Postcard from the Past: A Monster Grey Wolf

With all of the hype of releasing wolves in Colorado and the fact we spotted a wolf while out hunting this year, I just had to write about “old Lobo” in this week’s column. And, no, I wonʼt tell readers where I was hunting, but we’ve seen wolves in the area for about 10 years.

Just to alert faithful readers, if I’ve spun this tale before, please enjoy it again.

First from the July 24, 1902 issue of The Saratoga Sun comes this story:

C.A. Kennaday met up with a big grey wolf last Sunday while out hunting sage chickens. The animal came through a clump of willows within a few yards Kennaday, who had nothing but a shotgun loaded with number eight shot. 

He let drive with both barrels at the head of the wolf, and the concussion broke the stock of the gun short off behind the lock.

Kennaday thinks he must have destroyed the eyesight of the animal, for it ran into everything it came in contact with, showing it was either blind or dazed to such an extent it did not know what it was doing.

Kennaday says he will carry a rifle after this, for grey wolves are worth $33.

It is thought this wolf has done a great deal of damage on Cedar Creek, for D.D. Wagoner has lost a number of calves and could not account for their disappearance until this wolf was sighted.

The Nov. 18, 1909 issue of The Saratoga Sun reports:

R.N. Platt recently came upon a large grey wolf playing with a little calf, as a cat plays with a mouse before killing it. The wolf, upon seeing the man, immediately had business elsewhere, and the life of the calf was saved. 

These fellows do a great deal more damage than any one is aware of.

On March 15, 1900, The Sun noted:

The largest specimen of a monster grey wolf seen in this part of the state was killed by J.W. Huston.

Word was received Tuesday of the trapping of a grey wolf on the Ridding Ranch, 12 miles up the river by J.W. Huston, which tipped the scales at 11l pounds. The animal measured six feet in length and was an old timer, as his teeth were worn down to nothing but stubs.

The hills around the ranch afford excellent protection for wolves, and there has been a number killed there as well as quite a number seen which got away. 

They congregate there in winter and have done considerable damage to livestock for ranchmen in the vicinity.

Huston has killed and trapped several but none which equal the old timer. This is the largest wolf captured in this part of the country, although one killed by Charles Royer, of the Blydenburgh Ranch was nearly as large, weighing 109 pounds.