Running with Wolves: Our Story of Life with the Sawtooth Pack

by Jamie Dutcher

Discover the wonder of wolves from Emmy-award winning filmmakers Jim and Jamie Dutcher as they tell their story of the six years they watched, learned about, and lived with the Sawtooth wolf pack.

Adventure, friendship, and family come together in this riveting memoir as two award-winning filmmakers take you through the experience of the years they spent living in the wild with a real-life wolf pack. Jim and Jamie set out to show the world that instead of fearsome beasts, wolves are social, complex, and incredible creatures that deserve our protection. Deep in the mountain wilderness of Idaho, they set up Wolf Camp, where they spent years capturing the emotional, exciting, and sometimes heartbreaking story of their pack.

Meet Kamots, the fearless leader. Learn from wise Matsi. Explore the forest with shy Lakota. And watch as adorable pups grow from silly siblings to a devoted pack. See how these brave wolves overcome all odds, battling mountain lions and frigid temperatures. Most of all, discover the surprising kindness, compassion, and devotion that Jim and Jamie discovered by living with wolves.

Genres: Nonfiction, Animals, Wolves

160 pages, Hardcover

Published January 8, 2019

About the author

After an award-winning filmmaking career, Jim and Jamie Dutcher turned their energies to a life-altering focus: the wolf. Armed with a Forest Service permit, they lived in a tented camp bordering Idaho’s Sawtooth Wilderness. For six years, they documented the social hierarchy and behavior of the Sawtooth Pack, wolves they bottle-fed as pups. The Dutchers’ extraordinary experiences with what they discovered to be intelligent and compassionate animals led to three Emmy Award-winning documentaries.

Yet with wolves still persecuted by a mostly fearful and misinformed public, the Dutchers knew they needed to do more. In 2005, they founded Living With Wolves. A nonprofit that addresses the complex issues surrounding the historical eradication and Endangered Species reintroduction of wolves, Living With Wolves battles laws that allow the brutal hunting of these beautiful animals.

Reviews

[Mrs Mommy Booknerd http://mrsmommybooknerd.blogspot.com · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is amazing. My mind was literally blown. I could not stop reading this book and was sucked in right away. Both kids and adults will love learning about, following and being part of the Sawtooth Pack. I could not help but marvel at the beautiful way the wolves were captured and how they overcame so much. There is so much that was learned about wolves over the six years this book covered. This book really did capture how wolves are social and family focused. I will reread this book and I never reread. I cannot wait for my kids to read this too. They will also love it!

[Kathy (Bermudaonion) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars

I had mixed feelings about this nonfiction book for young readers. Even though I knew quite a bit of what was written about wolves and their behavior as pack animals, I thought it was presented in a manner that young readers will enjoy and I appreciated the authors’ respect for the animals. What I struggled with was their interference in the life of the animals - from hand raising the pups to bringing in roadkill for the pack to eat - so I felt the wolves weren’t truly living in the wild.

[Aeicha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Join Jim and Jamie Dutcher as they share the stories of the time they spent years living with the Sawtooth Wolf Pack. Running With Wolves is an absolutely captivating and unputdownable book! Young readers will fall in love with this unforgettable pack of majestic animals and learn so much from the Dutcher’s story.

[Cindy Mitchell *Kiss the Book* · Rating 2 out of 5]

Running with Wolves by Jim andJamie Dutcher. 158 pages. NON-FICTION. National Geographic, 2019 $17

Content: G

BUYING ADVISORY: EL – OPTIONAL

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE

This is the true account of a national geographic study on wolves. Jamie Dutcher and his colleagues set up a giant enclosure in the Idaho wilderness and keep adding wolves until there is a pack, including the raising of multiple puppy litters. They film, study, and engage with the wolf pack in order to learn more about them. Eventually Jamie, a zoologist, joins the study and the reader hears her perspective as well. Includes lots of photographs and information on keystone species and how the readers can help.

Well I was a bit shocked to read how artificial the whole set up was. I always imagined wild life documentaries taking place in the true wild, but this was a manmade pack given road kill to eat, with puppies raised by human hands. The authors did a great job conveying the personalities of the wolves and making the reader feel present for the big events. That being said, the information about why studying wolves and preserving them as a part of their habitat was left mostly until the ending. The authors write about how there is a misperception about wolves, especially by farmers, but not how this study or the authors actions, were used to help remedy that viewpoint. I do think an upper elementary student who is interested in wolves might like this book.

Reviewer: Stephanie MLS & Author
https://kissthebookjr.blogspot.com/20...

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

At first I thought this was great, but then the vanity of the author began to intrude and make me suspicious. Clearly there were a lot of other people helping to build and maintain the camp and care for the wolves. In fact some of these individuals even made a lifelong commitment to care for wolves used in the author’s study; yet they are never named. It is as if only the author and his love interest are responsible, only they forge a meaningful connection to the animals. And there is the other problem - this is presented as a benevolent study that benefits the wolves and uncovers lots of new information about ‘wild’ wolf behavior. But these animals are essentially as wild as wolves in a zoo. Their lives benefit the career and enhance the social life of the author and it would be far better if he admitted that rather than pretend he is selfless.

[Felix Barten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Running with wolves is a real story about a couple who decide to create a wolf pack, later known as the Sawtooth pack, and see how the wolves interact with each other to get a better understanding of the amazing animal. Jim and Jamie, both zoologists, meet on a trip and become good friends, later getting married. When they get the opportunity to live alongside wolves, they take it and travel to the Sawtooth mountains in Idaho to start the pack. They learn a lot about wolf behavior, and watch many exciting, and sometimes sad, circumstances unfold. I really liked this book because I love reading about animals and nature, and the wolf is one of my favorite animals. This book does get slow at times, because it is very descriptive, but I learned a lot about wolves that I didn't know before. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes learning about animals and has a good attention span.

[Bethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars. Outstanding NF for MG readers. The authors lived with, studied, and filmed a pack of wolves for 6 years. Not only did they learn about the physical survival routines of the wolves but wondered and relished the intricate pack structure and roles each wolf played in their family. They especially admired the personalities of the individuals. The text is easy to read, love the drawings, and especially the photo section in the middle. The Dutchers respect and love for these magnificent beasts permeates the book. Now I want to read their wolf books written for adults!

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got the opportunity to hear Jim and Jamie speak at Benroya Hall in Seattle during my student teaching back in spring 2011. It was fascinating to hear how they lived with wolves. I think the part I found most astonishing was that one of the pups from the first litter became the Alpha male, not the adult male wolf the pups were first put with. I wonder how this pup knew what to do with having a pack raise him. This book was a good, quick read and has photos, a timeline, and maps to enhance the story.

[Elliot · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a heartfelt story about some people wanting to make a difference in the world about how we think about and treat animals. It started with the life of beavers, then cougars, and finally wolves. This story makes you have mixed emotions at every second and you never know what's going to happen next, when, or how your emotions will react to the situation. I hope anyone who reads this amazing story loves it as much as I do.

[Martha Meyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling story of a National Geographic filmmaker who lives with captive wolves for 6 years in order to capture on film the intimate relationships in a wolf pack. The filmmaker and his veterinarian girlfriend and then wife , narrate the story so that you feel that you, too, lived with the wolves, gained their trust and were given access to their lives and ways. (3rd grade through 8th grade)

[avrede · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liked:
-Shows another side of wolves, delving into their social lives and family structure.
-Gives some insight on wildlife filming.

Disliked:
-Could’ve provided more details on wolf conservation and the way humans have perceived and persecuted wolves over the years.

Notes:
-The wolves are inbred which raises some genetic concerns. However, there were limited options available.

[Two BookWorms Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Running with Wolves is a book that challenges our preconceptions about wolves. It will pique curiosity and encourage respect for the natural world. It is a truly inspirational book.

For the full review: https://twobookwormsblog.wordpress.co...

[Kaidi Stroud · Rating 4 out of 5]

Touching, and I loved knowing the place where these wolves lived in Idaho. Still, I wish there had been biologists in consultation with the project. I question the interpretation of wolf behavior from film-makers, alone.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

my 6th grade daughter read it and wanted me to also she thought I would enjoy it. A great and quick read.
In a way reminded me of "the Hidden Life of Dogs" of course that book was much more controversial.

[Tracy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this to my 11 year old, and we enjoyed it so much. It was especially interesting because we have been watching documentaries on dog intelligence, but the biggest strength of this book is that it conveyed the human feelings and the wolf personalities so well.

[Scott Block · Rating 5 out of 5]

I ca not say enough about the incredible thing the Dutchers did! Anyone who walks away from this S is not in awe of wolf behavior did not pay attention!

[Izzy Obert · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2

[Mjlathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hand raised wolves btw

[Pham Duc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing and touching.

Just amazing and touching. Love the wolves and love the dedication Jim and Jamie have for those wonderful friends. Wonderful.

[Christine Neill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well worth reading

Informative and well written. I'd never thought much about wolves. I'm a convert and will recommend this book to all.

[Rebecca D · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would have loved to be a part of this film making of the Sawtooth Pack. I especially enjoyed reading about how the wolves interacted with not only each other, but the humans they learned to trust.

[Stephen Bernau · Rating 4 out of 5]

Student recommendation from my Books class. Took me a while to get into it, but honestly it was beautiful to see how close they got with the wolves. Such unique intimacy!

[Nicole Thomas · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book with my kids. It was cute & entertaining. It made me want to visit the Sawtooth mountains. There were some things I didn’t exactly agree with so for that reason I gave it 3 stars.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Donne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a two-for-one. You learn the history of the authors and how they met and, eventually, fell ion love, and you get to see the intense reality of the lives of wolves. It's a beautiful tribute to the rarely seen aspects of the pack. I have read a few books about wolves and this one really let me feel I was part of the pack from the top to the bottom. I learned a lot about the interactions and family aspects of wolves.

[Oscar · Rating 4 out of 5]

not the beast towards the end

[Eden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dear viewer,

I do not rate books 5 Stars often. But, this book broke that statement. I could not get myself out of this book, seriously!!! The wording, the images, the descriptions & everything made it feel as if I was there, & I could feel the emotions and connotation they witnessed throughout the read. I was very upset when the day I finished the book arrived. Overall, this was a short read for me, but a very well written book. I recommend this for people from 15 & up, that love nature, wolves, & good books- as well as dog lovers, such as myself!!!!!!

[Elaine Bearden]

gr4/5+
Fascinating story of a couple who lived with a wolf pack that they put together to study wolves. Great story, and that will pull readers through. I think it could have been constructed better for young readers, though the very beginning scene and ending is strong.