Adam Harju, David Eckel, and Keith Morris explore the Pincushion Mountain trail where Eckel found a dead wolf. Left: It was determined that the wolf had been killed by another wolf. Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Conservation Officer Mary Manning said this is not an unusual occurrence, but it is unusual that the animal was found so close to humans.
A relaxing day of skiing at Pincushion Mountain was interrupted by a gruesome sight on the Ole Hyvaa loop on Saturday, January 30. David Eckel of Grand Marais was enjoying a cold and quiet afternoon when he came upon blood-covered snow and a dead wolf. Eckel contacted fellow skier Dick Swanson who lives nearby. Looking at the wolf, the men were unable to tell how the wolf had met its fate. Swanson said they believed another animal might have killed it. They contacted Cook County Law Enforcement, which dispatched Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Conservation Officer Mary Manning, who according to Swanson confirmed that the wolf had died of “unnatural natural causes”—it had been killed by another wolf.
Reached by phone a few days after the discovery, CO Manning said the initial DNR concern was that a human had killed the wolf. However, she said looking at the blood in the area and the number of wolf tracks, it was clear that a struggle had taken place. “The animal’s injuries are consistent with a canine bite,” she explained.
Manning said this really isn’t that unusual an occurrence. She said it is not rare for a pack to decide to eliminate a weak or diseased animal. After talking with the curator of the International Wolf Center, she had learned that it is the height of the breeding season. “The pack may not want an undesirable animal to breed.”
Another option, said Manning, was that there was a territorial conflict with another wolf pack.
“The only thing unusual is that this was located near people. We’re getting a glimpse of what goes on in the world around us that we normally don’t see,” said Manning.
Manning recovered the animal, hauling it the approximately three kilometers from the trailhead with Eckel’s assistance. She estimated that the wolf weighed 65 – 70 pounds. She has the carcass in storage while she waits to hear from the US Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS). Theymay want to study the remains to confirm the cause of death. Manning said FWS may release the wolf to be mounted at a museum or wildlife center.
Manning said Eckel did the right thing by contacting law enforcement. She asks anyone who finds a dead wolf to do the same. If an animal has been shot it is a more serious matter. She also cautions people against keeping a found animal. “The average person cannot
possess a wolf hide, skull, or any part of a wolf or any other protected species,” she said.
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