An Apple (or more) a day keeps the wolf at bay

[Dave]

A little story about how life used to be in the country.
My Mother in Law sadly know dead, recounted this tale of her chidhood
As a teenager, probably in the 1920's, she was returning home to Santa Marina del Torre in the the Bierzo district of Leon province wih a bag full of apples, and had sat down to rest because it was a warm summers evening.
Soon the hairs on her neck began to rise and she was aware of being watched, looking round she saw a large wolf watching from a high vantage point. slowly she rose and made her way back home, aware that the beast was following her, at times getting quite close, at which point she launched an apple at it, which appeared to put it off for a short while, but still it continued to stalk her, each time a well aimed apple stopped it. Eventually she reached home safely, minus most of the apples, but at least with her life. her mother was less than pleased with the loss of the apples, until Ascunsion explained the circumstance of their disappearance.
I think you will agree a fascinating story
Regards
Dave

[nick]

When I first saw wolves I felt incredibly fortunate. Frankly it was one of the most exciting moments in my life.  I was filled with the idea of how few people under the age of 70 in Spain or Europe have seen a wolf. These days, even in wolf areas, few people have actually seen one.

But of course until recently as Dave's story reminds us, things were very different. People spent large parts of their lives in very close and difficult contact with the countryside. My father-in-law, a sturdy 72 (esta como un toro, francamente), has often told me of when he was doing military service in Algeciras, of how they used to hear the wolves howl at night...como aullaban los cabrones...bichos malos.

Different times

Have any of you seen these videos?

http://www.iberianature.com/#wolf_conflict
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6068078524923693321&hl=es

[lisa]

Just found out that Signatus have a new (smart) website;
http://www.signatus.es/principal_castellano.htm
and that they're producing a new book on wolf tracks, spoor etc due out this year. (Hope that doesn't mean any time within the next 10 )

[Tore]

Wolves are a hugely controversial topic in Norway, where the farmers release all their sheep out in to the wild in the spring, and collect them in the late autumn. There are no shepards or sheepdogs involved and the sheep are literally allowed to wander everywhere.
The Norwegian resident (on the border with Sweden, in several areas north to South) wolf population is very limited, with less than 130 animals of which less than 30 animals spend most of their time on the Norwegian side of the border. We need at least 200 animals to guarantee a stable population, but it is almost impossible to convince our farmers that we have too many sheep (in their millions). In january 2005, they killed 5 wolves (easier to hunt on the snow, using helicopters and snowscooters) for killing sheep the previous year. We had some very nasty situations (with assaults on pro-wolf demontrators) and it was one of the few times when I discovered that the really radical extremists were the farmers and their supporters.
I have observed wolf tracks many times and heard their calls often whilst camping out in the winter, and it is one of the environmental issues that really upsets me.
Hope this vindicates me somewhat, Lisa
still smiling
Tore

[Technopat]

Greetings Lisa and Tore,
Thanx for that web site, Lisa - looks really nice.

That reference to "really radical extremists" (farmers and their supporters), sums it up very well, Tore. These guys (AND gals) are the ones carrying the firearms, but this does definitely need to be dealt with on the hunting board.

Regs.
Technopat

[Technopat]

Greetings All,
Think this belongs here rather than at "hunting":

Just been talking to friend my age (under 50!) who had lived until he was 18 in a tiny hamlet in the mountains of León and he told me that no-one brought up in a town or even large village could ever understand the hatred and fear people have for wolves and bears out there in the sticks.

When I asked him about the supposed educational effort made by R. de la Fuente in the 60s and 70s, his literal expression was "¡mariconadas de los pijos!". 

When I suggested that many of the attacks attributed to wolves might have been by feral dogs, he replied that a) any one who lives in the mountains can tell the difference between wolf and dog toothmarks and tracks; b) it was not possible to confuse the sound of wolves baying (?) in the surrounding area; and c) it was irrelevant to the guys with the guns (not referring to weekend hunters) whether their livestock were being threatened by wolves or wild dogs - shoot first and ask questions later.

Regs.
Technopat