A tad disappointing that I've wanted to read this book for years, and now that I finally got a chance to, I just wasn’t that awestruck. It’s another photograph-heavy coffee-table sized book, companion to The Hidden Life of Wolves. The project it was based on is described in Wolves At Our Door. Having already read those other two books, this one offers very little new or different info. There’s parts that describe (briefly) the filming project, the social structure of the wolf pack, their hunting skills and intense care of the young. There’s very little narrative of actual incidents- but two stand out to my mind in particular: the wolves’ reaction when a raven died, and how they were observed eating flowers (shooting stars) in a field every spring (but nobody was sure why). The photographs really are beautiful and expressive, but also a bit grainy, not with the clarity of focus or printing as nowadays. For it’s time this is a gorgeous book, but I can’t help comparing it to other things I’ve read before that were written since, and it doesn’t stand up as excellent in that regard. All that said, I am holding onto it! ( )

I am proud to say at one time I supported the Sawtooth Pack and that trying to keep track of them was part of my life. This book was interesting to read and has so many beautiful pictures that I like to reference in my art. Still, it's falling apart now from use and I most likely won't replace it when it goes simply due to it's size. It's a heavy book and not something you can simply sit down with. The CD is OK... the fact the same recording repeats for hours is a bit annoying just since most players can repeat on their own so it's not needed. ( )

Review: Wolves At Our Door by Jim and Jamie Dutcher

This book like others helps shed light on the old fears and myths of wolves. The book was interesting and told about a six year (1910-1996) research project on wolves in the wilderness on a twenty-five acre observation camp in the Sawtooth Mountains in Idaho. I’ve read a few books on researching wolves and I have to say this book wasn’t entirely as I thought it would be because they were filming a documentary on the wolf’s behaviors, eating habits and the how each wolf had their own status in the pack. However, it was done within the twenty-five acre enclosure. Jim and Jamie Dutcher did live within the enclosure too but their sleeping area was built eight feet above the ground and I believe only one wolf through the six years made it up to the sleeping quarters and not with aggressive behavior.

There was a good amount of information on different ranks a wolf holds in a pack. The Alpha is the highest rank which would be the male leader and sometimes the same pack would have a female Alpha and if so, it most likely would be the leader’s mate. There is always a Beta in the pack which is a male wolf second in command to take the leaders place if something happens. He would use his status sometimes when the leader was not around but he also knew to be alert of the fact the leader may be near. Then at the lower ranking scale is the Omega, the lone wolf. This wolf knows his limit in the pack and takes very few chances of doing anything that would make him stick out in the pack. Most of the time he is last in eating, stays at the rear of the pack on hikes and he knows he can’t just jump in with any playtime the wolves have unless a higher rank wolf goes to him first. Even when something goes wrong in the group and it’s not his fault, he is still the one they attack. He is also bullied about everyday and never stands and fights, he cowers and lies on his back throughout the harassing.

Meanwhile, back to the research and how the project was progressing. Like I said I don’t believe this project was humans living in the wilderness with wolves because they were all still in a secluded fenced in twenty-five acre compound. They started out with three baby wolves that they weaned by a bottle to make that human contact and trust. Whenever Jim or Jamie was on the camp grounds the wolves would run up to them, greet them and follow them everywhere. While the sat around the camp the wolves would venture over to them with some hesitation but curiosity seemed to get the best of them. They even lay down beside them but with little human contact. As the pack grew to eight they played with Jim and Jamie by stealing their cameras, small equipment whenever they set them down only for a moment. They did show some aggressive behavior by either growling or snapping at them baring their sharp teeth but only as a warning. They never hurt any person the six years they were together. The wolves at the camp never got the feel of hunting for their own food. Jim and Jamie either went hunting deer or they were offered road-kill deer for the wolves. For me that would not be living out in the wilderness with these wolves. I do believe there was to much human contact throughout this project.

After their six year funding was depleted they couldn’t just moved them to the open wilderness because they had been in human captivity to long (even though they had twenty-five acres to roam), they would not survive. They assumed they found a great home for the wolves with the Native American, Nez Perce Indian Tribe in northern Idaho. However, after the move, being neglected, it didn’t take long for the pack to start dying off…There was more information about their care and short life with the tribe with only three who were saved and survived. The ending for some was a tragedy but the story does show how wolves are not aggressive predators as a lot of people believe. However, they need the wilderness, not humans to survive and multiply. They are beautiful animals. Why are they so hated by so many, soon to be gone…..?
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