03:20 PM MST on Monday, March 20, 2006

Associated Press

SALMON -- A central Idaho man says he had a close encounter with a pack of wolves while hiking with his dog on Saturday.

Rick Turner says one wolf approached to within 20 feet before running off after Turner waved a branch.

Officials with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game are investigating the incident.

Biologist Jason Husseman says the eight wolves were probably interested in Turner's dog, a Labrador-Pitbull mix.

Husseman says that wolves are intelligent and curious, and that that the wolf that approached Turner was probably a young wolf that didn't know any better.