Where can we camp to hear wolves?

[profdant139]

Coyotes are everywhere -- even in suburban Orange County. But I have never heard a wolf howling (except on Youtube). Where are we most likely to hear wolves? My guess is somewhere in Yellowstone, but I am not sure where.

Thanks in advance for your recommendations, especially if you have been lucky enough to actually hear them.

[rexlion]

Hmm, come on by. I'll get a recording of wild wolves and set it outside your camper door. 😄 Or... I can make a wolf whistle, if that helps. For your wife, of course, not you! 😉 Just kidding. Hope you get to hear some good howls soon.

[WyoTraveler]

I've seen wolves chasing horses in their pasture during the day. A pack came across our ranch while I was out working. Skirted around us and left the area. Although I am retired now see lots of tracks around edge of field. Biggest dog tracks you've ever seen. I baled hay at night when a little moisture was on the hay. Getting out and adjusting the baler concerned me. Especially when my border collie stayed with me and just growled and you could see eyes shining off in the dark. They claim wolves won't attack. I still carried my .44 at night.

There are are U.S. forest campgrounds all around here. I doubt you would see them unless you are here on a every day basis. I would try looking at areas out hwy 120 north from Cody then over dead indian pass. That road over dead indian makes a tight curve before going over a bridge then to Crandal. If you go straight the road is gravel and ends fairly close to Yellowstone park boundaries. That is where you find locals camping. Probably hard sided RV would be recommended. Grizzlys out there also. Check out forestry maps. Sunlight basin is not actually listed as a camp ground. Just end of the road where people camp.

[eubank]

Wild spirit sanctuary in New Mexico has a primitive campground.

Wildspiritwolfsanctuary.org

Lynn

[Camorhino]

Ennis, MT and the Gravelly Range. Lots of places to dry camp, and would be acessable with your rig. 2 years ago they were real active in the range, just about decimated the elk herd.

[profdant139]

Tiger, that would be cheating! It's got to be real wild wolves. 😉

[Tiger4x4RV]

Can you camp in the parking lot at the wolf sanctuary in Julian?

[agesilaus]

WyoTraveler wrote:
We live in NW Wyoming and way too many woves around here. Hopefully they'll be delisted. Wolves are dangerous if you are out ranching at night. Not only hear them howl but they are prowling around looking for a meal.

I was going to repeat a claim that I saw in Farley Mowat's book, Never Cry Wolf. But I knew that most of the book has been shown to be a lie. He claimed there has never been a documented wolf on human attack in North America.

Well like the rest of the book that was a lie too:

Wiki

They are extremely rare tho and almost all of them occurred in Canada or Alaska.

Isle Royale used to be a good place to hear wolves but I understand the wolf population there is in a nosedive from inbreeding.

[Triker33]

Battleground Indiana
Friday & Saturday night are Howl nights.

Nearby State Park

[profdant139]

WyoTraveler, are there any campgrounds near your local wolf-pack? Or if there are no formal campgrounds, perhaps a national forest that allows boondocking? (I am not asking for specific boondocking spots -- just the name of the forest would be great.) Thanks!

[WyoTraveler]

We live in NW Wyoming and way too many woves around here. Hopefully they'll be delisted. Wolves are dangerous if you are out ranching at night. Not only hear them howl but they are prowling around looking for a meal.

[Trackrig]

We hear them so often out moose hunting that sometimes we've had to move camp and cross a river to get away from them. Not that they were bothering us, but all of their howling at night was chasing the moose away. You'd never make it there in a MH. It takes the orange rig below in my signature to get there.

bill

[TucsonJim]

Actually, I've heard them several times while camped in the White Mountains of Arizona! We have Mexican Gray Wolves that were introduced into this area in the 90s. You can boondock near Hannagan Meadow south of Alpine Arizona and you may get lucky and hear them.

This site has great information to help you in your search:

Mexican Gray Wolf Site

[tonymull]

It's not easy. I spent many years in Alaska and heard wolves howl twice. Still hearing is much easier than seeing. I know many people who lived near wolves for years without seeing even one. Just tracks.

[westend]

Yellowstone is a good start, wolves are still protected there.
Northern MN has native populations. I have heard them at Lake Agassiz Wildlife area. The sound of a whole den greeting the returning hunting pack is a cool thing to behold.

There is also the International Wolf Center in Ely, MN. They operate a wolf zoo with "Ambassador wolves" that can be seen. Whether they are howling or can be made to even snarl is questionable.

I would bet Montana, Idaho, and Washington may have wild wolves, also. Getting close to these guys or being around when they howl is another thing. I've been tracked by a single wolf in broad daylight and never knew he was there. I discovered his tracks in the snow on top of mine when I returned along the same path.

[TexasShadow]

Probably up in the NE quarter of Yellowstone. There are two small campgrounds up there; if you're lucky enough to get in, you might get lucky and hear a pack of wolves calling up a hunting party. I've never heard them either.