Ah, the wolf attack in the forest, one of the only cliches that I think truly deserves to die in a hole (or be torn apart by wolves). It typically plays out like this: Heroes are walking in the forest. Heroes hear all the birds go silent (never mind that birds wouldn't be at all afraid of wolves, since they can just fly away). Suddenly, a pack of snarling wolves bursts through the trees! The hero, designated love interest, cowardly rogue, and gruff mercenary with a heart of gold fight against the wolves, but despite their best efforts, the designated comic relief is killed, to the dismay of the characters and the joy of the readers. Then for no apparent reason, the wolves flee.

That would never happen, ever (unless the wolves were being somehow controlled by magic, which most of the time they aren't). Wolves are freaked out by humans. We're tall, we look funny, we smell funny, and we sound funny. Wolves won't risk it. They'll stick to what they know, mainly deer, elk, and other ungulates, and the occasional rabbit or mouse as a snack (for one). The only time they would attack humans (and risk injury from this unknown animal) would be if they're starving, and if they're starving, they aren't going to flee just because one of them gets stabbed or decapitated. They aren't wimps. They're used to being injured in fights with prey, especially if moose or bison make up a significant portion of their diet. Deer hooves are sharp, and antlers aren't just for attracting mates (although wolves would tend to avoid bucks in their prime).

A possibility, I suppose, for a wolf attack, would be when a character squats to answer nature's call. The smell of poo is certainly "calling" a few things, and a squatting human appears much smaller and less threatening. Not a glamorous or epic way to die, but the wolves certainly don't care.

If you want a dangerous animal to attack your characters, go for something like a testosterone-charged, angry-at-everything bull moose during mating season. A 1500-pound mass of fur charging at you, antlers ready to gore, hooves ready to kick your brains out of your skull, is way scarier than Fido's big cousin.

Thankfully, wolves aren't always portrayed as vicious killers in fiction. You've also got the stories about wolf packs doing wolf stuff, like hunting deer, traveling, fighting with other packs (watch "In the Valley of the Wolves"), and losing their habitat to human encroachment.

Wolf packs are family groups of anywhere between 2 and 15, though packs as large as 20 and even 30 have been reported. They typically consist of an alpha male and alpha female (the only wolves in the pack that will breed) and their grown-up offspring. The key word is "family". Wolf packs are generally very hostile to unfamiliar wolves. By "very hostile", I mean, "they will tear the thing to shreds if it gets anywhere near them". Wolves that leave their pack will, most of the time, not join up with a new pack. They will hope that they find another lone wolf of the opposite sex, some unclaimed territory, and then start their own pack. There are recorded cases of lone wolves (also called dispersers) joining a new pack, but it usually only happens if one of the dominant wolves is dead or if there is a large amount of food available (because then they could afford to take them in).

When wolves hunt, they do it well. They approach their prey from downwind, so they can smell the prey, but the prey cannot smell them. If they are approaching a herd, they will single out one specific animal (usually an old, young, sick, or weak one), and concentrate on that one. Even so, they don't always catch their prey.

Lastly, the wolves need not have pack telepathy. Maybe add some words to their snaps and growls, but try to stay away from telepathy, or do something interesting with it. Maybe pack members can't communicate with each other directly, and must send everything through the alpha male of the pack, who would have absolutely no obligation to pass the message on as it was actually said.

General Myths and Facts about Wolves:

 

Myth: Wolves will only kill what they need, and will eat all the meat off their prey.

Fact: Most of the time, this is true. However, during times of unusually abundant prey, they may catch more than the need, since their instinct is to kill whenever they can.

 

Myth: Wolves starve in the winter, just like everything else.

Fact: Quite the opposite. When it comes to hunting ungulates, the harsher the better. Deep snow is a wolf’s best friend. Their large, webbed feet act like snowshoes and allow it to easily run through or over (if there’s a hard crust on top) snow, while the small, sharp hooves of their prey break through with every step.

 

Myth: A lone wolf can overthrow the alpha male of a pack and take command.

Fact: You’re thinking of lions. Besides, the rest of the pack would probably be there to defend their leaders.

 

Myth: Wolves can be tamed with a few gentle words and some food.

Fact: They are wild animals. It took millennia of human interaction and selective breeding to get from wolf to Fido. Also, wolf-dog hybrids are not a tame version of the wolf. They will still retain some lupine instincts, which is why they’re illegal in some states.

 

Myth: Wolves howl at the moon.

Fact: They do tilt their muzzles up when they howl, but they aren’t pointing it at the moon (at least not on purpose). Nor do they only just howl at night. Wolves will howl; before a hunt, when their bellies are full, to find a lost pack member, or whenever they feel like it.

Myth: Younger wolves will often challenge one of the dominants for leadership of the pack.

Fact: This has been recorded happening if the alpha has been weakened by age or injury, but it is rare.

 

Fact: The eyes of a wolf are not very good at making out detail, though they are excellent when it comes to making out movement.

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