What should you do if you encounter a wolf?

Recently, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife published a video to educate folks about wolf encounters as the Oregon wolf population grows. It shows a video taken by an ODFW summer intern when she encountered a wolf while hiking alone. The video shows a wolf trotting toward the intern, unaware that she is standing there at the edge of the field. However, the wolf runs away when the intern says something to let it know she's there. 
(Turn on the volume and watch in full screen!)

From the intern who took the video:

      "I have worked around wild wolves for a few years now, and there are a few questions that I’m frequently asked: 

      Am I afraid of encountering wolves? 

      Is it safe for me to be alone in an area where wolves might be? 

      Do I carry a weapon to protect myself from a wolf attack?

      I’ve had jobs involving tracking and monitoring wolves for the last three summers, and since 2017 I’ve had 6 encounters with wolves where the animals were aware of my presence (and there have been at least two times wolves were nearby and I didn't know until later). Even though I was hiking alone during two of those encounters, the wolves turned and went the opposite direction every time.

      Luckily, I was able to film this particular encounter with a wolf in Oregon. Being somewhat familiar with wolf behavior, it was clear to me that this wolf was unaware of my presence as it loped toward me. However, I can understand how someone with less experience with wild wolves could feel threatened in this situation. It seems that every year, stories surface about wolves “surrounding” or approaching people, especially during hunting season when folks are dressed in camo and imitating animal calls. Several wolves have been shot in Washington, Oregon, and other states by folks who felt threatened by their presence or approach.

      Wolves are often portrayed as man-eaters, whether as the Big Bad Wolf devouring Little Red Riding Hood’s grandma or a pack of wolves pursuing Liam Neeson in The Grey. These scary representations of wolves lead many people to believe that wolves view people as prey.

      I am always vigilant when I’m in the woods, and I always carry bear spray because I never know what situation I might walk into with any species. Where there are wolves, there are also bears and cougars (and people). However, I don’t fear a predatory attack from a wild wolf. Except under extremely unusual circumstances, wolves are simply not out to get us, and often all it takes is a shouted “hello” to scare a wolf away.

      By definition, wild animals are never completely predictable. Sometimes wolves, instead of fleeing, might be curious or defensive (especially if there are dogs involved). I can’t say that wolves pose zero threat to people – but that goes for any wild animal. Living, hiking, hunting, or otherwise recreating in the wild means being prepared for and accepting a certain level of risk. However, having wolves on the landscape does not make it any more dangerous.

If you are out hunting or hiking and you see a wolf or wolves near you, don't assume that they are coming to attack you. Stand up, wave your arms, and shout to make sure that they know you're there.

If you feel threatened by a wolf, act aggressively (look big, shout, throw things) and calmly leave the area. Never run from a wild animal."

-  The Salem Statesman Journal area published a great article about the video and what to do during a wolf encounter: 
https://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/travel/outdoors/2019/10/31/oregon-wolf-populations-increasing-what-to-do/2501293001/?fbclid=IwAR1n7c_u7dgbLMVSCEKG1em3lY9rAnXpuKfcPUfWx9Dst_-F72uu9-wW-ys

-  This is a good video about hiking with dogs in wolf country:
 https://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/2017/jul/27/video-hiking-safely-dogs-wolf-country/

-  The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has some excellent information on how wolves behave and what to do if you encounter them:
https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/canis-lupus?fbclid=IwAR1_ZbulLj4mHN3xJskMdruuHks6XKJ1HHyCMMYdzeSwbI2aynYN5M3MrbM#living

-  This video from local news station Central Oregon Daily has more great Oregon wolf footage and advice from ODFW Wolf Coordinator Roblyn Brown:
https://centraloregondaily.com/wolf-encounter-odfw-intern-catches-incredible-video/?fbclid=IwAR23dSH2eHr1gfnqrSG5Gbq54OSbDm52mvP5lVwx-1HpCRRJByOeeYso6bc

-  Learn more about Oregon's wolves: https://dfw.state.or.us/wolves/

More on wolf encounters: 

Wolf pups are extremely curious and, for lack of a kinder term, a little dumb. They may be more likely to approach a person or vehicle out of curiosity. NEVER FEED WILDLIFE. If a pup approaches you, do the young wolf a favor and shout or throw things at it to make sure it stays afraid of people. This will keep the wolf safer in the long term. A wolf that loses its fear of people is more likely to be shot or hit by a car. 

In the handful of cases where wolves have attacked people, it often turns out that they had been fed or had been finding food in campgrounds or dumps. Wolves that appear to have lost their fear of people are considered habituated and are often killed by wildlife managers for public safety. Keep wildlife wild.