Nambaster
Well-known member
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2018
- Messages
- 332
I figure the odds of me finding a wolf would be very slim, but since I had just gained residency I might as well donate my $11.50 to the Fish and game and put a tag in my pocket. I had been in an area in the past (2 years ago) and I had gotten a fourwheeler burried in the snow when I was headed to an overlook that usually always revealed a bear or 2 sunning themselves in the mid day. The old Honda fourtrax had gotten me to within a 1/4 mile of my glassing spot so I decided to abandon it in the middle of the snow on the road and walk up the rest of the way. It was that nightmare snow that you punch through every 3rd step. I was sinking in to my shins and it was exhausting. Once I got to the overlook I noticed a coyote loping away from me. I had to make a decision and reveal my location and shoot at the coyote or look for unsuspecting bears. My dislike for coyotes over powered my desire to glass for bears so I took a crack at the coyote. The shot echoed and the coyote loped off unscathed.
I wasn't able to pick out any bears from the spot but I did manage to pick out some elk antlers. After scooping up the antlers and heading back to the abandoned fourwheeler I noticed gigantic canine paw prints that were over the top of my boot tracks.
Last year I decided make the $11.50 investment and also make a dedicated wolf hunt. It was a 6 hr drive from my home to get out there but seeing those paw tracks overlapping my own boot tracks really stuck with me.
I had 4 days to get out there and make my pursuit. The first 3 days I was cutting tracks going up and down every ridge. I had never actually seen a wolf up in that area but I could sense that they were close. I was enjoying the early spring weather and I was gathering enough antlers to stay entertained. On day 4 I almost didn't strap my rifle on my pack because I hadn't seen a single wolf. I was tired and sore from packing out antlers.
I decided to check one last Avalanche chute and movement suddenly caught my eye. Crossing the chute I noticed a black dot with a wagging tail. I lifted up my binos and sure enough it was a large canine!!! I couldn't believe my eyes!!! It was the first black color phase wolf that I had ever seen in the wild. I was still looking around to see if there was some hiker or possible dog owner around. I was relatively close to a road so I made a dead run to get within rifle range. There was no time to get out the range finder. The wolf was on the move. Bang!!! the first shot rang out and I could see the shale and the debris spray the wolf as he ran for it. I chambered another round and Bang!!! The wolf whirled around and ran in a different direction. I could tell that he was hit!!!
I was in a location where I could sit and watch to see what direction it would escape to. My old 308 Norma magnum jammed from the excitement and the spring was not feeding rounds into the chamber. I had to fiddle with it for 15 minutes while I watched to see if the wolf was going to try sneak out of the cover it had disappeared to. I certainly did not want to go into some cover looking for an injured wolf with a jammed rifle.
Once I got the rifle cycling correctly and with 3 rounds in the magazine I ranged the distance and the rangefinder revealed 220 yards. Not bad for a wolf on a dead run shooting off hand.
I wasn't able to pick out any bears from the spot but I did manage to pick out some elk antlers. After scooping up the antlers and heading back to the abandoned fourwheeler I noticed gigantic canine paw prints that were over the top of my boot tracks.
Last year I decided make the $11.50 investment and also make a dedicated wolf hunt. It was a 6 hr drive from my home to get out there but seeing those paw tracks overlapping my own boot tracks really stuck with me.
I had 4 days to get out there and make my pursuit. The first 3 days I was cutting tracks going up and down every ridge. I had never actually seen a wolf up in that area but I could sense that they were close. I was enjoying the early spring weather and I was gathering enough antlers to stay entertained. On day 4 I almost didn't strap my rifle on my pack because I hadn't seen a single wolf. I was tired and sore from packing out antlers.
I decided to check one last Avalanche chute and movement suddenly caught my eye. Crossing the chute I noticed a black dot with a wagging tail. I lifted up my binos and sure enough it was a large canine!!! I couldn't believe my eyes!!! It was the first black color phase wolf that I had ever seen in the wild. I was still looking around to see if there was some hiker or possible dog owner around. I was relatively close to a road so I made a dead run to get within rifle range. There was no time to get out the range finder. The wolf was on the move. Bang!!! the first shot rang out and I could see the shale and the debris spray the wolf as he ran for it. I chambered another round and Bang!!! The wolf whirled around and ran in a different direction. I could tell that he was hit!!!
I was in a location where I could sit and watch to see what direction it would escape to. My old 308 Norma magnum jammed from the excitement and the spring was not feeding rounds into the chamber. I had to fiddle with it for 15 minutes while I watched to see if the wolf was going to try sneak out of the cover it had disappeared to. I certainly did not want to go into some cover looking for an injured wolf with a jammed rifle.
Once I got the rifle cycling correctly and with 3 rounds in the magazine I ranged the distance and the rangefinder revealed 220 yards. Not bad for a wolf on a dead run shooting off hand.
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