Never Cry Wolf

[9 Mile Archer]

I held off posting this because I wasn’t sure if it was trad archery enough but after thinking about it, it affects one of my favorite hunting areas and the deer populations so here it is.  I was in North West MT on my family’s ranch over last weekend.  We were planning to leave Monday noon after I completed a conference call for work.  I was on the call looking out the window onto the lake and I see a coyote, no too big for that I think, oh s%$# that’s a wolf, and a big wolf.  He cuts across the lake about 250yds from the cabin and then disappears into the woods.  About 5 minutes later 12 whitetail deer come out of the woods further to the west of where he went in.  Man were they ever nervous    .  They didn’t want to leave the lake and go into the trees anywhere, finally they breakup into 3 groups and get off the lake.  I was sure we were gonna see a takedown right there on the lake but it didn’t happen.  I didn’t get a photo of the wolf but here are some of the tracks, he was huge.  The tracks are on the ice so a little bigger due to slippage, but we measured one on hard ground and it was 4 5/8ths inches long.  He/She was one big dog!!!
   
 
 
 

[IB]

Yep...There isn't any doubt when ya see one. I've often have people tell me they THINK they saw a Wolf.

Every case I've seen one in, there wasn't any thinking, I KNEW.

Think back on the elk tracks you've seen, and compare Wolf track to Elk Track.

Thanks for the post

[juneaulongbow]

I don't mind competing with them, I enjoy seeing them here, hopefully ya'll will be able to hunt them soon as we can.

[Doug Campbell]

Hey Andrew, here's one I took while "chasing" a pack of seven not far from the house last week. This is the track from the big black male, the female and five of last years pups were with him too.   :mad:  Spent four hours covering three miles trying to get close for a good pic but the wind finally got me and they cleared out of the country.
 

[Bard1]

There have been some reported sightings on the Oregon Idaho border here in Oregon.  Not many.  I heard once that when wolves move into an area the 'yote's either vacate or get eaten, and there absence can be an indication of wolves moving into an area.  Is this true?

[9 Mile Archer]

Vance: Yeah no doubt when you see them.  I heard that the WY wanted to treat them like coyotes and open up a vermin policy for them like coyotes so you can shoot them at will.  Is that true?  If so, your game managers in WY need to get realistic about shooting them and maybe the feds will let ID and MT get a season open on them. (Vance you know I’m just working ya over    )
Chris: They were never cleared out of Alaska and you still have a population of the original animals with the supporting migratory food source animal “caribou” that evolved taking the brunt of their existence. I just don’t think it is the same down here.  I might feel better about it if we had 2 million buffalo feeding them.  It sure brings conflicting complicated feelings in me to see them  :confused:  , I guess I don’t know enough cause I haven’t been living with them for very long, they were just coming back when I moved down to California from Montana 8 years ago.
Doug: ok we will have to talk wolves again having them chasing the already hammered deer pops in Libby got me feeling grumpier about them    .
Derek: we don’t have too many coyotes on the property but the manager has only told me of seeing one this year, which may be why. However at the end of the lake I did see this yote track that crossed a while before the wolf, looking at the edges of the track it crossed the night before. You can see it to the top and right of the wolf tracks in this photo.  

 

[IB]

Well from a purely Traditional Archery outlook and from the HOLD UP state  

[knife river]

Doug, at least the wolves in your area carry cash.    

[IB]

 

Taken less than 50 yrds. from our house in 06

[9 Mile Archer]

Vance;
Thats just a german shepard    
Down right scary, my neighbor in the Nine Mile had his dog half eating by the wolfs last March.  :mad:

[Tim Clark]

Hey, Doug, I've got a bunch of those $1 bills - the miniature ones, right, about an inch long???    

Okay, so that wasn't very funny was it...

But at least now I'll remember to keep any money that I find instead of trying to find the rightful owner -- just might be that a critter dropped it. Finders keepers!!!

wow... striking out here... oh well, moving right along...

I'm glad to see some folks have their wits about them and carry cameras afield. Me, I almost never remember to. But it would certainly settle some arguments in a hurry. Like only proof of actual sightings, and tracks, and scat, deer rubs, etc. can do. A picture may be worth a thousand words for some things, but as I see it it's also worth it to have zero MORE words after people see it/them.

[BenBow]

I've heard it said that wolves don't attack people but I believe it was the Discovery channel had a show telling how 2 wolves stalked and killed a man up in canada. Watch your back out there.

[Caddo]

Wolves are really awesome creatures. When I was in Alaska we would see them quite often. Mostly in Denali Nat. Park and mostly at a considerable distance. One time, on a moose hunt, I was sitting on the side of a ridge about 4 feet off of a game trail, glassing for moose. Just as I put the glasses down, here comes a wolf up the game trail I'm sitting beside. He stopped about 10yds away and just looked at me. Seemed like a good while we just sat there looking at each other. I guess he finally figured I was no threat and just turned and walked away. One of the most awesome experiances I've ever had. Never even thought about the camera or the bow at the time.

LD

[Alex.B]

Amazing pictures! thank you for sharing
   
Alex

[ArkansasHunter]

How much would a wolf like that weigh for both mike and doug's photos?

I have a bullmastiff and her paws arent that big.

[juneaulongbow]

We have a local wolf that has become a star/problem.  Here's a link of Romeo as they have named him carrying off a pug.

 Romeo

Juliet was run over by a taxi a few years ago and is now a full mount in the Mendenhall Glacier Visitor Center.

[JBiorn]

9 mile----thats no German Shepherd.

 I just read that Idaho is gonna make Wolves into a season. I personally cannot wait! These critters are a nuisance. The Fish & Game didn't plant the native wolves at all--they planted a larger Canadian species so they are double tough on the local game. I guess they are finding out why our forefathers killed them off to begin with.

 Jeff

[Steve O]

I have seen ONE wolf in the wild.  Even at 300 yards, when I made eye contact with it, through the binoculars, it sent chills up my spine.  It still sends chills up my spine just writing that!  They are killing machines that take whatever they want, whenever they want.  I did a few bear hunts up in Saskatchewan and the outfitter had a shed rack collection.  There were dozens of darn near B&C buck skulls, all wolf kills and all dated Sept-Dec.  Those bucks were not sick or weak.

[DarkeGreen]

They found out the last time the more you kill the more pups they have. They went from 2 or three to having as many as 11 at a time.

[9 Mile Archer]

Jeffery, I was teasing him.  See the eye wink icon.