In the harsh winter of 1920, when wolves still roamed the Minnesota wilderness and threatened livestock across the territory, 63-year-old Franz Heinrich Herzog answered the call to join one of the most legendary hunts in local history. What began as a response to cattle killings would become the stuff of frontier legend.
The Beast That Terrorized the Territory
The massive grey timber wolf had been causing alarm throughout the Upsala and St. Francis territories north of Sauk Center, where it had attacked cattle and killed a number of them. This was no ordinary wolf - measuring seven feet from tip to tip, standing three feet two inches high, and weighing about 150 pounds, it was "the largest grey timber wolf ever seen in this territory."
🐺 The Legendary Wolf's Measurements
The Hunt Assembles
On Christmas Day evening, December 25, 1919, A.M. Stuntebeck received word that the wolf was in the territory, having escaped from three traps that had been set for it. The cunning predator had evaded capture, but its luck was about to run out.
From the Sauk Center Herald, January 8, 1920
Last Thursday evening, Christmas Day, Mr. Stuntebeck was notified that the wolf was in this territory, having escaped from three traps, which were set for him. Mr. Stuntebeck started on his trail Friday morning at the John Klasen home near St. Rose and followed him all day and toward evening brought him down about two miles north of Albany, but not until the wolf had been shot five times.
The animal had caused quite an alarm in the Upsala and St. Francis territory north of here, where it had attacked the cattle and killed a number of them. The wolf was big enough to do considerable damage and it is a relief to the residents of this vicinity to know that the wolf has been killed.
Unfortunately the best wolf hound belonging to Mr. Stuntebeck was injured in the chase. It is not known whether he was shot or injured by the wolf. The dog is very valuable and is under the care of Dr. Kemper and it is hoped that he will soon recover and be ready for the next wolf that dares venture down this way.
—Melrose Beacon.
The Epic Chase
The Thrilling Tale Unfolds
It's a cold December morning when 63-year-old Franz Herzog joins his friend A.M. Stuntebeck and others just north of St. Rosa, near John Klasen's farm. Fresh tracks show the giant grey wolf has recently attacked Klasen's chickens. Stuntebeck's four wolfhounds pick up a scent trail and the hunters follow it southward for hours through the snowy countryside.
The wolfhounds track the animal about seven miles before it bursts from a thicket near a herd of cattle. The men open fire but the swift wolf dodges shots. Wounded, it runs and disappears into the woods. Following blood spatters lead the hounds and hunters further south, nearing the town of Albany.
As the winter sunlight fades, the wolfhounds finally chase the exhausted beast into a pasture two miles north of Albany. Cornered at last, it turns aggressively on the dogs. Franz and the hunters take careful aim in the dim light. Five more shots ring out before the massive wolf collapses, ending its months-long cattle-killing spree.
As the weary hunters walk up to the fallen animal, they take in its enormous size - seven feet long, three feet at the shoulder, almost 150 pounds. After a long trek home they have a tale for the ages about persistence, skill, and frontier bonds that took down this legendary predator which had long plagued their community.
🏹 The Hunt Route - Approximately 7 Miles
The Hunting Party
The legendary hunt brought together a group of determined men, each playing a crucial role in bringing down the massive predator:
- A.M. Stuntebeck - The hunt leader who owned the four large wolfhounds essential to tracking the beast
- Franz Heinrich Herzog (F.H. Herzog) - The 63-year-old hunter whose participation made this hunt legendary