been released back in minute numbers in Wyoming, Montana, and Idaho. But ranchers and hunters prefer them extinct. Thus we get a lot of big bad wolf tales to continue to the narrative until they are fully eradicated again.

Loose Chain

I love wolves. I have been fortunate to see some in the wild. However, to say that a wolf is not or cannot be dangerous or not aggressive would be foolish. But, that said, harming wolves because one chased a cyclist is like killing all the sharks because of the movie JAWS which was fictitious, this story, however is not likely made up.

I suspect some might feel differently if their PC thinking rear was being pursued by a large, hungry wolf. I hope nobody was harmed, including the beautiful animal.

Not that long ago, I had two large coyotes flank me. I was hiking alone. They were simply curious. In Arizona, I witnessed another two large coyotes, follow a lady hiker. I was about two thousand feet up and away on a ridge. They were cutting the switchback. Another group coming down scared them off. I am again, sure they were not stalking her, just following her. It is possible that hikers might scare up rabbits or prey which then running from the hiker, run right to a hungry coyote, the more likely behavoir.
LC

RyderTheRider

Any tales with actual injury caused by the wolves?

Bike Rat

This describes me to a T! I don't do group rides, but if you ever see a lone rider advancing, you better watch out!

Bike Rat

Hiking, biking, anything bear country...at a minimum I'm packing bear spray...air horn, lol, how'd that work for ya!

I guess he's lucky it was a lone wolf, does anyone know how to handle a pack of wolves preying upon you?

Cougrrcj 

"... we should be packing full-auto, preferably belt-fed!"

Two bonus BF points* for those who can name the character and the movie.


*BF points are redeemable for a if you know where I live, and stop by on your bike.

Bike Rat

Yep, hard to believe a lone wolf could really be that dangerous:
http://www.laverneandshirley.org/lenny-kosnowski.html

Burton

Here's some more 'big bad wolf tales ' and a few photos from a couple of the motorists that stopped to help this cyclist out. I'd like to think its just some photoshopped Chihuahua - but the black on the tail and the furry ears say - probably not.

http://m.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoor...point-cyclist/

And I'm guessing that you would've been one of those motosists that wouldn't have bothered to stop and help.

Bike Rat

You overlooked an opportunity to provide a public service announcement. The original quote is, "As Hollan rode a half-mile ahead of his buddies, his nightmare began with a gray wolf sprinting out of the woods 60 miles west of Watson Lake and surprising the passing cyclist with an initial chomp that just missed his pedal." And the rescuing lady said the other two cyclists were about 5 miles behind.

PSA:
Beware, if you're the jerk who leaves your buddies behind, the cycling gods will smite you!