The white wolf in the center of the picture is the leader of a pack of six, maybe seven, wolves. Noted outdoor photographers David Johnson and Paul Sundberg were calling moose when this group of wolves showed up. Neither had ever seen a white wolf before. Photo submitted by Paul Sundberg
Up the Gunflint Trail on an old logging road, early one recent Monday morning, Paul Sundberg and David Johnson were hoping to get a picture of a bull moose. As Sundberg used a caller to imitate the sound of a cow, both photographers thought at first they heard the cry of loons.
“We were surprised because we weren’t near water,” added Paul.
But as the sounds got closer, both realized they were hearing short howls from wolves. As Paul kept calling, the wolves got closer and closer, and pretty soon, the sounds came from all around them.
Then came silence.
“We thought they had left,” said Sundberg. “We had seen them in the brush, but never got a good look at them. I continued calling and soon saw David, who was at a higher elevation, taking photos. The wolves circled us twice and were now spread out in the vegetation. The ones David was photographing darted from one spot to the other, trying to drive us toward the other wolves. I kept calling, and David told me later that the wolves reacted with more excitement every time I called.
Next, said Sundberg, “David signaled me that a wolf crossed the trail in front of us and whispered “White Wolf.”
White wolves are rare. An alpha female white wolf was shot and killed in Yellowstone National Park in 2017, and a $5,200 reward was offered to capture the shooter.
“The white wolf came so fast around me, within 50 yards or so, if I hadn’t moved, I could have gotten a good picture of him,” said Paul, noting the white wolf had once again disappeared into the forest.
Playing peek-a-boo, the white wolf was just about to come out of the thick trees when “we noticed to our left wolves darting through the vegetation. The brush was too thick to see them the whole time, but we saw several wolves. In the middle of the old logging cut is a slash pile left by the logger. To our amazement, the wolves walked on top of the pile and were in plain sight in front of us.”
Leading the wolves to the top of the slash pile was the white wolf. Paul said he and Johnson guessed the white wolf was the dominant male and leader of the pack. Once again, Paul started to call, and the wolves stood watching him from their vantage point for about two minutes, enough time to get some great pictures.
Paul said the white wolf had a torn ear and scars and looked older than the other wolves. “I am sure his scars were from fighting over the years to remain dominant,” he surmised.
After the wolves left, both men, widely experienced and accomplished nature photographers, felt as if the encounter with the wolf pack led by a rare white wolf was a treasured once in a lifetime experience.
The next day, David and Paul returned to the old logging road, walking a couple of miles further inland, determined to get a picture of a bull moose. Again, Paul used his caller and this time, a bull responded. “We heard his grunts for about 30 minutes, coming closer and closer, but he wouldn’t come out of the woods,” said Paul.
But guess who did show up?
Soon six wolves were standing on another slash pile. “We couldn’t believe we saw the same pack two days in a row. This time though, they came in completely silent. We hadn’t heard one single howl. The white wolf was the first to move and the others followed in the direction of the bull and out of sight”.
“We never got a picture of a bull moose,” said Paul. “Once the wolves appeared, the moose was gone. Still, we got to see the white wolf two days in a row. A once in a lifetime experience we experienced twice!”
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