I came upon a shocking scene, you'll never guess what did this!-Warning, Graphic Content

A Normal Winter Day Shattered By a Grizzly Find

Lance Petersen

A routine commute in Afton, Minnesota came to an abrupt halt when I came upon this scene on the side of the road.

A long trail of bloody footprints led me down into a valley, determined to figure out what had been injured. I was a bit on edge as I slowly trudged through the deep snow following the carnage.

A View Looking at The Road

Whatever happened here started at the roadway and continued down the trail in what seemed to be an epic struggle in this clearing....

The Location of the Crime

The location of the scene was off the side of a residential road that leads to Afton Alps Ski Resort and Golf Course. As I continued on my way I could see that I was right next to a residential yard, in a large clearing. I continued on my way, and was more curious then ever as I remembered something eerie that I saw in this very spot a week before.........

A Mysterious Shadow

About a week before this, I was driving by this same exact area at night. The moon was high, so it cast a creepy, almost misty light on the clearing. I happened to randomly look towards the clearing, and my eyes settled on this mysterious shadow bathed in the moonlight. I couldn't really make out exactly what it was, but it was for sure a canine shaped animal, and it looked HUGE. Like not a coyote, or a normal sized dog huge. I had to do a double take as I drove by, but I was in a hurry and so I kept going.. But that image stuck with me. Did I just see a wolf??

A quick note: Gray Wolves are alive and well in Minnesota. In one recent survey Minnesota's wolf population was around 2,655. So they live and thrive here. But this is just outside the suburbs of the Twin Cities, and no where near wolf territory, which is typically up in the northern reaches of Minnesota. Basically Canada. 

The Final Resting Place- Graphic Content

The long trail of blood and carnage led me to a tragic and fascinating discovery....

A deer had been completely savaged by some type of predator, and the more I examined the scene, the more unusual this seemed to be....

 

The thickest bones of the deer had been bitten through cleanly, meaning whatever did this had to have very strong jaws. My amateur investigation had begun....

A Very Amateur Investigation

Looking at the scene reminded me of a nature documentary. The entrails, blood and fur of the deer were strewn across the clearing. 

This was quite interesting. There seemed to be one set of foot prints coming from the woods on the opposite side of the clearing that the home was. It met the footprints of the deer, and the struggle started, all the way down to where the deer was eaten. 

Now the footprints were in deep snow, so I couldn't make out the shape of them. 

And judging from the hole it left in the snow, they didn't seem as big as wolf prints I've seen. 

But the way this deer was taken seemed to have been done by something powerful and aggressive. 

So I decided to reach out to the Department of Natural Resources and see what they had to say......

The Expert Ways In

They were very intrigued. 

When they answered back to me, they said it very well could've been a lone wolf, searching for territory. They also noted that even though it could also be a domestic dog or coyote, it was unusual for a coyote or dog to eat so much of the deer when they kill. 

They decided to put me in touch with someone who could give me more insight. 

It turned out to be the grandfather of wolf research himself, David L. Mech! 

He is an experienced Research Scientist and Adjunct Professor at The University of Minnesota. (More Details at his website www.davemech.org)

David has studied wolves and their prey since 1958, and has written many books on the subject. 

He is also one of the founders of the wonderful International Wolf Center in Ely, MN. Definitely check out their website or go visit soon! 

He took a bit to get back to me, but his findings on my photos and descriptions of the events finally closed my investigation... 

The Killer

Here's an excerpt from the email David Mech sent back to me.....

"This is very interesting but still not enough to make a definitive conclusion.

This could be a wolf kill or a dog kill or even possibly a coyote kill.  I would have thought that a wolf would have eaten far more than this, although it could have been scared away, depending on local situation, which we don't know.

The weirdest part of what evidence we have is the cracked bone.  There is no reason for an animal to crack a bone while there is still so much good flesh etc. left on the carcass.  It makes me wonder if the deer had been hit by a vehicle and had a broken leg to start with.  I also agree that it would be hard for a coyote to crack a bone like this.

The tracks, bloody trail, etc. tells little more than that some animal killed the deer.

Sorry; this is quite intriguing but not enough info."

I was hoping to end this investigation with a more definite conclusion, and become one of the rare people to discover a wolf in the Twin Cities..... alas, I can't claim this. 

But this was a unique experience, coming upon a National Geographic like scene and doing my own investigation. It even led to hearing from the leading name in wolf research, which is pretty rewarding in itself.

Although I attempted to solve this urgent mystery for the people of Afton, MN unfortunately there is still a killer on the loose in your town. You're welcome for the peace of mind! 

Truly, I hope this post helps stir some interest in nature and a curiosity in wolves, my favorite animal.

Stay Curious My Friends!