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Serving Northern St. Louis County, Minnesota

WOLF STORY?

Wolf claim very likely a hoax

Posted 12/28/12

It’s often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but the actual words that sometimes accompany it can be deceiving.

That appears to be the case with a photo of what is purported to be a …

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WOLF STORY?

Wolf claim very likely a hoax

Posted

It’s often said that a picture is worth a thousand words, but the actual words that sometimes accompany it can be deceiving.

That appears to be the case with a photo of what is purported to be a 182-pound, dark phase timber wolf shot near Cook. The photo, reproduced here, appeared on Facebook recently and has been widely disseminated to Internet and cell phone users in the area.

While area and regional DNR officials don’t doubt the photo is of a wolf, they are skeptical of the details of the story, in part because as far as they are aware such a large wolf has yet to be registered at any DNR office in the region, as would have been required had the wolf actually been shot near Cook.

What’s more, earlier versions of the email, which circulated back in November, indicated the wolf was shot near Henning, Minn., and weighed 150 pounds.

DNR Regional Wildlife Manager Jeff Lightfoot is particularly skeptical since no wolf in Minnesota has been recorded as weighing anywhere near 150 pounds, much less 182.

“I’d feel real comfortable in saying that there aren’t any wolves in Minnesota that weigh 150 pounds. Most males are no more than 100 pounds,” he said. “One hundred and eighty-two pounds is the size of a big buck. If this story really is true we’d sure like the hunter to come forward.”

Lightfoot points out other inconsistencies in the photo that raise doubts about the accompanying story. For one, he notes that the hunter is dressed in light clothing for the time of year during which the animal would have been shot.

He also points to the green grass that is clearly visible at the bottom of the photo in a color version of the photograph.

If anyone has direct knowledge of the origins of the photo, they can contact Lightfoot at 218-999-7938.