Coming December 15, 2026
Wolves at Our Door

Wolves are rarely observed, making them one of the world's least understood animals, and sadly, one of the most persecuted. Jim and Jamie Dutcher set out to deepen our understanding of this secretive canid, investigating the inner workings of a wolf pack by living in the midst of one. As wildlife documentary filmmakers, their goal was to observe the wolf, not as scientists but as social partners privy to their intimate family life. At the time they began their project, wolves had been systematically eradicated in most of the United States; so, there were very few to be found in the wild. They knew it was essential to gain their trust, but they didn't want to habituate a wild wolf pack during filmmaking. If the wolves were to lose their instinctual fear of people, they would be that much more vulnerable should the next human they encountered be pointing a rifle instead of a camera.

Beneath the towering peaks of the spectacular Sawtooth Mountains in central Idaho, Jim and Jamie established a remote outpost where the wolves could roam and explore while accepting them as just another part of their world. In the face of wildfires and subzero temperatures, marauding mountain lions and hostile anti-wolf antagonists, Jim and Jamie devoted six years to capturing the wolves' lives on film. They watched in amazement as the pack matured from pups to adults, selected their leaders, mourned the dead, settled familial disputes, educated the young, and cared for their ailing pack members. What they witnessed was beyond their greatest expectations, and this book transports the reader into the previously unseen world of the wolf as they experienced it.

Packed with 160 color photographs--many of them never-before-published--this revised and expanded edition of the now classic book, Wolves at Our Door, brings to life Jim and Jamie's experience with the Sawtooth Pack. Starting with the genesis of the project, the book reveals the behind-the-scenes drama that caused a three-year film project to morph into a six-year adventure--an adventure that would completely change the course of their lives. Reading like a novel, the real-life plot weaves a tale rife with roadblocks and tragedy, politics and drama, wonder and enchantment, love and heartache. As companions on the journey, readers will find stories that surprise and delight as they discover that devotion to family, curiosity, and the need for play are just a few of the things that are as integral to wolves as to people. It's also a story of trust in which the wolves graciously allow these human observers to cross the species barrier and live side-by-side in a way no one has done before. The gripping narrative and stunning photos offer a semblance of that magical encounter people crave: gazing into the eyes of a wild animal. --Jim and Jamie Dutcher