Originally Posted by
proguide66
Its time !! overdue by years. Good thing about the internet is now we don't have to rely on anyone or wait. The amount of insanity I have directly witnessed when it comes to this topic and getting problems solved with various groups who SHOULD BE dealing with this #1 problem is mind boggling. I have zero patience now for anyone who is terrified of this topic and more concerned with 'how it looks'. I'll bite my lip on that note now.
Couple handy notes to who it may be of value.
1. BAITS
In the past, due to where I live and access to road kill, my bait was very limited. I had to learn how to get the wolves with little or no bait. This involved following them, getting to know regular routes as opposed to random trails. This took time but eventually started to pay off and I killed a pile of them this way.
LOADS of bait can work. Best time to create bait piles is immediately after bears den up. If you can, it can be beneficial for someone who does NOT SET TRAPS to drop baits for the trapper after a handful of wolves have been whacked. Wolves will smell the culprit who killed their members and register their scent as trouble. When the wolf killer drops more bait, the educated wolves will commonly not go near them due to the 'killer scent' factor. YES, they are this smart. I noted a pack or two doing this with me in the past. One large pile I maintained, the wolves would come down the road and the whole pack would lay down about 100 yards outside my nearest snare. Two wolves would circumnavigate the pile, go back, grab the pack and leave. they never went to the pile once. However, they told me where they felt safe and I zipped the two leaders on their safety trail the 3rd time they came to circle.
SMALL BAITS
A. I have numerous times wacked wolves with tiny amounts of baits as opposed to large. Young hardwood thickets or willow tangles best. Go to centre of tangle, hang a piece of deer hide, or a chunk of hide with buck gland on it ( all you need), set snares all around the outside of the thicket - done deal. Killed lots this way.
B. Hang a deer leg ( or what have you, even hide) in the the air at least 7 ft plus off the ground in the middle of a well known wolf travel route in timber, not the open or open timber, has to be somewhat thick. Scent particles will fall off 24/7 and the wind will take them out. Snare off any hole in a 50 yard circle and start around 15 yards away from hanging bait. I have video proof of what this does and it is very effective. Wolves do NOT look up for meat or kills - ever. The pack will slam on the brakes when they smell it and fan out trotting around in every direction trying to find it, zip, done deal and commonly numerous catches. This style baiting use is confusing to them, requires no re baiting and suckers them multiple times in the same place over a winter as they and other wolves travel through. It also eliminates having to walk into the 'bait pile' to re stock which lays your scent down.
You can as well strategically set these snares so you can see all of them from a distance with binos away from the perimeter instead of 'going in' and leaving fresh scent often.
C. Popular migration trails are obviously as well used by wolves. In mountainous regions or steep slopes the cold air drops almost 24/7 and ALWAYS drops at night. Knowing this, take a chunk of hide or a leg. etc, hang it on the high side of the main trail and around 20 yards minimum above the trail. draw a line horizontal between the bait and trail with snares set in holes/routes a wolf is likely to take up hill to check out where this scent is coming from - very effective. The scent particles will drool off the bait 24/7 and pile up in a line going down hill across the travel trail and further. I have had wolves hang an abrupt 90 degree turn 200 plus yards downhill from my hanging deer leg on a slope to come up and get zipped. Hanging well above the trail avoids possible ungulates being caught.
The most effective baits are always wild game first, domestic meat 2nd. Southern B.C. trapping, deer and moose is gold.
SHOOTING PACKS
Now read carefully.
Sometimes when you get a chance at a wolf with a rifle, things can be going down fast. It is a rare occasion and excitement is tough to control. 'SOMETIMES', the first shot may not be a clean one for various reasons. 'At times' a wolf can be wounded and not die right away resulting in some vocals coming from the wolf. Some of these commonly misplaced shots are in the hips as an example.
Regardless of 'where', the fact is that when a wounded wolf is making some vocals from his wound, the rest of the pack can NOT stop themselves from running away - ever. There can be 10 gun shots going off all around but as long as that pack member is making noise, the rest of the pack is going to come back to it ( in the open) EVERY - TIME , resulting in an entire pack getting cleaned up ( or most of them).
OK, I'll report in soon, let all know more. I am closer to being able to commit to this myself and if I do, I'll be unleashing my OCD on it ( as usual) and will trap as well hunt them FULL TIME from Squamish to well past Goldbridge and possibly other areas as they come up.
Good luck out there !!