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Picture a dog on steroids- that’s what it’s like to fight a wolf. Combine that with the fact that wolves like to hunt in packs, and this can be one very dangerous survival situation. Wild wolves are aggressive by nature. While they tend to avoid contact with humans if possible, they will try to kill you if given the opportunity. For this reason, it’s highly recommended that you learn how to survive a wolf attack. We’ll start by showing you what causes or triggers wolf attacks, followed by showing you how to fight back and increase your chances of survival. Let’s get started.
How to Survive a Wolf Attack – Overview
Wild wolves are aggressive by nature, and while they tend to be cautious around humans, they will attack if given the chance. Whether or not they attack really depends on the circumstances. For example, if you’re alone and there’s a pack of hungry wolves nearby, they’re more likely to attack. If you’re with a group and there’s only one wolf present, the chances of an attack are lower. Compared to other types of animal attacks, getting attacked by a wolf is rare. Still, learning how to survive a wolf attack is a good skill to have.
What Causes Wolf Attacks?
Popular movies like The Grey have done a good job at making wolves look far more aggressive than they actually are. Granted, these canines are dangerous, but not as much as people think. They’re more opportunistic than anything else. Keep in mind that you have a better chance of getting struck by lightning than attacked by a wolf. One of the main reasons wolfs attack is because of habituation. As wolves get used to humans, they become less afraid of them- and this increases the chances of an attack.
Habituated wolves might have been fed by humans, or fed on outdoor trash by people’s homes. Both acts can lead a wolf to commit an attack. Most fatal wolf attacks happen by wolves who’ve contracted rabies. Even with today’s modern treatments, a bite from a rabid wolf still has the potential to be deadly. With a rabid wolf, you’ll not only need to worry about bleeding out, but you’ll also need to worry about rabies. This is huge factor to keep in mind when learning how to survive a wolf attack. Now that we’ve looked at why wolf attacks happen, let’s learn about how to prevent and survive an attack.
How to Avoid a Wolf Attack
Prevention is by far the best way to increase your chances of survival. After all, a wolf can’t attack you if you’ve avoided all confrontation with them. If you live in an area that’s known to have wolves living in the region, be extra cautious around your property. While wolves may not be in your property to attack you (they’re usually after garbage), they can easily change their point of target. Wolves might also be attracted to your property by the smell of pet food or even domestic animals. Here are some tips to keep in mind:
If you follow these tips, you’ll dramatically reduce the chances of getting into a survival situation with a wolf.
Never Feed Wolves
When learning how to survive a wolf attack, you absolutely should not feed wolves (even babies). Just because they look cute now, doesn’t mean they won’t grow old and come back stronger and meaner.
I’d also recommend avoiding feeding wild animals of any kind. If you feed wild birds, for example, then this could indirectly attract wolves to your property.
How to Survive a Wolf Attack
Even if you follow all of the above tips, there’s still a chance that you’ll be attacked. If and when this happens, you’ll want to be prepared. Keep in mind that while habituated wolves might have some fear of humans, rabid wolves will not. If you’re fighting a rabid wolf, any intimidation tactics that you might have won’t work- you’ll need to defend yourself.
With a habituated wolf, you may be able to scare it off by yelling, screaming, and throwing up your arms. The key to learning how to survive a wolf attack is to make yourself look as big and scary as possible. Remember, they don’t want to die or get injured either. If you look like you won’t be an easy target, they may move on. Here are some tips to keep in mind when you’ve made eye contact with the wolf but they haven’t attacked yet:
Against a pack of wolves, this will probably be less effective. When you’re fighting against a group of wolves, the best thing you can do is take out the alpha. The alpha wolf will usually be the strongest, fastest, and meanest of the group.
If you can take them out, the other wolves may retreat (since their leader has fallen). When push comes to shove, you’ll need to fight back aggressively. Do your best to stay on your feet throughout the attack. The wolf will try to take you down. Don’t let it happen. If you get taken down, your chances of survival drop immensely.
Always Carry a Weapon
If you live in an area that has a known wolf population, or if you’re camping there, always have a weapon that you can quickly and easily access. Obviously, a gun is the best and most effective weapon of choice when learning how to survive a wolf attack.
Other quality options include pepper spray, a machete, or survival knife (maybe like the famous KA-BAR Full Size US Marine Corps Fighting Knife - after all, this is no time to be wishy-washy). Heck, even a rock or stick can work in the midst of an attack. The point is that fighting a wolf with your bare hands isn’t an effective strategy for winning.
Bottom Line
The good news is that the chances of getting attacked by a wolf in your lifetime are pretty slim, so you may never need to use these tips. Still, they are always good to know. The last thing you want is to be in a situation where you’ll need these tips but you don’t know them. I’m a firm believer that it’s better to know something and not need to use it than need to use it and not know it.
