Note: In 2011, the first appearance of a gray wolf was reported in California. Prior to then, the last gray wolf in California was trapped in Lassen County in 1924.
At first I was going to do a condensed version of the account, but the Lassen Advocate had such a compelling story that I decided to transcribe it.
Lassen Advocate, Susanville, California, June 13, 1924 1;4 “Frank Koehler Gets Large Gray Wolf, June 12 – Frank W. Koehler, United States hunter and trapper had a thrilling experience yesterday afternoon when he encountered what is now almost an extinct species of animal in the United States, especially in this part of the country.
“June 2, Koehler had been called by G.E. Seeber at Litchfield to help him out as the coyotes had killed 50 of his young turkeys. That day Koehler set out seven settings of three traps each and returning to his settings on June 7 found that he had caught a coyote but he had broken away and escaped. He set his traps in the same place and yesterday afternoon returned to see what had been happening.
”He found that one setting of three traps was gone. There had been a light sprinkle of rain and the tracks that had been made were partly obliterated. He followed the tracks as best as he could for five miles, over very rough country, over ridges and down hills. Koehler soon came to a spot where it has not rained and he was able to distinguish the footprints very plainly. In his many years of experience he had not seen a track like the one before him and reached the conclusion that he had trapped a mountain lion. Accordingly he was well prepared and his revolver in his hand ready to shoot at any time.
”The trail now narrowed down into a small basin where rocks and boulders had slid down the steep mountain side. The trail led to two of these large boulders. As the hunter came abreast of the rocks he spied a part of one trap sticking around a corner of rock. Stepping closer he heard a vicious growl, but could see nothing. Taking two more steps ahead he was in a position to see into the hole between the two boulders. Mr. Wolf, as it turned out was the case, came out snarling. Two well directed shots from the hunters revolver stopped him in his tracks.
”The animal proved to be what is known as a gray wolf, and belongs to a species that is very scarce at this time. His left hind leg was gone at the knee joint, and had evidently been gone for some time as the stub was well healed. It had evidently been shot away or at some time been caught in a trap. The animal looked pretty old according to Koehler, had been driven to Honey Lake Valley by the very severe summer from some desert range. In all of his experience in Lassen County, this animal never been heard from.
”The wolf measured 5 five feet 2 1/2 inches tip of nose to tail and stood 32 inches high. He had a track four inches long and 3 inches wide with the front foot. His weight was 56 pounds but he was very poor and would easily if in good condition have weighed 100 pounds. His bad leg caused him to become emaciated.
”Koehler is the same hunter who in 1918 caught a snow white coyote at Steamboat Springs in Washoe County, Nevada, the only of its kind in the United States and which is now in the United States Museum in Washington D.C.
”Koehler is going to mount the gray wolf and does not know whether he will be sent to Washington or not.”
While Koehler duly noted that he was unaware of any gray wolf sightings in the region, I am able to shed some more light on this topic. The following appeared in the Lassen Advocate of 10 March 1887 3;1 – “Unusual Visitants. We were shown by Wm. Harrison last Tuesday a gray wolf’s paw, which was taken from an animal of that species, killed at the lower Hot Springs one day last week.* A band of six wolves made their appearance at that place, and a Mr. A.J. Hall succeeded in poisoning two of them—male and female. The one to which this foot belonged weighed ninety pounds, and measured two and a half feet in height and seven feet from tip to tip. The foot measured four inches in width. These are the first wolves seen in this country for many years. Hunger doubtless forced them to approach the habitations. The gray wolf is the most formidable of its kind, and should anyone have had misfortune to run across this band in the mountains they would doubtless have been ‘gobbled’ up in short order.”
*Lower Hot Springs is known today as Amedee