Yes, I was referring to the removal of the 'stalking' mechanic as the nerf. Wolf Spiders are still deadly as can be... they used to actively stalk you based on grass movement, noise, or some other undisclosed criteria but if you a saw a wolf in your area you used to need to GTFO because he -would be- on your trail shortly.
With them reverting to line of sight aggro like the orb weavers, they are not the panic inducing terrors that kept my head on a swivel they used to be.