Saw my first wolf

[ERSS]

Heard them howl when hunting and crossed thier tracks several times, but a few hours ago I saw 3 while driving down the highway. Was heading home from Helena to Idaho and a ways down the road from Ennis there was a large herd of elk just off the highway, pulled off and glassed them for awhile then headed back down the road. A couple miles later I noticed some movement on a small sage brush hill, pulled out the binocs and sure enough a large grey colored wolf was headed down the hill just a couple hundred yards from the highway, then another and another ( one black, two grey ). Watched them for awhile and they hit the flat ground along the river and headed back toward Ennis and the elk. Cell phone cam was worthless Any of you guys live in that neck of the woods? Pretty common for that area?

 

[Big Fin]

Right now, that is very common for the area you were at. Normally, three or four thousand elk are bunched up there. When I went through the other day, there were only two groups, and I don't think I saw more than a few hundred. Not sure where the big groups are right now.

Did not see any wolves on my trip, but there are 17 wolves for sure in the Gallatin, and given all the elk migrated over south of Ennis for the winter, I suspect the wolves went with them and joined the resident wolves over in the Madison.

Now if we only had a season, you could have shot one of them, if they were on that state section down there.

 

[ERSS]

There sure looked to be a few thousand in two groups, on both sides of the highway. Right near the "the fort" sign. Looks like easy pickings for those 3........
Was another huge herd of elk up near the Ennis airport

 

[onpoint]

Spend a ton of time in the Madison Valley...in the valley, in the Madison Range and in the Gravellies. Have almost hit wolves on the highway (I know..."why almost"), had em howling around me last November in Mill Cr., seen tracks from just outside Ennis south to high up in Antelope Basin. I keep my dog close when we are up in the Gravellies. Have friends and co-workers who live there, most have some experience with the bad dogs. Bottom line....yeah pretty common for that area.

 

[thecrittergitter]

.........are 17 wolves for sure in the gallatin........, .

were 17 .....:d