if you were gonna

[twodot]

if you were gonna take a three or four day, wolf hunt here in MT where would you go ?

Been thinking about the Seeley Lake area, Trout Creek/ T Falls area, down south on the north side of Yellowstone Park.

This trip may well be a glorified scouting trip for later this winter after the big game season ends, but would like to make my best attempt at guessing where they will be once the elk hunters hit the woods.

All potential leads are much appreciated. twodot

 

[theat]

I have heard of a few getting shot here around trout creek. The country around here is very thick and steep with not a very high concentration of wolves. I have put a lot of time into looking for wolves around here without much luck. I did get a couple of cross canyon shots at some last winter near my trap line, but that is only the second time I have laid eyes on them around here.

I have had much better luck seeing wolves where it is more open near Missoula and in the south west part of the state.

If you decide to head this way let me know and I can point you towards a couple of areas.

 

[Nameless Range]

I might try the two big valleys in Southwest Montana: the Big Hole and the Upper Madison. Both have wolves, Both have plowed highways going down the middle of them, both are usually pretty dense with tasty bovine morsels, and both offer tons of excellent glassing. A few years ago I took a picture of a pack off the highway south of Cameron, MT. Also, I think many of the private landowners in those areas would be pretty helpful, given the wolves effect on their livelihoods.

 

[----]

I agree with the other guys that the big open valleys of the Southwest part of the state are a lot more condusive to targeting wolves. I hunt both the Seeley and lower Clark fork quite a bit, and while the wolf densities are high and you see sign and hear howling almost daily, actually getting a shot is really difficult. There are some pockets in these areas that are more open though and hold wolves. If you do head this way let me know and I'd gladly put circles on your map.

Gardiner and the East Fork of the Bitterroot would be two areas worth pondering that haven't been mentioned yet.

 

[----]

I just noticed you're talking about now, not this winter. Right now targeting wolves in region 1 or 2 would be really tough, being as we have no snow and all the meat's still way up in the high country. It'd be a scenic hunt, but not likely very productive.

Are you guys stuck with NR tags this year? Might be fun doing a bear/wolf combo up high in that country.

 

[jryoung]

The elk have largely migrated out of the west big hole and I dint think there were many to begin with anyway....at least I havent seen a track, poop or howl in 18 days of scouting and hunting.

 

[Pagosa]

I will be deer hunting by Thompson Falls in late Oct and will be carrying a wolf tag too, but plan hunt wolves in jan/feb in another region. I have checked around with some other contacts in Montana and several have mentioned the Bitterroot and focus on burned areas. I would think around Ennis or Mt. Haggin would be neat areas to check, but too far for me to travel too. There is a wolf bio in Missoula FWP that can help you.

 

[ismith]

SW part of the state will be your best bet. There are plenty of wolves.

 

[twodot]

Thank you all.
Looks like for now we are thinking of going from Deer Lodge north as far as Seeley/Condon.
Or, From Bozeman south and west. The wife used to spend a bit of time in the area of Hylite and the Spanish Peaks. She thinks that may well be kinda wolfy these days. So those are the two tenative choice areas for now. Anyone want to help narrow the search, just jump in.
thanks, twodot

 

[mtmuley]

I'd give the West Fork of the Root a look too. Game populations creeping up, and woofs need something to eat. mtmuley

 

[kad11]

I was elk hunting around Mystic Lake in the Bozeman area a couple weekends ago and heard several different groups howling back and forth to each other from a couple different sides of the canyon. I was setting up my tent for the night and they were carrying on from about 8:30 till 9PM.

 

[bigskyblueman]

You might consider the O'hair Ranch in the Paradise Valley once elk season concludes. Jerry, Justin, and Virginia are very nice folks. The B-Bar Ranch up Tom Miner Basin also comes to mind.

 

[twodot]

Thanks again guys. This is becoming a fount of good information where to go, and who to contact for wolves. I am thinking that we will head out about the 1st of November. Thinking that several elk hunters should be out of the woods after a week of season.
We will also make a mid-winter trip in late January.
You all just enjoy those elk and deer this year, I"m gettin pumped for woof!

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

Good luck! A good woof is a dead woof!!