Crying Wolf? Prominent UP Sportsman Says A Wolf “Treed” Him

Rory Mattson, Director of the Delta County Conservation District, is the news for reportedly being surrounded by and defending his life against wolves feeding on a deer kill, south of Rock, Michigan. Mattson is an active member of the Upper Peninsula Sportsmen’s Alliance, which recently petitioned the federal government to remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List.

According to Mattson, he was about two miles off the main road, on a seldom-used logging road, when he exited his vehicle and began walking along the logging track.

“As I was walking along this old logging road, I came upon the track of what could presumably be considered a rather large gray wolf,” said Mattson. He said while looking at the track, he thought it would be cool to see the animal that left it.

Soon, much to his chagrin, that very thought would become prophetic in more ways than one.

Continuing further along the logging road, which was shaped like a horseshoe, Mattson came upon what he believed to be a she-wolf and a younger wolf, standing over a freshly-killed doe.

“When I saw them, I stopped a good 50 to 60 yards away. What I didn’t notice, however, was one very large wolf beginning to angle his way toward me from behind,” said Mattson.

It wasn’t until after he heard the snarling and growling from behind that he realized the situation he was in.

Utilizing basic survival skills in relation to encounters with wildlife, Mattson began yelling and screaming at the animal and making himself appear larger – a bluff to make the animal leave.

“These wolves didn’t leave at all. It appeared as if they had no fear of humans at all,” said Mattson.

While attempting to scare the wolves off, Mattson said he was also assessing the situation at the same time, seeking a means of egress. He noticed a large pulp pile (old tree limbs, tops, etc.) and began edging his way toward it.

After reaching the comparable safety of the pulp pile, he grabbed a large poplar branch, brandishing it toward the wolf that had followed him.

“At this time, I was really looking for a tree or other means of escape, when I saw this balsam tree. Well, I dropped the branch I was using, and scurried about 10-feet up that balsam,” he said.

While Mattson was in the tree, the wolf, which may have been the alpha male of this particular pack, continued circling round for a bit before apparently departing the immediate area.

“I waited for a good 15 to 20 minutes, all the time debating if I should climb down and take my chances or spend a cold night up in a tree,” said Mattson.

Climbing down out of the tree, he picked up the stick he had dropped prior, and began cautiously heading back to where he had parked his vehicle. He reached it safely and without any further encounters with the wolves.

Brian Roell, a wildlife biologist with the Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Environment, said he wished Mattson would have contacted DNRE offices following the encounter, allowing personnel to investigate the matter further.

Most commenters on the Daily Press article aren’t believing the story.

On November 8, “AlWarren” posted:

A couple weeks ago, when Mattson’s story was aired on Marquette’s TV 6 Discovering, we contacted DNRE to see if this “Bold Wolf” episode had ever been reported to them, for if confirmed, DNRE would likely kill this wolf. Guess what? No, it was never reported to them. Thus no investigation, no kill site located , no wolf tracks, no handy spruce tree to climb and no bold wolf to chase berry pickers up trees next summer. Just this guy’s story meant to scare folks into believing in big bad wolves. I don’t believe Mattson. I have seen better documented cases of alien abductions.

The following day, the same commenter posted:

The stories you guys cite all have a common thread; they are undocumented and told by folks with private agendas. Why are wolf researches who track, trap and collar them for a living never threatened by wolves? Mattson’s story is now being used out west and reported as “Fact”. Simply repeating false stories do not make them true. Again, why did Mattson not ask DNRE to investigate his story?