My closest encounter was on Moccasin Lake a number of years ago. Our group of four - having completed an evening of cigars and beverages, walked the food bag to a tree rigged with rope and pulleys. The tree was about 40-50m behind out campsite - the area behind the tree was covered with thigh-high grasses and bushes.

As we proceeded to clip on the bag we heard a wolf howl 15m ahead of us. We froze and looked at each other in amazement. The howl was so clear you could clearly hear the minuet tonal changes in the sound - the strain of its vocal cords measuring out its call. The hairs on the back of our necks were standing straight up - clearly this wolf was just beyond the light of our one headlamp in the grass. Then silence.

Another howl came from the same area - about 30 degrees off from the first howl, then another, then another. We were mesmerized. Then the yipping started - clearly we intercepted a pack passing behind our campsite.

My campmates panicked a bit as we were clearly out numbered by the pack. I was told not to howl back as I'm often called upon to "call-up" wolves when camping in the fall. The bag was swiftly attached and hoisted - even swifter was our retreat back to camp.

Once back at camp - I howled over the lake twice and was rewarded by howls from the hills between Moccasin and Bandit.

We spend the next 30 mins reliving the event at our waning campfire. 20 mins into the discussion a lone wolf howled behind our campsite - in the spot where we first heard them. Our second reward for the night.

Fast asleep in the tent - I was awakened by one of my friends getting up to go outside to relieve himself. As he got up I hear zip, zip, zip - all three of them had to go - safety in numbers I suspect. Disturbingly - they all go no more than 10-15 feet from the tent.

Once they were all tucked in the silence was broken by Tim, who said: "Santa, all I want for Xmas is a bladder like Carl's".

And to all a goodnight.

Carl

I guess I should have paid more attention so I wasn't timed out of the forum. When I logged back in I assumed (wrongly) that I was still "attached" to the Wolf Encounter tread.

Carl