Rathdrum man says wolves approached him on late walk

RATHDRUM — Lee Gibson believes three wolves recently approached him and his dog when they were walking late at night near his home on Meyer Road.

“It scared the crap out of me,” he said.

He said Molly, his Corgi, started “freaking out” about 100 yards from their home. Gibson said he looked around and shined a flashlight into the darkness and about 50 feet away, said he saw three sets of eyes looking back.

He said they followed him and Molly home, about five minutes, but never approached or made any sounds. Gibson and Molly returned home safely.

“I don’t remember too many times in my life being that scared,” he said, adding he planned to carry a firearm on future night walks.

He said the creatures he saw were too big to be dogs or coyotes. He called the Kootenai County Sheriff’s Office and reported the incident.

Chip Corsi, Idaho Fish and Game Region One supervisor, said while it's possible they were wolves, it’s doubtful, and more likely they were coyotes or large dogs.

"The Rathdrum Prairie is not a good source of food for wolves, and pretty much, wolves avoid people," Corsi said. "A wolf sighting on the prairie would be very rare."

Wolves are mobile creatures, though, and might have been passing through, Corsi said.

“It is remotely possible," he said. "I just think it’s pretty darn unlikely."

Gibson said it's the second time he believes he's seen wolves on the prairie. He said that about 10 years ago, he was standing behind his home on a full moon night when an elk came running, followed by three to four large animals that Gibson is sure were wolves.

"I saw those as clear as day," he said.

He said he and his brother went out afterward with flashlights and found "huge prints in the snow" that had to belong to wolves.