Once the terror of Becker County
By: ERIC HAHN, Staff Writer November 27, 2002

Is it local legend or just a bad reputation?

To some, Becker County's celebrity wolf, Old Three Legs, was an early 20th Century satanic menace who, for eight years, gobbled farm animals, outwitted trappers and terrorized the upstanding folk in the five surrounding counties.

As a Nov. 1935 Field and Stream article on the national wonder puts it: "... (Old Three Legs was) a merciless killer - a monster wolf that left a red trail of death and destruction in his wake. The phantom slayer destroyed thousands of dollars worth of livestock, caused the death of at least two humans ..."

But, assistant director for Becker County Historical Society Erin McMillan offers a more humane account of Old Three Legs.

She argues, that three legs was slower than the other wolves after chewing his own foot off to get out of a trap. For subsistence, he had to chomp slow moving farm critters, much to the ire of area farmers.

People later blamed Old Three Legs for everything from evil-eyed window peeping to causing frustrated trappers to die alone in the woods while suffering Captain Ahab monomania.

"Basically, he was a crippled wolf living all alone by himself," says McMillan, who has researched the Old Three Legs fiasco. "So, he lived on chickens."

As for the supernatural image, American Indian trackers deemed Old Three Legs a spirit wolf after failing to catch him, McMillan says.

She also casts doubt on his aggression toward humans by noting there hasn't been a single documented case of a healthy wild wolf attacking a human in North America.

So, regardless what one believes about Old Three Legs' intent, he was a real wolf (his stuffed body is on display in the Becker County Museum), who really irked locals into a witch (wolf?) hunt.

The legend and lore surrounding Old Three Legs are just as important culturally as the true story.

"Three Legs should be revered for having the strength and the stamina to last that many years," says Historical Society assistant director Joann Splonskowski.

Three Legs' reputation is not the only thing that needs to be saved. The museum is kept dry to save paper documents. But, the arid environment is hard on the museum's mounted animals.

Old Three Legs was shot by Detroit Lakes mink farmer Fred Darkow in 1926. The notorious animal was stuffed and put on display at the McCarthy hotel for years.

The mounted menace was later stored in barns and attics before finding its way to the Becker County Museum. The glues and hide are drying out over the years.

Some taxidermists are doubtful if Old Three Legs' carcass could handle being restuffed, Splonskowski says.

For the time being, Old Three Legs is still on display in the museum, continuing to be one of the most popular exhibits there.