Have you ever seen a wolverine in the wild?

[MTTW]

After many years hunting and trapping in the "Lynx zone" in Mt I have never seen a Lynx track, let alone a Lynx. My trapping experience dates back to the early 80s. There is no way that I could count the number of times I have seen Wolverine tracks.
Here is another trail cam pic from the same area as the first. I am not sure if it is the same one or not but there were 2 in the area that year.

 

[Nick_CO]

Back in the late 80's or early 90's my parents went for a hike in the Indian Peaks Wilderness in Colorado that took them up above treeline to about 12,000 ft. I remember them telling me a story about an animal that they thought might have been a Badger that they encountered. They said it approached them and was growling and snarling at them and wouldn't let them pass on the trail so they actually turned back. I'm not familiar with either badgers or wolverines but that behavior sounded strange and I had always associated badgers with the great Plains, not high alpine areas. I remembered their story when 10 or 12 years ago a radio collared Wolverine travelled to Colorado from Glacier Nat. Park and there was a confirmed sighting by CPW in the exact spot my folks had their mystery animal encounter (give or take a mile or so).

 

[Ben Long]

Wolverine tracks are pretty common around the fringes of the Bob and Glacier Park here in NW MT. I've seen two. One was swimming across Upper Kintla Lake. I thought it was a bear until it climbed out of the water and shook itself dry. I could then see the chestnut horseshoe on its backside. The other scrambled up a slope in front of my wife and I when we were hiking the Divide near Fifty Mountain. A rare treat.

 

[gouch]

I've seen badgers. They're kinda like little flat wolverines. Does that count?

 

[Trial153]

Nope, but I would love to

 

[Pucky Freak]

My bucket list of North American animals I’d love to see in the wild is shrinking. Basically down to polar bear, lion, and wolverine now.

 

[ashersdad]

Shot a black bear in AK several years back and the next day there were 2 wolverines feeding on the carcass. Watched them for quite awhile. Very cool. A buddy saw one on my sheep hunt in Wyoming this year.

 

[BuzzH]

After many years hunting and trapping in the "Lynx zone" in Mt I have never seen a Lynx track, let alone a Lynx. My trapping experience dates back to the early 80s. There is no way that I could count the number of times I have seen Wolverine tracks.
Here is another trail cam pic from the same area as the first. I am not sure if it is the same one or not but there were 2 in the area that year.
View attachment 215469

I've seen lynx tracks a number of times and was lucky, very lucky to take one of the last ones before Montana shut down lynx trapping.

 

[mtmiller]

Eventually make my way back to the 4wheeler to find its no longer where I left it but 100 yards down the hill in a buffalo berry bush.

Alcohol can be a tricky thing.

 

[Nameless Range]

I appreciate all the responses and stories. The ratio of those who have seen vs those who haven't has been pretty consistent throughout the day.

I have seen a lynx once. A few years back in the Boulder Mountains at about 50 yards. It was kind of shocking when I spotted it, because it was just looking at me and not running away and seemed much bigger than I would imagine. Other than a caribou, which may or may not exist in Montana anymore at times, the wolverine is really the last on my list. I know they're in the neck of the woods I hunt and hike, and I would be thrilled to see one. Not sure why.

 

[brockel]

Alcohol can be a tricky thing.

I know a guy that spotted one a couple years later only a couple miles from where I seen mine. They had one up by Williston,ND a few years ago chasing some guys cows

 

[Bambistew]

Here's 4 eating on a ewe sheep, that I'm 99.99% sure they killed. It was in a big flat talus area where I think they could have caught it if they chased it. I suppose it could have been sick, but they usually don't go die in areas like that. I think there was 5 total, but may have only been 4. I don't remember.

 

[mtmiller]

I know a guy that spotted one a couple years later only a couple miles from where I seen mine. They had one up by Williston,ND a few years ago chasing some guys cows

See #4 and #5....just sayin'

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/these-10-states-consume-the-most-alcohol-per-capita?slide=7

 

[Stone_Ice_1]

Never seen a wolverine that I know of. Only seen one lynx in Montana, from about 3 paces away. But how many have ever heard a Lynx in the wild? Had one "bark" at me 3 times. Its not a sound you would expect to come from a cat.

 

[brockel]

See #4 and #5....just sayin'

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/slideshows/these-10-states-consume-the-most-alcohol-per-capita?slide=7

Now I’m not saying alcohol wasn’t involved in the North Dakota one but

1st wolverine known in ND in 140 years shot in pasture

North Dakota's Game and Fish Department says a wolverine has been confirmed in the state for the first time in more than a century, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

www.capjournal.com

 

[MTLabrador]

I have seen one Lynx, while sheep hunting in Montana.

 

[YoungGun]

One wolverine for me in the Beartooths. Very cool animals, indeed. This one was bird dogging some Bighorns at 10,000'.

 

[Bambistew]

I've been within 10 yards of a half dozen of them or more. I'm not sure who is more scared. The stories I've read and heard about them make them out to be some badass man-eaters that will rip your throat out. I'm 1000x more scared of a cow moose. They will stand their ground with other other predators when it comes to guarding meat, but otherwise I'd imagine bears, wolves and eagles eat them on occasion.





I saw one right by this bag of meat I had stashed under a boulder. I caught him just in time, he'd only ripped the bag open and pulled out a quarter when we scared him off. We found a spot to get it out of his reach latter in the hunt. No trees, bushes or big rocks for miles, so you have to do your best to keep meat. This one was sitting on a rock pile under an overhanging boulder with some big rocks stacked around it to keep out of the sun/rain. Seemed like a good spot or an overnight cache, sans wolverines.



Mostly wolverine proof.



The first time one got into our meat, about 3 years before the episode above... The meat was hanging in a willow tree. We caught him ripping it down as we walked back into camp. I yelled at him, he dropped a quarter and ran off about 10 yards, saw that we were about 75 yards away still, ran back grabbed the front quarter and booked it for the glacier. We saw 5 on that trip including 2 at less than 3 yards.

 

[MTGomer]

I saw one in the Beartooth

We had set up camp above timberline late in the afternoon and hurried out to glass for sheep. Returning to the tent at near dark, I could see something near it. First though was G bear cub. It saw/smelled/sensed me coming and hopped up on a rock and stared right at me. Clearly a wolverine at that point. I confirmed with a track it left in a patch of snow.

Nearly everybody I know that has spent a fair amount of time in the Beartooth has also seen one.

Aside from caribou, which are likely no longer in Montana, a lynx is the only mammal that lives in the state that I haven’t seen.

 

[kansasdad]

Northern Alberta walking into the bait site to see about a huge black bear

(spoiler alert: 7’2” square https://www.hunttalk.com/threads/alberta-bear-adventure.283109/nd)

As the guide and I turned the corner into the actual bait site, Byron exclaimed “woah!” All I saw was a flash of fuzzy dark brown hair disappear into the woods.

Byron assured me that I had nothing to worry about having a wolverine in the neighborhood, and not knowing me well, he reminded me that I couldn’t shoot him.

After the first little blond bear and then the medium black haired bear left, the squirrels alerted me to be aware that some creature was heading into the area. The wolverine first popped its head out of the underbrush directly behind the bait barrel.




Grabbing some food from around the bait site, the wolverine moved off to my left and finally disappeared into the woods.

The next night we had close encounters with wolves, and driving back to camp we had a big lynx cross in front of the truck.