About 12 to 14 years ago I was living north of what was called the Soo Line tracks on the Menominee River Bank in Faithorn. It was late December.

During the night, we had gotten 3 to 4 inches of fresh wet snow. The morning was warm and the sun bright and cheery.

I decided, the morning being so nice, I would look for a property line in the woods. I parked the pickup by the railroad tracks. I then walked south downriver, between the blacktop road and the river. There was no wind and the wet snow made no noise — a nice time to be in the woods.

I soon came across a just-made single wolf track by a big fellow. I believe this big fellow came from Wisconsin to the west, crossing on the railroad bridge just south of my house, earlier in the morning.

I say this because at dawn I heard a couple of howls on the Wisconsin side but no return ones.

Following this big fellow’s tracks a ways, I came into a small clearing. Well, that was a real sight. The brush and branches were broken down. The leaves and ground were dug up and lying on top of the new snow. I found where three coyotes had been bedded down there. There must have been quite a growling and snarling match. There was some hair around, but no blood.

Anyway, the three coyotes left on the run in different directions.

The big wolf continued to just walk on his way as he had won the battle with ease.

Having no weapon of any kind with me, I headed back to the pickup the same way I had came, all the time giving thanks to the Man Upstairs I had not started my walk real early that morning.

Well, you never know what you will see in the North Woods.