Wolf Tactics

[Z Barebow]

Since most of the seasons have passed, and a couple more states are looking to have a season, I thought it would be a good time to share techniques. What worked? What didn't work? What would do differently? Did pressure from road hunting change their habits?

This is a subject where no one should mind sharing details/techniques. All hunters are in this one together.

Did calling work? If so, what types of calling worked? Predator/prey sounds? Location howls?

Was glassing/spot/stalk most successful? Or ambush? (Just happen to be in the right place at the right time)

I am thinking the guys in Wisconsin may have a tough time glassing and trying to come up with techniques to kill wolves.

Heck, our forefathers did it without electronic calls, GPS, ballistic scopes or technical clothing! And they got all of them! How did they do it?

 

[drahthaar]

Good thread, I thought there was one on this before.

I am the wrong person to donate a response to this. I tried everything short of staking my dog out in the woods and making her bark. Failed miserably. Never even saw one. I gave it a pretty good effort too.

 

[IdahoDawg]

If you want to locate them, or if you happen to be in on 'em and want to try to bring them in closer, just howl like a wolf. It works.

 

[hedjam]

I hunted around Stanley, Id. for 10 straight days.Used mouth calls, I think I heard wolf laughter in the distance once. Saw deer and elkbut no wolves. I'm going again for 10 days Nov. 2012,I think I will put some pork chops in my wife's pack and hike a lot and try out my new foxpro. Better ideas would be welcome

 

[Big Fin]

We tried most everything on our hunt. Best luck was spot and stalk, but in many areas of Idaho and Western Montana, that is almost impossible. Plan on some long shots, unless you are in very tight cover.

Good luck.

 

[hedjam]

Thanks, Yes that was some dark timber I was in mostly. I carried my 45-70 w/ ghost rings expecting spot and shoot, it also made my favorite cowboy hat look cool. I loved those mountains though, the FC wilderness is Epic w/ lots of game for those woofs to eat I just couldn't find them. This year I will also try the area west of Salmon and up North if necessary. This has become my Holy Grail. Glad I have a flexible work schedule and a wife who loves the mountains too. Idaho is teasing me with the new limits, good thing that their out of state tags are cheap.

 

[shoots-straight]

You talked briefly about our forefathers getting it done, while wolf hunting. My Grandad did a lot of wolf killing, as well as Grizzly killing. That's how he explained it. He used dogs a lot for wolves, greyhounds, and wolfhounds, for all of his predator hunting. He would ride the horse after the dogs and try to keep up. The wolf hound wasn't very fast but once he got there it would be all over, or at least gave some protection to the greyhounds until he showed up. I think these were always single wolves.

I put in a few days this last year, and did get close at the end. I'm hoping to get it done this year.

 

[Jon Boy]

You talked briefly about our forefathers getting it done, while wolf hunting. My Grandad did a lot of wolf killing, as well as Grizzly killing. That's how he explained it. He used dogs a lot for wolves, greyhounds, and wolfhounds, for all of his predator hunting. He would ride the horse after the dogs and try to keep up. The wolf hound wasn't very fast but once he got there it would be all over, or at least give some protection to the greyhounds until he showed up. I think these were always single wolves.

I put in a few days this last year, and did get close at the end. I'm hoping to get it done this year.

Hunting wolves with hounds would be quite the experience!

 

[IdahoHombre]

I wound up skunked in my N. Idaho wolf hunt a couple of weeks ago. But saw some fresh sign, and a fresh kill.

One method that I didn't think of until after I hunted, which seems like it might work good for thicker areas, is to drive down FS or logging roads at night. Howl call, wait at least 10 minutes before moving on. Keep doing this until you get something located. Then get out and spot and stalk during the day.

I found it's pretty hard wolf hunting no matter where you are. Even tougher in the timber.

 

[hedjam]

Idaho Hombre, that is a good idea and I will definitely give it a try. There are great f.s. roads all around Stanley. I am thinking the Yankee Fork rd. to the Frank Church Wilderness area. I will have to practice my wolf calls and see if Foxpro has any wolf sounds.They are quite different from Coyotes. I am pretty much devoting my time from the end of Id. elk season until the snow closes me out to wolf hunting, Ican hardly wait.

Mike R.

 

[theat]

I tried a little of everything. I found that once a pack has been hunted they may respond to wolf howls but will not come in to them, same for predator calls, they learn very fast. In january and february any wolf that I howled to would answer but quickly head the other way. The closest that I got was by driving around in the early morning darkness after a snow looking for fresh tracks. Once found I would start following them in the dark trying to catch up to them when/if they bed down mid day. I got close twice like this after jumping them out of their beds in the early afternoon. Where they were bedded was very thick so I had no shot, maybe not such a good technique after all

 

[hedjam]

It sure looks like there is no easy way. I hope persistance is all it's hopped up to be. But let's face it, if you are out where they live and looking you have the world by the ass. That being said I sure want a huge wolf pelt over the back of my couch. also remember there is not much else to hunt between Nov. and April.
Good hunting, I think I will order a new pair of Atlas snowshoes.
Mike R.

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

Bait and/or bait with snares works in selected provinces of CN.....got a bud in GA who has taken down 5 in last two years but you would never call it fair chase....just wolf killing....and none of them little scrawny US woves either---beeg MoFo's !

 

[elkantlers]

I have always thought that if I was going to target wolves i would snare them. Set up a bait pile and set snares back about 100 yards on every trail leading to the bait. I think you would clean up.

 

[TOM IN TENNESSEE]

Last trip, my buddy was basically hunting a trap line....took Wolverine and Martten in addition to multiple wolves and a bigazz Lynx....PeTA wud not like him....

 

[bjtc_brian]

Has anyone used(or is there one available) a mouth howl? If so, what calls are available? Was it successful?

 

[Breaks Runner]

Try voice howling....not that hard to do.

 

[1_pointer]

My pard in ID had good luck using an old school e-caller (now upgraded) and howling with his voice. The howling was pretty good at getting them to stop once spooked. He was surprised on how they'd hide and only peek around a tree to take a look at him.