The film crew stood silent, listening for the howls from gray wolves.

People & Wolves Film Crew on Location

In mid-August 2022, the  “People & Wolves” film crew went off with Adrian Wydeven, a wildlife Biologist, on a howl survey in the Chequamegon National Forest. Wydeven cupped his hands around his mouth, tipping his head back, and began imitating the sound of a wolf howl. The film crew stood silent, listening for the sounds of gray wolves, hoping to hear a response. There was no response. Wydeven said, “Rachel go ahead and try a howl.” I cupped my hands around my mouth, tipped my head back, and began making several wolf howls. We listened for a response. Wolves began to respond. We heard a wolf pack answering our calls when all of a sudden and coming from another direction from the wolf pack, we listened to the voice of a lone wolf howling. Wydeven, in a low voice, said, probably an alpha individual. The alpha was an estimated fifty feet ahead of our position on the road around the corner. They had a very distinct howl, and I could only imagine they were asking us, “why are you here in my home?’ Knowing that wolves howl to let other wolves know this is their territory. Later that evening, I asked Wydeven about that wolf pack, and he told me they were his favorite pack.

Wydeven is a wildlife biologist and has been monitoring wolves in that area since 1991. It only makes sense to this observer that those wolves know him very well. We were privileged to be there and record their howls, and you can listen to them in the trailer.

Watch the Trailer