JACKSON - Half a year later, Allen Hicks is still a celebrity.

Since July 4, when Hicks, companion Pegg Olson and their dog, Moby, inadvertently walked into a wolf rendezvous site, Hicks has been telling - and retelling - his story.

The last time he told it? The day before this interview.

"It's been crazy," he said.

While hiking on the Bridger-Teton National Forest last summer, Olson saw wolf pups on a hillside.

Trouble began when the alpha male arrived.

"He was a very, very, very aggressive animal," Hicks said just days after the incident. "He would not back off of us. He chased us for probably two miles. At one point he was probably 10 or 12 foot away from us."

Hicks and Olson were followed out of the area by the male wolf, while Hicks brandished an old utility pole he found and Olson gripped the dog's collar.

Officials say it was "typical wolf behavior," where the alpha "escorted" the group out of the area of the pups. They also said the dog likely provoked such an extreme reaction because wolves see dogs as a threat.

Since the story appeared in the Casper Star-Tribune, Hicks has received a steady stream of e-mails and phone calls from around the country. A media outlet in Scotland has been in touch with him to tell his story.

Hicks is happy to talk about the encounter, and said most people are "sympathetic" with his experience. Some, though, challenge him, asking why he was in the forest and why he was hiking in wolf country.

Sometimes, he said, he checks the caller ID on the phone and answers with caution if it's a number he doesn't recognize - a sign he might have to recount the story.

Has the incident changed his opinion on wolf reintroduction? No.

"I wasn't for it, they're here, I've accepted it," Hicks said. "I don't want them around me anymore. That one time was just about enough."

YearTracker

* What happened in 2005: Two Jacksonites walked into a wolf rendezvous site, provoking an extreme reaction.

* Where things stand: Allen Hicks still receives calls and e-mails from people interested in hearing his story.

* Coming in 2006: More possible public and media attention for the couple.

Reporter Whitney Royster can be reached at (307) 734-0260 or at royster@trib.com.