Wolves in the thick of winter

Sytes

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Sep 25, 2009
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Location
Montana
An expanse of mountains, deep snow, and feed. So how to narrow it down?
How do you figure locations to hunt wolves in the thick of winter?
I've only been actively hunting wolves a couple years, close on a couple occasions though still far away from cracking one.

NW MT is thick timber. Typical setting, dropped off by friend w/ snowmobile then I snowshoe in to an area about 2.5 miles where I've found with wolves and stayed at the most, two nights though my very limited experience, it's very hit or miss seeing/hearing. I don't like time wasted and most especially in deep snow settings.
The pack gear weight on snowshoes in deep snow has its moments of pure... "WTF am I doing!?" Haha! The camp portion has become a quick learning curve... As @neffa3 mentioned in the thread about deep snow camping, the silence at night is pretty awesome! Even more so w/ the sound of short wolf barks and occasional howls. That overcomes the frustrated, "WTF..." hiking thoughts.

My main area is a frozen lake and a mostly frozen layered stream as this has held my best opportunities for line of sight to actually shoot and heaviest tracked areas.
However, their territory is so vast, it seems more chance than strategically planned... much, much more then elk/deer hunting.
I figured if I focus on the past experience for elk, moose areas and tracks, that keeps me somewhat dialed in on wolves though it seems to be an absolute timing luck issue.

Imagine if I had more time, I might get a better feel for their timeframe as it seems they route their territory in a circle, or so it seems. One aspect I'm amazed with is their ability to stay above the snow enough to roam around! My shoes sink in sometimes to my knee in the soft stuff!

So, what's the best way to dial in on wolves during winter?
 
This obviously won’t work for you due to the area you are hunting, but when I have fresh snow I start running roads at 3 in the morning. If I cut one I go to the next road and see if I can box them in. If I don’t cut tracks I take off 30-45 minutes before daylight into some of the bigger drainages in the area and give some howls. I’ve been hunting one pack here lately and I’m starting to dial in their route. I’ve been on them 2 of the last 3 days but haven’t had a shot yet.

The biggest thing seems to be time. I’m just hitting the point of gaining some confidence and I have a shit pile of days in this year.
 
The range west of Hubbard Dam Road (SW of Kalispell) has several wolves traveling in that area now. And I have found one or two fresh tracks between Browns Meadow Road to Hubbard Dam (South of Marion). I found them while driving the roads looking for cat tracks. I think there is enough thin timber in spots you could shoot pretty far. Good luck
 
Sytes, you are doing everything right! Now it's a matter of waiting to be in the exact right place at the exact right time. Nothing more nothing less. As you and I have discussed before this is a time consuming low success endeavor. Keep up what you're doing and you will be successful.

Everyday I'm out there I repeat the same mantra, "you can't win if you don't play"!

Hope springs eternal in the wolf hunters heart. :)
 
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I'm going out tomorrow for them (SW MT). My strategy is to get off trail in mountains where they are well-known, and hike for tracks. If I cut tracks, get on them to an area that looks promising (opening, vantage point, draw), and howl. This is how I've called them in before. The huge variable is finding the tracks!
 
I agree with what some have said here. I wouldn’t pick a spot and hunt, I would cover ground until I find fresh sign. I don’t wolf hunt(wish I did) but this is how I find coyotes and cats here in Michigan. I bet finding strategic drainages where you could have someone drop you off at the top and pick you up at the bottom would be the ticket. I’m lucky here as I use skis to cover a lot of ground, even in very thick swamps. It’s all about covering ground to me. Otherwise my next best trick is a pile of about 15 beaver carcasses. :)
 
I was asked by a couple why I did not respond to your thread,

Because my response is useless to you. The best for us if it is a dedicated Wolf hunt would be to follow the Caribou. Not a lot of Caribou in Montana, to my knowledge.

Wish you the best of luck on your hunt
 
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