GOLD HILL — When Gold Hill resident Josh Trautman cried wolf Sunday, April 9, he says he wasn’t pulling anyone’s leg.

His own arm, however, felt like it had been nearly torn from his body. Trautman was hunting for morel mushrooms in the woods in the Kane Creek area outside Gold Hill, when he was attacked by what he believes was a wolf.

Wildlife officials are investigating the attack but have so far been unable to confirm what happened.

Trautman and three family members were scouring a hillside for mushrooms, and he wandered from the rest of his group. Trautman said his mind was focused on sauteed mushrooms and onions over a juicy steak.

“I had walked up the hill and started getting into some mushrooms and was totally excited. I was getting some really good ones, so I wasn’t really paying attention. When I looked up, I saw it walking down the hill toward me. It stopped 10 to 15 feet to the side of me and it was looking downhill where my son, my nephew and my brother-in-law were,” Trautman said during an interview near the location of the attack.

“The only thing I could think of was, ‘Don’t move.’ And then it stuck its nose in the air and started sniffing. Then it turned its head and looked right at me.”

Trautman said the animal — which he described as “the biggest wolf I’ve ever seen” — appeared to weigh about 200 pounds, with black, brown and tan coloring and “the brightest golden eyes.”

The animal rushed him without making a sound, he said.

“He got right in front of me within reaching distance. Then he lunged at me and started trying to bite me in my face. I dodged it three or four times and it went for my arm and started tearing the (expletive) out of my arm.

“I knew I had better protect my arm the best I could, so I fell over on the arm that was bleeding and got into a fetal position. It went for my head and face. It tore into part of my jaw, close to my jugular. It started going for my head. It was trying to kill me. It never barked, never did anything a dog would do. A dog will usually give you a warning…. There was nothing until the attack. I will never forget its face.”

Trautman said he screamed for help but was too far from family to be heard. The animal continued biting Trautman’s head and climbed onto him. Trautman, who weighs just under 200 pounds, said he couldn’t get the canine off of him. His saving grace was the 5-gallon bucket he’d been using to collect mushrooms, which rolled against his body.

“He was biting at the back of my head, and I couldn’t fight him off. He was overpowering me. I felt the bucket beside me, so I was able to grab it and swung it behind me with my right arm,” Trautman said.

“I swung the bucket and hit him as hard as I could. It must’ve startled him because he got off me. I was able to get on my feet and face him again, and I just started swinging at his face. It was him or me, I guarantee you that.”

When the animal turned to run, Trautman noticed his arm spurting blood. Feeling like he might pass out, he scrambled for his phone, calling his nephew.

“He started running up toward me. I dropped the bucket and my phone. The bucket was full of my blood. We just headed down the hill and it gets a little fuzzy after that,” he added.

Trautman’s nephew, Ryley Maley, said he had to tackle Trautman, who was delirious, and removed his belt to create a tourniquet. With blood flow restricted at the shoulder, Trautman’s head began gushing blood.

The attack happened at about 4:30 p.m., and it was about 5:20 p.m. when he was treated by emergency responders. Trautman’s girlfriend, Rose Benson, said Trautman’s 15-year-old son called to tell her what happened.

“It was definitely a surprising call … telling me that (Trautman) was mauled, and I needed to get the car ready and that they were bringing him down and we had to go to the hospital right then. He’s not a person that goes to the hospital — for literally anything. For him to need a hospital, I knew it had to be bad. I was trying to call 911 as soon as I got off the phone,” said Benson.

Trautman met emergency responders and a Mercy Flights crew took him to Asante Rogue Regional Medical Center, Medford.

Mercy Flights officials confirmed they responded to a dog bite at the time of the incident.

Trautman was in surgery for over three hours to repair his arm, now riddled with staples. He was given rabies shots and antibiotics.

Trautman’s father returned to the scene of the attack April 10 and was able to retrace his son’s steps, Trautman said, “because he followed the trail of blood and found the bucket, still filled with blood.”

Trautman said he submitted the jacket he was wearing, and the bucket, which contained hairs from the animal’s face, to Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife officers who sought him out after reading about the attack on social media.

Michelle Dennehy, ODFW communications coordinator, confirmed the agency was investigating the attack, had spoken to Trautman and was evaluating evidence.

“One of the key factors in helping inform what may have transpired leading up to, and during, an attack is the ability to gain timely access to the attack scene and collect critical evidence such as tracks or scat. ODFW and other agencies have been unable to gain permission from the landowner to gain access to the private lands where this attack was reported to have occurred,” Dennehy said.

“Without the ability to collect critical and timely evidence from the attack scene, confirming what animal attacked the victim may not be possible. Like other large carnivores, wolves will tend to avoid people. Dangerous wolf-human interactions are extremely rare. They are more likely to occur when wolves are habituated to people, when dogs are involved, or if wolves are sick.”

Jackson County Animal Control officials said wolf hybrids must be permitted under state law. In Southern Oregon, only one kennel is licensed, in the city of Rogue River.

“The only thing I could think of was, ‘Don’t move.’ And then it stuck its nose in the air and started sniffing. Then it turned its head and looked right at me.”

— Josh Trautman