John didn’t have any idea what he was walking into. Approaching a trapped animal is very risky, especially one that is a predator. It was obvious that the wolf did not want the human to get any closer. It desperately tried to back away from him. But John was determined to reach the wolf. When he got closer, he did something totally unexpected.
John Oens is a typical outdoor adventure type. He spends most of his time in nature. He knows the forest like the back of his hand. But the experience he had still wouldn’t prepare him for this wild encounter. John had volunteered to catch and relocate coyotes who were causing issues within the area. He also had a hobby that many people didn’t agree with.
Although many people frown upon it, John enjoys hunting and has competed in various contests over the years. His hunting experience prepared him for the coyote project. One day, John encountered an animal he had never meet face to face before, a timber wolf. It was stuck in a snare, and John knew he had to do something fast. He was used to dealing with small coyotes in the area, but this encounter was different.
The area was suffering from the growing coyote population. They were preying on surrounding livestock and even domesticated animals. John decided he had to volunteer to help before it became an even larger issue. Along with some of his buddies, John volunteered to capture and release the pests. However, on this day, their trap captured something much larger than they planned.
On this day, John saw something he had never expected. When he wandered out to one coyote trap, he saw a lone wolf lying there on the ground. The creature was a timber wolf, the smallest of the breed, although it was extremely large to John. But he knew exactly what he had to do. With his gun to protect him, he proceeded towards the wolf.
The animal was snared and remained very calm and lied still in the grass, as it seemed to be stopping to catch its breath. However, the heavy breathing indicated that it was stressed. But suddenly, its calm demeanor changed when John approached it. It seemed to sense that John was a trapper. John knew the situation was dangerous, and that he needed some backup help.
The wolf began to react so John immediately called for his buddies to back him up. Not too long after his call, his armed friends arrived at the scene. This caused the timber wolf to become more aggressive than before. John knew he couldn’t face the animal in this condition.
John spotted something nearby that could help him solve this dangerous situation. There lying on the ground in the nearby woods was a piece of plywood. Someone had dumped it there, and John was grateful to find it. He quickly picked up the board to use as a shield when he approached the trapped animal. But the wolf was not having it.
The timber wolf saw John holding the board and began to go nuts. The animal viewed the board as a real threat. This didn’t stop John one bit. He attempted to approach the wolf, while his friends stood close by with their guns ready to protect him. The wolf was extremely agitated, and it had its own angle. Soon, the hunter became the hunted.
John got closer to the wolf and of course, the wolf reacted more aggressively. The wild creature was not okay with this human getting so close to it. John’s friends weren’t aware of his plan when he finally got closer to the wolf. John continued to approach cautiously. He knew he had one chance to get closer. But then things took a turn.
Each time he got closer to the wolf, John paused between moves. Soon he was close enough to touch the wolf’s trapped foot. The board was between himself and the wolf. The closer he got to the wolf, the more the wolf would try to back up. John didn’t want the animal to harm itself so he stopped. The wolf seemed more at ease. Then John reached towards the wolf’s leg and released it from the trap! Suddenly, the wolf lunged.
Within seconds, the wolf pounced. As soon as John released its paw from the trap, the timber wolf ran away in the opposite direction. John fell back in a state of relief. His adrenaline had been pumping at the thought of what could have happened. But he was concerned for the animal’s well-being.
John observed as the magnificent animal took to the woods. It seemed to be perfectly fine. As the wolf approached the woods, John looked for signs of distress. It appeared to be unharmed. This gave John a sense of relief knowing that it could easily rejoin its pack. But something unexpected happened when John shared his experience on social media.
John was filming his rare encounter with the majestic timber wolf. He captured every moment from the first second he saw it to the incredible release from the trap. He shared the video on YouTube and the video quickly began to gain views. Today, it has over six million views. So you might be wondering what has become of this mountain man.
The rare experience has definitely changed John. His video is still very popular today. He was overwhelmed by the hundreds of comments from people from all over the world. John is happy that his video is inspiring people to help animals in distress.