+1,000 for Wolverines … I have a whole bunch of old family including my father who were hunters and trappers in northern Ontario. We’re Indigenous Cree / Ojibway and I’ve never seen a wolverine ever in the north but all my old relatives either talk about them with fear or animosity. These old hunters and trappers respected bears, revered wolves and were absolutely terrified of wolverines … they describe them as being as intelligent as a wolf, as powerful as a bear and as arrogant and fearless as a skunk. There was a reason why these animals were hunted to near extinction in the Canadian wilderness … they had no equal and these animals were not afraid of anyone including humans. They were hunted and killed on sight because they were actual competition to traditional hunters and they will even tear apart any trapped animal and ruin a kill.
Bears will stand their ground but have a timidness to anything unusual and will often gauge a situation and more often than not just leave. Wolves will actively try to avoid even meeting people and they will sense you before you even seen and disappear. But if you ever come across a wolverine, you are in trouble.
I’ve had a lot of wildlife encounters, including bears, wolves and moose, but seeing a wolverine is the only time I’ve ever removed the safety from my bear spray, and one of the few times I’ve started to psych myself up mentally to fight an animal.
Luckily it was pretty much a non story, I was hiking up a forest service road in western Montana on the Pacific Northwest Trail, and heard a noise behind me. I turned to see what looked like a 4ft tall badger trundle out of the bush about 40 feet back. It kinda stood or sat up on its back legs and we locked eyes for moment as I drew and readied bear spray. The moment passed and it slumped back to all fours and just ambled away down the forest service road away from me.
+1,000 for Wolverines … I have a whole bunch of old family including my father who were hunters and trappers in northern Ontario. We’re Indigenous Cree / Ojibway and I’ve never seen a wolverine ever in the north but all my old relatives either talk about them with fear or animosity. These old hunters and trappers respected bears, revered wolves and were absolutely terrified of wolverines … they describe them as being as intelligent as a wolf, as powerful as a bear and as arrogant and fearless as a skunk. There was a reason why these animals were hunted to near extinction in the Canadian wilderness … they had no equal and these animals were not afraid of anyone including humans. They were hunted and killed on sight because they were actual competition to traditional hunters and they will even tear apart any trapped animal and ruin a kill.
Bears will stand their ground but have a timidness to anything unusual and will often gauge a situation and more often than not just leave. Wolves will actively try to avoid even meeting people and they will sense you before you even seen and disappear. But if you ever come across a wolverine, you are in trouble.
I’ve had a lot of wildlife encounters, including bears, wolves and moose, but seeing a wolverine is the only time I’ve ever removed the safety from my bear spray, and one of the few times I’ve started to psych myself up mentally to fight an animal.
Luckily it was pretty much a non story, I was hiking up a forest service road in western Montana on the Pacific Northwest Trail, and heard a noise behind me. I turned to see what looked like a 4ft tall badger trundle out of the bush about 40 feet back. It kinda stood or sat up on its back legs and we locked eyes for moment as I drew and readied bear spray. The moment passed and it slumped back to all fours and just ambled away down the forest service road away from me.
If you know an animal can’t be reasoned with it instantly becomes much scarier.
Same in large parts of Northern Europe btw. Can’t say I’m sad about it 😅