Wolves!!!

[Polaris]

Unless some fruitloop judge slaps an injunction in place or something, sounds like I may be able to hunt MN wolves this winter. Although trapping will be my primary tactic, I do have a few lakes and funnels that might provide an opportunity to call or snipe one traveling.

Couple questions. The only rifle I currently have that is suitable is my 280 rem. Any Idea on a bullet? Shooting will likely be long and I don't want to poof up the fur any more than necessary. I might be able to borrow a 220 swift but that's a longshot.

Also, from those who have hunted them, what kind of tactics are useful in wolf hunting?

 

[JLC0311]

Lucky you!!!

I'd consider a 120 or 140 gr BT.

 

[JD338]

I think your 280 Rem with a 140 gr BT or AB would be just fine. Just stay away from th big bones or it will be ugly.

JD338

 

[SJB358]

Yeah, your 280 with regular bullets should work fine, try to stay off the bones and you should be fine. If you already have a good load for the AB or PT, probably not any reason to change. Good luck, I hope you are able to take a couple wolves. Pretty sure the deer/moose could use our help.

 

[Oldtrader3]

If you are going to shoot long, I would load up some 140 or 160 Partitions at 3000 fps with 7828 SSC. Wolves are not heavily boned and only weigh somewhat less than 100 pounds generally. I have killed quite a few coyotes with an 80-85 grain .243 Win. It worked great.

 

[DrMike]

The 280 is just about perfect for big wolves. I've called them on a number of occasions. Dying rabbit calls work very well. They are opportunistic and will come quickly in the spring. When other foodstuffs are plentiful, they are less inclined to rush in.

 

[Elkman]

I have no experience with wolves but some with their smaller cousin. I would consider using as hard constructed bullet as I could find. A small hole in and out saves the hide. The 280 has plenty of juice for any 100 lb animal. With my 22-250 I used 55 grain solids for yotes. I was usually hunting on snow.

 

[BeeTee]

The announcement Friday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will entrust Wyoming with managing wolf numbers and endorses a plan that allows for them to be shot on sight in most of the state.... Wyoming will take over management of the wolves at the end of September.
Read more:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/art ... 646ea5ed12

Hope MT/ID soon follow suit...

 

[IdahoCTD]

It would be nice if they allowed them to be shot on sight outside of the intended areas upon initial release but I doubt that will happen now. We got to hunt them twice now by playing along with USFW but I almost think Wyoming's approach was better. I'm sure plenty of them got shot without having a season in place anyway.

Polaris,

I'd use a rather stout bullet in your .280 if you want to keep the hide. A BT will blow a big hole in them.

 

[DrMike]

I'd use a rather stout bullet in your .280 if you want to keep the hide.

Excellent advice, that.

 

[Polaris]

Yeah, kind of settled on my standard load with the PT 160. It's reasonably accurate and flat enough.

Went up to Ely over the weekend and made a point of applying to the lottery in the biggest tree-hugger joint up there that sells licenses. The gal behind the counter was excited to sell one of those, some of the customers were agast but it made me a bit of a folk hero to the locals for the weekend. Piragis Northwoods probably had a run on wolf license applications after that. The owner is one of the largest contributers to various preservationist groups and undoubtedly against wolf hunting.

 

[JD338]

He sounds like a hypocrite. Anti hunting but sells hunting license to collect the revenue.

JD338

 

[Ridgerunner665]

I've never shot a wolf...but have killed at least a few hundred coyotes.

A 243 bullet such as a BT should be about right for a wolf IMO...figure it being, at most, a 120 lb. animal...but large canines can be tough critters...when I started this post I was gonna say the 80 grain BT and a 243, but now that I think about it...I would test the penetration of those before using them...I use 55 grain BT's on coyotes (also some 70 grain Sierras occasionally)

I've sold hides from all kinds of critters most of my life (bought my first vehicle with fur money) and always preferred to just have 1 hole in them....thats gonna be hard to pull off with a 280, the 220 would be better...but a 243 is about perfect for critters like that.

Put an expanding bullet such as a "varmint" BT behind the shoulder...and they just die, or at least coyotes do. I don't sell the coyotes hides though...no time to mess with them anymore...I seriously doubt a 6mm varmint BT would exit on a wolf.

 

[BeeTee]

Check out: http://www.lobowatch.com/

As it turns out, this guy is local to me. His web site is professional and well written. I learned a lot about the differences (genus, size, range, traits, etc.) between the original native lower-48 wolves and the Canadian wolves introduced to the intermountain west.

Included among the many articles is one about his idea for building the perfect wolf rifle (rifle, scope and cartridge/load).

He needs more support...

 

[DrMike]

Very informative. Thanks for posting, BeeTee.

 

[SJB358]

Anything to cull them back would be a good thing. I just experienced the worst elk hunting I have done in a long time. Lots of wolf tracks and howling, but really low on the deer/elk..

 

[DrMike]

At this present time, the decimation of ungulate populations continues throughout the South Peace Region of British Columbia. There are still ungulates in good numbers, but compared to the past, more animals are moving onto farm land, pushed there by burgeoning wolf, coyote and grizzly populations. I am cognizant of valleys where the ungulate populations are essentially extirpated by wolves; and the problem is growing. I can only imagine what it is for Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. It had to be easy feeding for the wolves that were introduced and protected by government apparatchiks.

 

[BK]

At this present time, the decimation of ungulate populations continues throughout the South Peace Region of British Columbia. There are still ungulates in good numbers, but compared to the past, more animals are moving onto farm land, pushed there by burgeoning wolf, coyote and grizzly populations. I am cognizant of valleys where the ungulate populations are essentially extirpated by wolves; and the problem is growing. I can only imagine what it is for Wyoming, Montana and Idaho. It had to be easy feeding for the wolves that were introduced and protected by government apparatchiks.

Jeez, Mike, you make me go to dictionary.com just to learn the wolves are wiping out the deer, elk and moose. :shock:

 

[DrMike]

Kurt,

I smiled at this, remembering how my daughters used to come home from a church service, and as we were eating lunch one would say, "Four." The other would either nod or say, "No, five." Sometimes, they would voice much higher numbers. This went on for some time until one day I asked what they were doing. The eldest said, "Dad, that's how many words we had to look up in our Funk & Wagnalls." And all this time, I thought I was being precise. :grin:

 

[Polaris]

Kurt,

I smiled at this, remembering how my daughters used to come home from a church service, and as we were eating lunch one would say, "Four." The other would either nod or say, "No, five." Sometimes, they would voice much higher numbers. This went on for some time until one day I asked what they were doing. The eldest said, "Dad, that's how many words we had to look up in our Funk & Wagnalls." And all this time, I thought I was being precise. :grin:

Here's another look up word. Grandilloquent. Not sure on the spelling though.