Thread: Cry Wolf

hehe darkmatters, close call there!

Whew!!!

It got a lot closer just now!!!

Unfortunately Pepper isn't trained to use the bathroom facilities, and she had to go out. I tried to ignore her, but her whimpering and puppydog eyes were so pathetic I figured ok - we'll just go into the yard far a few minutes on her leash and come right back in.

Hah!!

Silly human!

First, there was no way in hell I was gonna put her on her chain - thinking of that all I could picture was the goat in Jurassic Park.

So I put her little backpack on her thinking it might give her some protection ( yeah right - but every little bit helps right? ). I also picked up a stout 2 x 2 about 3 feet long as a weapon - I was planning to shout and scream and pummel the crap out of that wolf if it comes at us.

I took her out and tried to just stay in the yard, but she was sooooo sad, and pulled so hard out toward the street. And then I thought "Well, we're actually a lot closer to the woods here in the yard - on the street I can see it coming better - and besides - it's a fucking wild animal, not a monster!!! It's not going to just automatically attack everything it sees - it's more likely to attack rabbits and squirrels than a dog nearly it's own size."

Rationalization.

So I let her pull me down the street some distance.

I started hearing dogs barking here and there - nothing frantic or anything, just probably people's dogs wanting in or whatever. And every one of them made me hold my breath and listen. Every one of them sounded like a wolf to me.

And suddenly down in a long dark yard I saw something glide by - it looked like a big german shepherd, but very light colored. And it moved like a predator.

I was in shock instantly. Pretty much terrified. But luckily my dog hadn't sen it yet, so I pulled her fast on down the street (unfortunately farther away from home - otherwise we'd be moving right out in front of it where it would definitely see us). There were two big open trash cans on the street nearby and I pulled her right to them. My plan was, if it is a wolf and if it came at us (I was looking everywhere - it could be stalking us) I was gonna pick Pepper up, throw her in one of the cans and close the lid. I considered jumping in the other can myself as well. And I formulated the next part of my plan... I was gonna push that trash can with my dog in it all the way down the street to home and unload her there.

But after a while nothing had happened, so I walked her back and didn't see it again. I was pretty scared though because the way it was headed when I saw it was right toward my house - so it could still have been there between us and safety.

But it wasn't.

Whew!!

Chances are it was actually a large light colored german shepherd. Or not.

Here's the weapons I've got leaning against the doorframe for when I take Pepper out:



From left to right - in the order I obtained/made/used them;

a 2x2 that hurts my hand and is very heavy

a still too big and too heavy piece of a microphone stand

and finally the two smaller telescoping sections of the mic stand, with tape wrapped for a handle and a loop of christmas-tree light wire used for a lanyard so I don't drop it.



Here it is extended to near its full length. This is by far the best - it's small enough I can carry it in my pocket and sort of jammed partway up under my jacket - I don't look like a crazy Buford Pusser going out to smash somebody's windshield, and it's lightweight enough I can swing it fast but still heavy enough to hit pretty hard. I'll probably just keep it collapsed all the way - it takes a little too long to loosen the screw, extend it, and then tighten the screw again.

Heh - it probably wouldn't really help a lot if a wolf actually attacks us (it probably never would) but it makes me feel more secure. (picture a wolf rather than a horse.. )

Wouldn't it make more sense to bring a knife or a gun? I wonder if it's starving. Are there a lot of wild animals in the forest? It's strange that it's so close to human buildings and doesn't have a pack.

I don't have a gun, and on the streets where I walk the dog it really isn't safe to fire one wildly at a running animal - I'd pretty much hit a house or a car or a person no matter where I aim. That would be a good option if I went down in the woods though.

I did think about a knife - I have a machete but it's too big and would be even worse to carry around the neighborhood than a stick. The neighbors would call the police and get me locked up! Plus I remember years ago when a friend of mine wanted to put his mom's old sick dog out of its misery and he used a big survival knife - I wasn't there, but he told me about it. He said he tried to slit it's throat but couldn't - it was a lot tougher than he thought. So he stabbed it over and over and over, and it just wouldn't die, and in fact kept wagging it's tail and licking him. For a long time.

And that's an old, dying domestic dog. I imagine wolves are hardier than that. We've all heard the stories about how dogs will run on broken legs and keep attacking no matter how much pain they're in etc.

Lol I don't know what hitting it with a stick will really do though - I imagine it running away, but who knows?

Basically I'm opting for non-lethal non-destructive defense - just trying to drive it away. I would hate to kill it, unless my life or my dog's or someone else's is in direct danger. I wonder if pepper spray is effective against them?

Oh well, as long as I keep taking her out and walking her in broad daylight I don't anticipate a problem - I think they're nocturnal. I guess it's time I google it..

I think both wild dogs and cats are bicuspular (sleep in the day and night, awake at dawn and dusk). Okay, that's a good reason. I wish I didn't hear the dog story though.

I guess I'll stop assuming people have guns just because they're American.

Oh this is not good:

Wolves generally outmatch dogs, even large ones, in physical confrontations, because of their larger heads and teeth and stronger bites.[194][195] Also, the fighting styles of wolves and dogs differ significantly; while dogs typically limit themselves to attacking the head, neck and shoulder, wolves will make greater use of body blocks, and attack the extremities of their opponents.

Wolves may display unusually bold behaviour when attacking dogs accompanied by people, sometimes ignoring nearby humans.[188] Wolf attacks on dogs may occur both in house yards and in forests.

Source: Gray wolf - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Another google tells me wolves have been spotted and killed in Illinois: http://www.prairiestateoutdoors.com/...inois_in_2010/

What really sucks is this: "Killing an endangered species is a federal crime punishable by a maximum fine of $100,000 and one year in prison."

So there' no getting professionals to hunt it down and kill it. It would need to be a hush-hush neighborhood secret, like killing Freddie Krueger.

Originally Posted by Dianeva

I think both wild dogs and cats are bicuspular (sleep in the day and night, awake at dawn and dusk). Okay, that's a good reason. I wish I didn't hear the dog story though.

I guess I'll stop assuming people have guns just because they're American.

Yeah, I just read that they're neither nocturnal nor (is it diurnal?) - they're sort of both. And Lol!! Somebody's been watching a little too much Michael Moore!!

(Though to be honest, most American homeowners probably do have guns - I'm just kinda weird like that - possibly because Bowling for Columbine made a big impression on me).

Just watch Peter and the Wolf, Darkmatters. That should make you feel better.

And the tune will be stuck in your head whenever you go for a walk.

Not. Funny.

I just ordered pepper spray and a collapsible police baton to carry in my pockets. Not a bad idea even if this isn't really a wolf.

I also copied the 1st 2 posts above from Rant & Rave and the rest from my story thread where they didn't really belong, though quite ironically I had jut started writing about a werewolf the same night the wolf was sighted.

I, too, wish I hadn't heard your dog story Poor pooch. And poor friend for having done it. I really hope he didn't give his mom the details!!!!

Call animal control. If it's a wolf or not, it's too bold for a neighborhood. They may be able to relocate it. If it's being that bold it could also be hurt or sick which makes it all the more unpredictable (grrr. only took me five tries to correctly spell unpredictable lol)
How big is your dog? If it's small, the wolf may be thinking "snack". But if it's large he may consider pooch a threat. I guess it's one of those catch-22 situations

In any case, stay safe.

Pepper is fairly big - not on the snack menu. More a large combo meal.

I just checked around town and had to hit 3 different stores before I found one that carries a spray specially formulated for dogs - didn't want to wait 3 to 5 business days for it to come in. I was wondering what's different from regular 'human' pepper sprays, and what it says on the packaging is it's not really pepper, it's citronella.

Don't they put that in candles to make them smell nice?

Of course I put pepper on steak too, so that doesn't mean anything. It says it will effectively drive off a low or medium level attack, and that no chemical will really stop a full-on vicious attack by certain kinds of dogs. That's probably like crazy pit bulls - I don't know where a wolf would fit on that scale. But having the spray in my left pocket and the collapsible baton in the right will make me feel a hell of a lot better.

And yeah, calling animal control sounds like a good idea. I'd like to talk to the lady up the street who just installed a security camera in her yard that snaps pics of anything moving in front of her house (freaked me out a couple nights ago when a flash went off as I was walking by! ). It might get pics. And she wouldn't be checking it unless there's a break-in or something - actually she got it because somebody's been dumping bones in her yard for reasons unknown, and she wants to stop it or find out who it is. Lol.. weird neighborhood dramas going on all over the place!

Ah crap! Just learned for wolves they recommend using Bear Spray. It's like super-duper badass pepper spray that shoots a powerful stream 20 feet. Just ordered some - till it comes in I'll rely on the dog spray and only walking the dog in the middle of the day. Man, after all this hassle I'm starting to hope it actually is a wolf - otherwise I'm going to a lot of trouble over a stray dog!

(Lol I accidentally typoe'd stray god! )

Haha, this thread is MFW! Keep it coming Darkmatters.

So after this ordeal you'll own regular pepper spray, dog pepper spray, and bear pepper spray. Anyone who sees will be wondering what you've been up to!

Originally Posted by Morten

Haha, this thread is MFW! Keep it coming Darkmatters.

Oh man... I did mention that I can get obsessive about some things, didn't I? Yeah well... this is one of them!!

Originally posted by Dianeva:
So after this ordeal you'll own regular pepper spray, dog pepper spray, and bear pepper spray. Anyone who sees will be wondering what you've been up to!

I did cancel the order for regular pepper spray, but I might have been too late and end up with it anyway. But yeah - I guess I'll be set for home defense!

I think we need a wolf update, Darkmatters!
Have you used any pepper spray yet? Was it really a wolf? Is your dog still alive?

I bet your dog's a werewolf.

Originally Posted by GavinGill

I bet your dog's a werewolf.

Bwaaa haaa ha! Made me laugh out loud for reals!!

Yeah, I can see what you mean - she got away from me, ran around the corner, and turned into a wolf and then turned back just before I got there. Not sure how she pulled the trick while I had her on the leash though later the same night and saw the wolf running through a yard..

Morten - I haven't had to use any pepper spray or unlimber my nifty collapsible police baton yet. Most days I still carry them both with me when I walk her, but I haven't seen or heard about the wolf since that one night. I talked to the neighbor who also saw it, and she said she's been doing a lot of googling about wolves too same as me, and that they have a range of 60 square miles - so I think it just passed through here that night and is probably far away by now (if it did get hit crossing a highway or something). I've pretty much relaxed my vigilance on the wolf front, but I do usually still carry my weapons just in case. At least now I feel prepared and I'm not just freaking out like I was at first.

Oh, plus the other day I noticed a long box standing against the neighbor's trash can on trash pickup day, and even before I got a good look at it I KNEW it was from a gun! Sure enough, when I got my car backed around far enough to see it said Remington. So I guess she talked her husband into taking it more seriously - he was trying to downplay it - I guess to relax her or he was just in denial or something.

Oh, to answer your other questions - Pepper (my dog) is fine, I haven't heard about any dogs or cats going missing in the neighborhood or about any other wolf sightings, and my neighbor is absolutely convinced it was a wolf and I believe it was too.

Originally Posted by Darkmatters

Yeah, I can see what you mean - she got away from me, ran around the corner, and turned into a wolf and then turned back just before I got there. Not sure how she pulled the trick while I had her on the leash though later the same night and saw the wolf running through a yard..

Haha, I guess in that case the werewplf theory wouldn't really make sense unless... she had already bit and infected another helpless soul. :0

Originally Posted by GavinGill

werewplf

Germanic pronunciation..

Oh yeah, and

Just become a vampire, they generally fuck up werewolfs.

Edit: just realised there was no mention of werewolfs. *puts ps3 controller down and turns of skyrim for a few days*

Holy Crap! I almost had to bust out the weaponry tonight!!!

It's an amazingly beautiful evening, more like a warm fall than winter, and I was walking Pepper when suddenly I saw a dog a little bigger than her trotting toward us across a yard. In fact it was the yard we were standing next to and Pepper was busy marking it. I got pretty nervous when I saw the other dog was loose and was a pit bull. A young one, but still bigger than Pepper (who's a pretty good-sized dog). It was a big yard though and the pit was a hundred feet or so away so I pulled Pepper away and we started walking kinda fast down the street. The pit bull stopped at the edge of its yard and started sniffing where she had marked. We walked on a ways and I turned my head to look back, and now it was trotting toward us fast.

It didn't really look aggressive - it was just trotting but did I mention it's a pit bull? Made me nervous. Now it was only about 15 feet away and coming on fast.

For a second I tried to grab both the baton in my right jeans pocket and the pepper spray in my left coat pocket at the same time - it was like a total derp lockup. Then I did this ridiculous little back-and-forth hand dance like "I'll grab this one - no, I'll grab this one - no.. ". And as I decided to use the pepper spray first before it got too close I also shouted "Get back dog!"

The second time I shouted it (by which time I almost had the pepper spray out and ready for use) it stopped and cocked its head at me, then turned and trotted away. Whew.

Strangely, today I had lunch with my family at my aunt and uncle's house and my uncle told us about a time years ago when somebody had dropped off a pit bull in their yard (they have a really big yard way out in the country) and it used to howl and run around all aggressive and one night my uncle had walked out with a shotgun to see what it was doing up close to their house when it attacked him and he unloaded both barrels into it at close range. He said it basically blew the dog apart and there was fur and blood and bits of flesh all over the carport and the car and his clothes.

Then later the same day I see a pit bull in my neighborhood that I've never seen before and almost have to bust out the artillery on its fuzzy ass.

I'm glad it wasn't a little more aggressive or I would have sprayed it for sure. And it's weird - suddenly the pepper spray and the baton both seemed too flimsy and ineffective against a probably friendly pit bull that was only half grown - I wonder how they'd feel against a full-grown wolf?

they've stopped trying to hold him with mortar, or stone
or chain

you're alone now, DM