Baree, the son of a grey wolf and a black dog, was born in the vast Canadian wilderness. He learns about nature and his fellow animals by trial and error--fighting with owls and playing with beavers. Being alone in the wild, he desperately seeks to join a pack of wolves, but they see him as a dog, and he is driven away. If the wolves are treacherous, Baree soon learns that humans are worse. He is shot, beaten, and trapped, but he soon learns to take care of himself. After fighting alone against the world, Baree befriends an indian maiden, Nepeese, and he finds his purpose in life.