"Badass" mountain climber!

[LuckyMike]

Most sheep hunters will feel like they put in a good days work after climbing (I'm talking ascent only) 2000 vertical feet in a day of hunting. On most sheep hunts this much climbing will be the daily norm and on tougher days they will climb in excess of 3000 vertical feet with 4000 not out of the question in extreme circumstances. Some of you may not agree exactly with my figures but I don't think I'm overstating the need to be tough and in condition for climbing on a day after day basis.

Now, the real point of my post is to compare what most of us would consider challanging with what a wolverine can do. In fact this wolverine (officially named M3 for the project) earned the name "Badass" during the Glacier Park Wolverine Study, documented in Douglas Chadwick's book, "the Wolverine Way."



Evidently after climbing Mnt. Clevland, the tallest peak in Glacier, in an hour and a half, M3 cruised up thru Waterton Park, over into B. C. and back into Alberta. His territorial range consists of several hundred square miles frequented year round.
"Badass" indeed!!

 

[MKotur325]

I think Badass might be an understatement... I think that's more impressive than a Grizz trying to sh*t out a porcupine, tail first.

 

[Ben Lamb]

If you get a chance to see Chadwick in person, he puts on a great show. Gifted speaker & great advocate for wolverines.

 

[----]

I had heard the story before, but had never seen that picture. Amazing animals for sure, one I'd love to catch a glimpse of at some point.

 

[CabinFever]

I've watched the "Nature" documentary that highlights Chadwick's wolverine study several times. One of my favorite PBS programs.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/wolverine-chasing-the-phantom/full-episode/6078/

 

[MHMT]

I remember going to a presentation of Chadwick's awhile back. Those animals are amazing, they had some other slides of their GPS data, makes the Bridger Ridge run look like a walk in the park.

 

[Gerald Martin]

I haven't read that one yet. I loved his book "A Beast the Color of Winter". I'll have to get the book.

 

[RobG]

I've watched the "Nature" documentary that highlights Chadwick's wolverine study several times. One of my favorite PBS programs.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/wolverine-chasing-the-phantom/full-episode/6078/

That's a good show. Around here, I've seen their tracks and even a hair or two, but never a live one. I've seen their tracks and even a hair or two, but never a live one.

 

[sluggo6850]

that was a cool video of amazing creatures. thanks for sharing

 

[maginnis]

The wolverine way is a great book. One of the most badass animals on the planet if you ask me. Always on the look out here in MT and in Alaska but have still only seen tracks.

 

[havgunwilltravel]

Incredible 90 minutes on the hill..wonder if he was searching for food or for a female companion?

 

[Hem]

One year i was descending from Gallatin Peak in the Spanish peaks and spotted a wolverine hauling across a scree field at around 10,700 ft.Pretty cool.Another year I killed a bull in the Spanish peaks on the last day of the season,had to pack the animal up out of bowl.It was a grueling solo pack and i had to stash the quarters up in a tree for the night.Next morning I went back in for the elk and realized one of my quarters was missing out of the tree.There were wolverine tracks around the trunk, and then drag marks where the sucker took the quarter to the north side of the ridge and buried it in a cornice.I dug out the quarter cleaned up the small area where he gnawed on it and headed down with two quarters and a third dragging on a tether.That elk was too hard earned to let him have it.

 

[Huntfit]

Amazing the country animals can cover in short amounts of time, very interesting post.

 

[wyoming556]

I've watched the "Nature" documentary that highlights Chadwick's wolverine study several times. One of my favorite PBS programs.

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/episodes/wolverine-chasing-the-phantom/full-episode/6078/

+1. I knew I remembered seeing this before.

 

[Dinkshooter]

Gulo gulo!

 

[Kaitum]

Such a cool critter. We see them from time to time in the fur (but more often their tracks) way up high in elevation in the Alaska Range when we're out flying doing wolf work. You wonder why they're taking the route they are across the steep stuff, sometimes I think its just because they can.

 

[brymoore]

I just ordered the book from the library. I saw the PBS special which was great.

 

[ihuntelk]

Thanks LuckyMike. That made me smile. I can't imagine M3 was finding much food up in that circue that time of year. Might of just been out for a Suday stroll. Pretty amazing.

-Cade