Your Voice
Too Close for Comfort I am blessed with all the wildlife where we live. Regarding ungulates, with the exception of Woodland Caribou ( before they were relocated to Canada), I’ve been privileged to see Deer, Elk, and Moose.
I’ve seen Black Bear, and last fall returning from church I saw a Grizzly cross the road in front of me. It was a big one and yes, I was a little scared. By the time I got home though I had collected my wits and called the neighbors to warn them.
When I told my youngest son I had seen a Grizzly on the way home from church, he replied “Dad, how did you know the Grizzly was on his way home from church?” Smarty pants!
I’ve enjoyed the return each spring of Wood Ducks, Canadian Geese and Tundra Swans. I’ve seen Coyotes, Bobcats, Cougar, Red Fox and Wolves.
But there was one time on an early February morning in 2019 I got too close for comfort. I was about 10 miles north of Colville on Alladin Rd. and had just passed the Joe Creek Rd. intersection when I saw what I thought was a smallish black & tan German Shepherd.
I have had German Shepherds all my life (my parents raised them when I was a kid) and I am very partial to them. Anyway, it was early morning but light enough to see and it appeared this German Shepherd had some physical problems.
Its tail seemed too bushy, and its ears looked too small. Was it deformed? Maybe I could help it! I looked in the rearview mirror to make sure there were no cars behind me then pulled up to the animal while carefully pulling the truck off the icy road.
Rolling down the window of my Toyota Tundra I found myself looking across a distance of about three feet into the face of a Wolverine. It just stood there, staring at me. I can only describe the animal as being violently beautiful. I was immediately grateful for two things. One, that my truck was running. Two, that I had not gotten out of the truck.
I quickly rolled the window up and left the ‘German Shepherd’ behind, I will always be thankful I remained safe that morning. Biologists say that wolverines will not attack idiots, but that’s not true, because that wolverine did not attack me.
Sincerely,
Tim Folke Colville