Danny Pickett is the protagonist of Big Red. He is a dynamic character who evolves over the course of the novel. His experiences and adventures, hardships and challenges in the Wintapi wilderness change how he sees himself and his future.

At the start of the novel, Danny is living with his father, Ross Pickett, in a small trapper’s cabin at the edge of the clearing. He and Ross don’t have much money and rely upon hard work and the property owner Mr. Haggin’s generosity to maintain their life in the woods. Although living in the wilderness is “hard and lonely” (41), Danny feels that he belongs there, “along with Ross, Red, and everything else that [is] truly at home in the Wintapi” (125). He spends his days in the woods and hills, either setting traps, hunting deer, or chasing lost cows.

Danny’s life begins to change after Mr. Haggin hires him to be his show dog Red’s caretaker. As Danny is an only child whose mother died when he was young, he longs for companionship. Red becomes his loyal and constant friend. Danny sees Red as his equal and treats him with empathy and respect.