WDFW Resisted Sending Helicopter To Save Woman Treed By Wolves

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romann
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WDFW Resisted Sending Helicopter To Save Woman Treed By Wolves

Post by romann » July 19th, 2018, 1:02 am

I think the only person who didn't find it funny was woman who called for help. Or were they really serious?
https://www.opb.org/news/article/wdfw-h ... an-wolves/
Washington wildlife managers initially opposed sending a helicopter or a search-and-rescue team to save a woman treed by wolves in the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, according to recordings and summaries of emergency calls obtained Tuesday.

“No helicopter. Federally listed species. 3 WDFW personnel saying so,” according to DNR’s call log.

“We are more concerned for her life than the listed animal,” Jones told the officer. “He indicated that she is safe up in the tree. … I told him that we do not know how safe she is. I don’t know how stout the tree is, and if the limbs will continue to hold her or how long she can hold on.”
;)

Something to keep in mind going to Eastern WA/OR though. I read somewhere wolves may go to people in packs, when they starve in winter, but will avoid people/pets in summer.

Schrauf
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Re: WDFW Resisted Sending Helicopter To Save Woman Treed By Wolves

Post by Schrauf » July 19th, 2018, 5:57 am

Story links to another one with more detail that is just as darkly amusing:

http://www.capitalpress.com/Washington/ ... -by-wolves

More of an incident of poor coordination in an urgent situation than anything else. It seems WDFW simply thought a helicopter was over the top unnecessary, and someone didn't think through the potential difficulties of the tree situation for the woman.

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romann
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Re: WDFW Resisted Sending Helicopter To Save Woman Treed By Wolves

Post by romann » July 19th, 2018, 9:51 am

In practical terms, what is the guideline for hiker in her situation? Could bear spray help her (if there were no trees to climb)? Stay & stand her ground?

I made slight modifications in my hiking due to bears (keeping food away from camp at night, make noise if hiking in area where I see fresh bear poop) and cougars (carry knife), and have nothing against sharing backountry with large carnivores. Just don't like to ignore potential risks. I would be interested to know more about do's and dont's when hiking in wolf country.

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Re: WDFW Resisted Sending Helicopter To Save Woman Treed By Wolves

Post by pcg » July 19th, 2018, 10:26 am

romann wrote:
July 19th, 2018, 9:51 am
In practical terms, what is the guideline for hiker in her situation?
https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/spec ... ochure.pdf

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romann
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Re: WDFW Resisted Sending Helicopter To Save Woman Treed By Wolves

Post by romann » July 19th, 2018, 11:01 am

Thanks, that's a good one!

Jim Wagner
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Re: WDFW Resisted Sending Helicopter To Save Woman Treed By Wolves

Post by Jim Wagner » July 19th, 2018, 3:10 pm

Here is a comment from a hiker friend who wishes to stay anonymous since she has been directly involved in wolf research.

QUOTE:
Yes, this has been quite the news story! I find it extremely surprising. I worked on a wolf ecology project in Idaho where we tracked radio collared wolves and they are so shy. They are definitely protective of their rendezvous sites, but usually only pet dogs and cats are at risk. It isn’t uncommon for wolf ecologists to inspect a carcass recently after a kill, and merely approaching the kill scares off the wolves and they stay back until the person is done collecting measurements and data.

So I wonder what’s going on here—why these wolves were acting so aggressively. I hope there is some info about that that comes out of this encounter.
:ENDQUOTE

Jim Wagner

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texasbb
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Re: WDFW Resisted Sending Helicopter To Save Woman Treed By Wolves

Post by texasbb » July 19th, 2018, 3:34 pm

Seems to me that Federal listing of the critter should never be a consideration when deciding whether to send a rescue. I guess I can understand being reluctant to put a chopper in the air for a reported wolf "attack" on a treed human because (a) like everyone else, they'd initially find it hard to believe someone is really being attacked by wolves, and (b) the human is safe in a tree, so why blow the $$ if a crew could hike it in a couple of hours. 'Course, who knows what kind of tree it was and how hard it was to hold on.

I do hope we eventually get more detail on the situation.

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K.Wagner
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Re: WDFW Resisted Sending Helicopter To Save Woman Treed By Wolves

Post by K.Wagner » July 19th, 2018, 6:46 pm

Hypothetical question here......
If one did not have a cell phone connection under such a circumstance, would it be OK to activate your PLB?
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Re: WDFW Resisted Sending Helicopter To Save Woman Treed By Wolves

Post by Aimless » July 19th, 2018, 6:57 pm

I guess it might depend on how perilous your situation appeared to you. The basic standard for PLB activation is peril of your life, but I don't think the rescuers are going to quibble over how you interpret that standard, if there is any reasonable interpretation that includes deadly peril.

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