Wolf Hunting

[Gus]

Has anybody out there killed many wolves. I've always wanted to get one but not sure how, aside from bumping into them accidently. Is there any tricks of the trade anybody wouldn't mind passing on. I use a predator call for coyotes, do wolves respond to these calls like coyotes?

[BlacktailStalker]

I shot one a few years back. It was the end of deer season and I found a deer that had been tore up by wolves a couple days before. There was fresh snow the next time I was back in the same area, and I saw 5 sets of tracks in the snow not far from where the deer had been, so I went to check it out. Sure enough there was one layin in the trail chewing on a leg. I shot her in the neck and the others raced off before I could get another. They didnt go far though, pretty sure it was the alpha female. I heard if you run cougar dogs they will come after them if they are in the area. I've only seen them on 2 other occassions.
It would be cool to be able to call them in.

[Marc]

BlacktailStocker was this on Vancouver Island?

[Shoey]

BlacktailStocker was this on Vancouver Island?

Island wolves, (Coastal wolves), are coyotes! :biggrin:

I've seen hundreds of them up in the interior, real nice timber wolves. They seem to get bigger the further north you go. I saw a a few wolves on the island last year, what a sad sight. They are the same sandy colour as yotes, and about the same size. :-(

I hear the dogs up-island are a bit nicer but I've never seen any.

[mrdoog]

One of my earliest hunting memories was my Grandad skining out a wolf.
Barriere, around 1963.
The rug hung in the laundry room. It was mounted on green felt and I swear it went from one side of the room to the other.
The rifle he took it with hung below it, a WW1 30.06.
The rug, and rifle, disappeared while he was in the hospital, and my Granma was moving to Kamloops. Aren't relatives a wonderful thing!

[BlacktailStalker]

Marc;

Yes right here in courtenay. I also saw 2 this spring running along the highway.

[butcher]

I've called them in using a cow moose call, or distress call or agressive coyote howls or a lone wolf howl. The trick, like shooting coyotes, is to remain hidden long enough to bring them in. If they cross your scent they go bye bye. It helps to set up where you can see downwind because they will circle that way to catch a scent.

[Ken]

I've called them in with Moose and Elk calls, But howling seems to work the best

[mark]

good luck i spend a quarter of my life in the bush ive only seen one. theyre out there but very elusive and careful critters.

[todbartell]

up until this November, I'd only seen two in my whole life, and managed to kill them

http://usera.imagecave.com/ws6/Forum_Pics/Pictures902.jpg


this November, I saw two on the logging road as I was heading back to camp for lunch. 2pm. Saw a huge alfa male and a smaller wolf, both grey with dark saddles. DIssapeared before I could get out of the truck. Further inspection up the road where they were revealed tracks of another 4-5 wolves that were out of sight from me around the bend in the road.

Saw them a couple km's from where the pack had killed a mulie the day before.
http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/2005_Mulie_Hunt_019.jpg


I called in this one with a predator call in late December 2003

http://www.huntingbc.ca/photos/data/500/medium/13Pictures_866.jpg

[BlacktailStalker]

Nicely done Firebird. Curious about the call you used and sequence, if you dont mind telling. That one probably has a good 40 pounds on the one I shot, big difference between the mainland and Island wolves. ALTHOUGH, I know for a fact a local logging company or two has been bringing them across from the mainland and letting them go to take out a few deer that are decimating their planted trees. A couple pens full of wolf sign were found, empty in the middle of nowhere a year or 2 ago and the tracks and stools were considerably larger than the typical island wolf sign. Its assumed that different wolves were trapped in different areas and put in a pen together hoping they'd socialize and form a pack before being let out....

[PGKris]

Well you know my story gus. Actually, dad just got the skull back today. Didn't shrink at all. 17 1/16" Going to go #85 in the book which is a lot lower than we thought it was. I guess there's lots of wolves in the book? I'd like to know what kind of sequence you used firebird. I've always heard that howling will bring them in but never heard of them coming in to predator calls. I think the main trick is what butcher said, don't let them smell you. Take er easy
KRIS

[PGKris]

Better go sight in your gun first though:mrgreen:

[MB_Boy]

ALTHOUGH, I know for a fact a local logging company or two has been bringing them across from the mainland and letting them go to take out a few deer that are decimating their planted trees. A couple pens full of wolf sign were found, empty in the middle of nowhere a year or 2 ago and the tracks and stools were considerably larger than the typical island wolf sign. Its assumed that different wolves were trapped in different areas and put in a pen together hoping they'd socialize and form a pack before being let out....

I would think that would certainly create quite the stir. :???:

Oh and Blacktail....I am not calling you out or anything....believe me.......just kind of surprised/shocked to hear that.

[Sniper]

Hey firebird who does your mounts? they look pretty good especialy the black wolf. I'm hoping to bag a couple this year myself some area's are crawling with them. :-)

[Offroad]

Try using a fawnbleat or a doe call. It works on yotes and cougars never tried it on wolves yet.

[mainland hunter]

we had a whole pack of em come into camp this year. it sounded crazy. and my dad's buddy got a couple in a spot im not allowed to talk about but they actually were coming at him and he got em both at 15 yds. the rumor was the big male wieghed 180, no idea if thats true but he got full body mounts and its huge. as for calling em in i've never tried that. but i have bumped into em while hunting

[BlacktailStalker]

MB_Boy;

A friends dad works in a position that was also called out to the pen when it was found, I cant say what he is as it would narrow it down right away. He also gave us the heads up about the farmed bison that escaped in black creek and went up the mountain, they are not allowed to be here so were labelled a pest and were shot by hunters and by co's in choppers. I found it rather odd someone would go to the extent of transporting wildlife here too. People did it with bass, perch and other fish on the Island, so why not four legged animals I guess.

[oldtimer]

Somebody told me a long time ago that if you put a stake in the ice of a lake and then tie the family cat to it the wolves will come a runnin. You gotta be a good quick shot or you will have explainin to do when you get home.The object is to keep the cat alive so you can do it again.:tongue:
Mike

[Shoey]

Somebody told me a long time ago that if you put a stake in the ice of a lake and then tie the family cat to it the wolves will come a runnin. You gotta be a good quick shot or you will have explainin to do when you get home.The object is to keep the cat alive so you can do it again.:tongue:
Mike

I had a grandfather who did the same thing with a horse!

...or was that a movie???

:lol:

[Gus]

Somebody told me a long time ago that if you put a stake in the ice of a lake and then tie the family cat to it the wolves will come a runnin. You gotta be a good quick shot or you will have explainin to do when you get home.The object is to keep the cat alive so you can do it again.:tongue:
Mike

Hmmm, kinda like this idea ;-)

[bsa30-06]

me to, and my wife wouldn't be to upset if i was a little slow on the draw . she hates the cat.

[mainland hunter]

finally, cats can be usefull

[PGKris]

I've got some live traps, lets go find us some cats there buddy :p

Talked to the taxidermist today.....says he doesn't buy coyote pelts.....anyone know how a guy could sell off some coyote pelts??

[todbartell]

I spotted the wolf crossing a small field, 500 yards away. I was on foot so it never spotted me first. I sat down and began wailing away in 5 second burts on my Johhny Stewart cottontail in distress call. 5 seconds then 10 seconds silence. The wolf stopped and watched me for about a minute, then began galloping at me, closing the distance from 500 yards to about 250 before it made a 90 degree turn into the bush and out of sight. I continued to call for a few minutes with no sign of the wolf coming back out. I went silent for a few minutes and then called for about 15 seconds or so then stopped. After doing this for a few times I walked up where the wolf dissapeared and followed its tracks up to another top field where I lost it in a bunch of deer tracks. I turned to walk away and there she was 150 yards away watching me in the field. ;)

[todbartell]

Hey firebird who does your mounts? they look pretty good especialy the black wolf. I'm hoping to bag a couple this year myself some area's are crawling with them. :-)


my ol man did them, he was just a hobbiest type of Taxidermist, picked it up when he was in his early 60s, and did about 15 head mounts before he passed away.

[PGKris]

So the rabbitt does work.....

[todbartell]

I believe rabbits account for a large portion of a wolf's diet, even in deer and moose country. A opportunistic predator I'd say, just like a coyote.

[Gus]

I agree firebird. I'd guess that any predator (wolf, bear, cats etc) would get interested if they figure an animal was in distress. it probably doesn't even matter what their main prey is, I doubt they would pass up up the oportunity for an easy meal.

[tangozulu]

Has anybody out there killed many wolves. I've always wanted to get one but not sure how, aside from bumping into them accidently. Is there any tricks of the trade anybody wouldn't mind passing on. I use a predator call for coyotes, do wolves respond to these calls like coyotes?

Hi Gus,

I've killed a few but lots of guys around here use to get the quota of 10.
I have called them with preditor calls but they seem to respond more out of curiosity than hunger. For excitement few things can match 8 wolves stalking you. I have also stalked and killed one that had left a caribou kill and climbed a mountain to sleep.
Another fav way is to locate moose kills and drag them to where you can set up an ambush. (shore of lake is good)
Remember they rut in Feb and respond best as they travel much more then. Again watch the lake shores as they travel along ice a lot.

[slick_macd]

The best time to hunt wolves in in late Dec to late Feb, they are getting hungry around that time and a moose distress call will bring them a runnin.

[trigger]

i did that once, but with my wife. man did she squeal

[Schmaus]

I only try and hunt wolves when the rivers freeze up. I just walk or drive if possible along the frozen rivers they are like highways for wolves and coyotes. Last year I seen a moose stuck in the ice and there were wolves all around it. Lucky for the wolves they were on the other side and I did not want to walk across if I got one of them.

[boonerbuck]

I ran into a pack of 6 while moose hunting this season. They crossed my path at 10 yards. Briefly a couple stopped for a look and were very puzzled because of the 3D camo I was wearing. I let out a bull grunt and they returned. I was getting pretty nervous at that point because I was surrounded and was only armed with a bow and 3 arrows. I took my mask off and let them know I was human. I didnt want them to discover by taste.

[youngfellla]

I've killed a good number of wolves out on Francois Lake in February/March. We put on white coveralls and walk the shoreline. There are always plenty of deer kills out on the ice, often when you walk into a small bay you can catch them. I've had good success with this method. Wolves can be pretty hard to hunt, they are VERY smart. My two dogs are husky/wolf cross and purebred wolf, both males. Their intelligence level is unreal.

[Redfrog]

I call wolves every winter. There is no magic charm or call that works all the time. They are at the top of the food chain and they are good at their job. I made a lot of stands before I started to get successful at calling them in. In Jan.Feb. March ,they are more territorial than usual and that's saying a lot, because they are always very territorial. But they are breeding then and are unlikely to tolerate another wolf intruding on their territory. Wolf howls work well then. A lonesome howl to locate and challenge howls to motivate.:grin:

I seldom "cold call" wolves. I try to find fresh sign, since their range can be large. It is easier to call them in if they are near.

They also will not suffer coyotes in their range, and will kill them. Sometimes if i find fresh sign I will use a series of coyote vocals to get the attention of the wolves. wait a few minutes and then go to a fawn distress. I have not had much luck with "rabbit" distress calls for wolves. They do work well for lynx though. Wolves will cover the ground quickly and come from over a mile in just a few minutes. That's a bonus when it's -30
In the winter when the snow is deep They will take the path of least resistance, roadways and waterways.

Watch your scent cone and keep movements to a minimum. Remember he makes his living killing things and he is very efficient.

[PGKris]

I ran into a pack of 6 while moose hunting this season. They crossed my path at 10 yards. Briefly a couple stopped for a look and were very puzzled because of the 3D camo I was wearing. I let out a bull grunt and they returned. I was getting pretty nervous at that point because I was surrounded and was only armed with a bow and 3 arrows. I took my mask off and let them know I was human. I didnt want them to discover by taste.

Why didn't ya shoot one!!!!