When we first moved to Read Island, we used to listen to the wolves howl at night. Something about that sound penetrated our little house and reminded us that we truly were in the wilderness. So we were sad as over the years, the wolves stopped howling. A combination of trigger-happy loggers and declining deer numbers reduced the wolf population to just a few animals.

Recently however, the wolves have returned. We hear howling once again, and have even been fortunate enough to spot the occasional wolf. We thought that was pretty special – until a few weeks ago when we ran into an entire pack! We were driving to Surge Narrows on the pothole-filled gravel road that transects the island. Rounding a bend, we were startled to see a pack of six wolves feeding on a recently killed deer. Not intimidated, the Alpha male took a few steps towards our truck and held our gaze for a few moments before it slunk into the forest with the rest of the pack. Although we don’t normally regard wolves as a threat, we were certainly glad for the safety of the truck cab on this occasion! Moments like these remind us that even after all these years, we still live in an incredibly wild and amazing place.