Idaho Wolf

[DrMike]

Alpha predators are just fun to hunt.

 

[SJB358]

They are a neat animal and would make a really unique trophy. I was sure hoping my son and I would get a chance at one this last season, but no success. We did see lots of tracks though.

There was one incident here in Montana by a ranch down near Dillon where wolves killed 120 sheep in ONE NIGHT! They never ate a single sheep, and only killed them for fun. No, this is not made up. I'm not saying the wolves have got to go because they are part of the wild, but like anything else, they do need to be regulated and kept in balance. If we don't, we are going to have our wildlife populations seriously impacted by them, which they already are.

Congratulations on the super trophy!

Check out the book Alaskas Wolf Man, about Frank Glaser. He was an early Alaska predator hunter and he speaks alot about the wolves and their tendency to kill alot of animals and not actually eat them. He has witnessed wolves taking down caribou, to train young wolves to hunt, and then not eating a single one of them. They are neat animals, but as with any other animal, they need to be managed, or they will eat themselves out of their home! Scotty

 

[Greg Nolan]

Gentleman,
Until you have been out in the way back wilderness and seen a pack of 13 or so of these predators, you and certainly none of the pro wolf crowd from New York and LA, could possibly imagine in their wildest dreams how deadly and efficient these predators are. They are "That big" and their legs are "That long" and when they run and tag team as a pack there is no animal in North America they can evade certain death by them.
They also go into a Killing/feeding frenzy like sharks and kill way more than they will eat.
I believe that the people from Wyoming, Idaho and Montana will substantuate this observation.
Greg (From personal experience and observation)!

 

[DrMike]

I recall a veteran conservation officer saying that in one hour on the streets of Vancouver it would be possible to get over 5,000 signatures to stop a wolf harvest. His point was well taken. People that live where the wild things are have a more realistic view of these efficient predators. I have always maintained a healthy respect for these massive canids.

 

[Woodycreek]

I just read that one adult wolf will kill 40-60 elk,deer, or moose per year :shock:

 

[jtoews80]

In 1999 or 2000, my dad, younger brother and I were loggin in MB. It was snowing quite heavily and we were just starting into a differnt stand of timber on the same quarter section of land, so we took the first pull of trees we had felled and limbed and went back to the landing 150-200yds away for lunch. We ate for 10-15 minutes and went back to work. While we ate, the wolves had killed a deer on top of the tracks the skidder and wood had made, while no more than 15 minutes had passed. All that remained was a 6 inch square piece of hide and a 5 foot circle of hair. Whatever remained I assume was carried away. Was something to watch for when working out there. Another thing, timber wolves will definitely hunt you if you're using doe in heat or deer lure, not cool during archery season. I have on occasion come out of the woods holding an arrow in my hand instead of on the string in case I needed to defend myself(since it is illegal to pack a gun on an archery tag).

JT

 

[OldMan]

In Oregon in early times, Grizzlies, Wolves, Cougars were hunted down by government trappers because they were not compatible with humans and their livestock. Now with the focus on bringing them back, I can't even go into the field behind my house without a gun in the evenings. A cougar was watching my grandkids back there one evening and luckily it attacked my dog instead! The problem with too much protection of these animals is not only fewer animals for us to hunt and livestock killed, but protection of our family members. It's nice to sit in your cozy house in the city without worry, but when one of those animals come on my land they will be history!

 

[jtoews80]

We have lynx and cougar here in NE Alberta now too. There is one that crosses the road a half mile from my dad's house every year or two. We assume it is around more than we see it. Really unnerving to have around with smaller children around on occasion. Good cause to have a decent dog on the yard. THe dog will give the chance to get to a gun before a kid gets hurt.

JT

 

[SJB358]

Man, you aren't kidding about that! People who live the city don't realize there are more to predators than what they see on the Discovery Channel. They are deadly and without management, they will become like the cats in NorCal, when they started munching on joggers. Scotty

 

[Snowshoe Hunter]

Any word from your friend on this monster?

 

[SJB358]

Snowshoe, if you scroll up a little you will see the story as he told me. Pretty good hunt if you ask me. It would have made my year to have been there, let alone put a shot or two into one of them! Scotty

 

[Snowshoe Hunter]

I read that; however, I wondered if his friend sent this as a joke since there is a clear black line around him indicating a possible poor photoshop job or possible flash causing it. I'll look at it later more closely since that wolf looks huge, a possible 175 or more for weight.

 

[SJB358]

Sorry Snowshoe, I didn't mean to post it as a joke. He just sent me the picture while I was away, and then I called him later to get the story. I asked him what he thought it weighed and he said it was probably 125-150lbs conservatively. It was taken with a flash later on in the day. He shot the wolf, and then hiked back in order to get his camera he left behind in camp. With the terrain being the way it was, skinning the animal and packing the hide is about the only way to get them out. It was a taken with a flash, with a timer on the camera. I think he said he put the camera on a log to get the picture. He said he had just enough time to set the timer and run to try and pick this wolf up. Said it made him grunt a little. Not sure. It did close out the wolf season for the Middle Fork area of Idaho. Scotty

 

[Snowshoe Hunter]

Thanks for the reply. The flash can easily cause this without backlighting. I didn't mean to say this was a joke if I came across this way. Very nice wolf.

 

[SJB358]

No worries Snowshoe, just didn't want this coming out like a BigFoot story! Scotty

 

[JDMAG]

When Greg and I were hunting in Idaho this year, The locals were more interested as to weather we had killed any wolves yet, more so than if we had seen an Elk or Mule deer.