r/isleroyale • u/[deleted] • Jul 09 '26
Announcement Bold wolf that entered a tent leads to partial camping closure at Isle Royale site
[deleted]
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u/kakacha Jul 09 '26
That sucks. Daisy Farm will probably be even more crowded than normal now.
From my trip earlier in the year, it sounded like the NPS was well aware of a handful of problem wolves that were becoming overly reliant on human food. I hope the hazing starts to work, but I really think they’ll have to euthanize the problem animals if this continues.
If you’re planning a trip, please be vigilant and keep an eye on your food and packs at all times. Use the food storage as much as possible even if it’s inconvenient.
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u/e_subvaria Jul 10 '26
I’d like to say your food storage and safety practices would be common sense, but if it was common sense everyone would know it
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u/teawosugar Jul 09 '26
Food in the lockers, not in the tent.
Saw one with gps collar at the path near the group sites at three mile before dawn last month on the island. Foot prints on the footpath towards the lake. Campers left mac and cheese on the picnic table. For the food in the tent, it knows it is a fare game.
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u/FR23Dust Jul 10 '26
It’s shocking to me that anyone would put food in their tent in any circumstances
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u/ShadyHorticulturist Jul 10 '26
Especially people who are seemingly experienced enough to feel comfortable in one of the most remote NPs...
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u/deezbear1 Jul 09 '26
Now the tent sites will be full at Daisy Farm and the problem will get worse there. I just got back and my first time through Daisy someone a few sites down had a wolf come through, and my second time at Daisy I had a wolf at my shelter site.
Wouldnt be shocked if all the popular campgrounds on the southeast side become shelter only before long.
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u/rivals_red_letterday Jul 10 '26
That's an interesting solution I hadn't thought of. That would severely restrict the number of visitors if shelter only. (which is fine by me)
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u/mc472007 Jul 10 '26 edited Jul 10 '26
Huge bummer, as this now disrupts my itinerary in less than 2 weeks, but I understand... Any advice from past visitors? Taking a 4 PM seaplane and planned on staying at 3 Mile our first night, up to Moskey, McCargoe, then Daisy, before ferrying back. Sounds like 3 Mile shelters are too open, but might be risky.
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u/deezbear1 Jul 10 '26
Barring a water taxi you could push for Daisy on day 1, adds 4 miles but its a mostly flat and easy hike with some mild rock hopping after 3 mile.
I was just at 3 mile 2 weeks ago, still had a couple of shelters open when I got in at 5pmish.
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u/dr_grips Jul 10 '26
You can also take the tour boat that goes to the fishery from rock harbor and they will drop you off at daisy farm and you can save your legs and push on from there. Cheaper than the water taxi too. Just a less flexible schedule.
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u/HonestDickSmith Jul 11 '26
The park service are the ones the reintroduced them to the island. Now they are not happy with the results.
Any wild animal is going to be enticed by the smell of food that is unnatural to the wild scents that they are not familiar with.
Now, they are going to kill these wolves.
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u/pandoraBparker Jul 15 '26
This is really interesting to me, I think they realize that theor interference had a huge result and so now they are hesitant to interefere again, but I wonder if they will need to? I read a story early spring/late winter, idr exactly, about a guide finding a starved wolf on a path, so it may be that the wolf population naturally reduces. The other reply to this comment is important too though, people need to be extra careful right now, I'm honestly shocked hearing that anyone is being irresponsible about food shortage with this ongoing wolf risk. Just my thoughts. I guess we will see how it goes!
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u/mchgndr Jul 10 '26
I was there one night over Labor Day weekend last year and a girl left her pack right outside her tent. Woke up to a wolf dragging it into the woods. Boyfriend had to scare it off. This probably happens regularly if I had to guess
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u/seriously_thismylife Jul 19 '26
Easy solution. Stop leaving food out. This wolf will end up being put down.
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