Brave Minnesotan Releases Huge Timberwolf Up Close

Wolves, by nature, tend to be elusive. They travel in small packs usually, but may sometimes travel in packs of 10 or 12. Traps in Minnesota are indiscriminate, and sometimes animals they’re not meant for get caught in them.

Watch The Dangerous Release Below

This video starts with a view of a trapped timber wolf. Its left paw is caught in the trap, and it instinctively tries to retreat from the brave Minnesota man who is there to release it. But with its paw stuck, it can’t move too far.

The man is equipped with a silver catch pole that has a green cable at the end. He moves slowly, expertly, to get the cable around the timber wolf’s head. The wolf, unsure of what’s happening, has its jaw wide open, baring its sharp teeth.

The man manages to get the cable around the wolf’s neck and just as he does, the wolf bites the pole, flailing about, trying to get it off. It is restrained still, with its paw in the trap, and has to surrender.

The man approaches the wolf, its fangs still glaring and points the catch pole downward, securing the wolf as it lays halfway on its back. At this point, the man is all of two feet from this awe-inspiring predator.

The Minnesota man doesn’t hesitate as he moves forward. He holds the catch pole securely in one hand, kneels down, and uses his left hand to try and release the trap from the wolf’s front left paw.

The man is wearing gloves, a black jacket, blue jeans, and brown shoes—he has a gun secured to a holster on his left side.

Holding the catch pole steady, the wolf lays back, its teeth clearly visible. The man attempts to release the trap with a single hand but is unable to. Realizing that he needs to try another tactic, he moves the catch pole down onto the ground, and steps on it to secure it.

This frees his right hand, and he is able to kneel back down to release the trap with both hands. He is successful this time. With the wolf almost completely free, he knows he needs to act quickly.

He picks the catch pole up from the floor and the wolf moves with the cable. Now, the wolf is lying down on its belly with its head up, looking forward.

The man begins releasing the cable from its neck, pulling it off gently. The cable gets trapped in the wolf’s mouth and a short tug-of-war ensues. Unsure if the wolf is preparing to attack, the Minnesota man cocks his gun as he attempts to retrieve his catch pole.

Eventually, the man is able to retrieve the cable and the wolf stays laying on the ground, exhausted. It blinks a few times, perhaps confused and relieved at the same time.

Although this video doesn’t show when the wolf runs away, there is a second link in the description box that captures the moment when the wolf finally runs off.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Thorsten Spoerlein/Shutterstock.com