How to hunt wolves?

[Troutslayer]

Two thoughts. When I found them on opening day, which was really more luck, their position was given away by crows that had gathered on the carcass that they were eating.

Last week I was about to give up on an elk meadow when 2 yotes came trotting across it. I wasn't set up to shoot so I got out my predator call and let out some calls. I could hear the squirrels in the downwind side making noise so I knew those coyotes were making their way towards me. I was bored and ready to go home so I packed up and started walking out. When I got about 1/4 mile away I heard a wolf howl from right where I was sitting. That wolf must have come in to my predator call. Who knows if I would have had a shot at him, probably not because he must have come in downwind of me, but it did draw him towards me.

 

[Rustystud]

Wolf hunting depends on a number of factors.

1. Have your wolves had much human contact. Wolves are very smart and instinctive animals.

2. Are you hunting wolves over snow?

3. Is the terrain open or tight?

4. Is there a constant wind and at what velocity?

5. In remote areas where there is little human contact calling can be effective.

6. Blinds built with bait stations at greater than 200 yards is most effective.
If you want a wolf you cnat shoot ravens, crows, and coyotes off this bait.
Drive in a 4' pipe or piece of rebar leaving a foot exposed in the ground at
the bait site. This is to be used as a anchor post. Now get pig, cow, sheep
carcuses. Use a 4-5 foot piece of wire with a loop on the the end not affixed
to the carcus to drop over the anchor post. Use a four wheeler or snow
machine to drag the carcus to the bait sight from the back of a trailer or
truck. Don't get off the 4 wheeler or snow machine. wear gloves handling
the wire. Keep the carcus clean of human scent as possible. I ususally am
hunting off of the main roads or cut lines. Ususally the first day or two after
a bait is set. I drag a carcus up and down the road or cut lines past the
sight where I off load the trailer or truck taking the carcus to the a bait site.
Wolves walk the road looking for carrion, they cross the roads I try to put my
bait sets where I can obsever them from a half a mile or so with a spotting
scope. I drive the hunter to the blind and drop him off and pick him up.
Wolves can't count riders and think the coast is clear after the motor vehicle.
is gone. The blind is heated andequiped with a five gallon bucket to crap in
and bottles to pee in. It is stocked with food and beverages. Wolf hunting is
a all day event. I have game cameras set up on the bait site the establish
what and when the bait strikes are. I have multiple wolf sets and never hunt
the same bait set more than two days in row. If you have a miss or wolf kill
at a site you may never see another wolf at that site again. They know and
learn hunter 101. I have shot multiple wolves at one setting (rarely). Have an
adequate gun for a wolf at 200-300 yards with enough scope. I have killed wolves with a 243Win with 90 grain bullets but feel a 260Rem, 270, 6.5, 7mm,
up to a 30 caliber magnum is better. Wolf hunting and bear hunting are two
types of hunting that having a good outfitter is a price well paid. I like to have baits set up at least a month before hunting season begins.

Nat Lambeth

 

[bigngreen]

Well I ended up about a day behind every pack I found, and the qouta filled fast.

Baiting is a big no go as they are a big game animal here in MT. They are not all that freaked out about people, heck they kill calve in the corrals all the time so they are always around something human related.
Calling has been most effective, other than just running into them and gunning. The few guys I know that kill wolves regularly say you need to hit them hard with a little heavier bullet.

 

[RockyMtnMT]

A big treble hook, a length of braided wire, and a piece of meat. Hang the hook from the wire about 5' from the ground with the wire from a stout tree branch. Bait the hook and come back in a day or so. Re-bait if need be.

Steve

 

[OKIE2]

Hav you ever came back and found a wolf or coyote or even a bob cat hanging in the tree?

 

[RockyMtnMT]

Hav you ever came back and found a wolf or coyote or even a bob cat hanging in the tree?

I have not done it personally. They used to do it that way a long time ago. It is not legal now. It works quite effectively.

My statement was tongue in cheek. Should have used the smilie. It won't surprise me if people start doing it in the future. The wolf population is just about to explode. and hunting opportunities are about to become extinct.

Steve

 

[OKIE2]

I have never seen one or know how to make one but I have heard they used to make traps for coyotes. Dig a hole and bait it when anything trys to take the bait they get a 12 guage blast in the face.

 

[sp6x6]

I spent the whole season basically hunting in fresh 1-2 day old sign. Heard them, just never saw them, did last year. A guy shot one about ten minutes in front of me one day, the wolfves had just killed a deer and they heard it, investigated, POW dead wolf.Another guy I know missed a big black one, that I HAVE SEEN twice, that boy is on my hit list. I Hunted about 6 major areas, 100's miles apart and I WAS IN WOLF sign in all of them.Did not hunt IDAHO because of so much wolf activity this year.

 

[bigngreen]

My boss is from up north MT and we was talking to his brother who horn hunts and was out finding where the deer were hanging out this year, they found two deer the entire weekend but plenty of wolves, they are good hunter and they say the deer up there are nearly gone. Very sad, our animal down here can get out in the valley bottoms and get some relief form them unlike your game up there.
I was always a day behind them this season, one friend nailed one though. They are a major management disaster. I can't wait to see what the quota will be for next year, assuming we have one.

 

[fatrack]

Wow, sounds pretty bad on the wolf front. I live in Alberta and there are a ton of wolves up here but fortunately our prey (deer, elk, sheep, moose) seem to be well adapted to wolves and the wolf numbers seem to stay in check. Hopefully you guys will eventually get to that point. I have yet to find a consistent way to hunt them!

 

[Rustystud]

I have hunted in Alberta in the Wadlin Lake area zone 528, Red Earth area zone 520, Atabaska River north of Westlock and in the Sand river area north of Bonnivile. I have also seen wolves in the Jasper area and Swan hills.

I saw, heard, and saw signs of wolf in all af these areas.

While tent hunting moose near Wadlin lake we had wolves come into camp at night. You could hear them within feet of the tent. The dog we had in camp was smart enough to stay in the tent when the wolves were there.

They were afraid of humans to the point. They would not allow themselves get caught closer than a couple hundred yards during day light hours. At night they would come in closer where you could see their shaddows and eyes with a hand held flashlight. They wpould clen up moose gut pile in the matter of a couple hours.

Nat Lambeth

 

[1/2 slam]

RockyMtnMT, They still use your method in B.C. Anything from treble hooks to regular fish hooks, usally # 8 or #9 (sturgeon size) I've never seen one hanging but the outfitters I've hunted with said most of the trappers use this method on their traplines. They also take a foam sponge, cut it in 1/4's soak it is bacon grease, roll it into a tight ball, tie it into a bundle with string and drop them along well traveled trails. Wolves eat the sponge, string disolves, sponge expands, end of wolf. They absolutely hate wolves up there. If anyone gets a chance go to saveelk.com. It shows you what wolves can do and are doing. My method is shoot, shovel & shutup.

 

[morhuntin]

Find the game in the particular area your hunting winter migration will have them bunched up on food sources.Then google earth your ambush points always keeping wind in you favor(of course) then be patient.success will happen, these critters are as much about sport killing as they are about eating them and i believe the tag is 2 for 1 (ha ha)good luck. i guess i have a slight time delay issue here. post time date stamp illiterate

 

[bigngreen]

The little trick with the sponge is well known in our area, I would drop the middle S in shoot,shovel and shut up. It takes to big of a hole!!
I found a real nice ambush site where a pack comes out of a canyon across a flat but we never occupied the same place at the same time.