ihuntelk
Member
It has now been 2 weeks since my Wyo wolf hunt. I think I'm finally ready to talk about it with a bunch of other addicts. Hopefully this will give me some closure until the next time I get to go. 
We were in East Idaho for turkey day with my 2 brothers, sister and our families. Friday we were going to go look for a Canis Lupes. Zane and Jake had tags on the Idaho side and I had a tag on the Wyo side. I hadn't hunted over there for many years but we'd had a couple experiences with wolves before management went back to the states. Our plan was to travel some of the roads until we cut tracks in the snow and then we'd make a game plan. To be honest, we weren't expecting to find any wolves. We were looking at some new country for a high-country backpack mulie hunt next fall and planned on being home in the early afternoon.
We decided to take one more road before we called it a day. We were the first rig on it for well over a week. Quite a few moose tracks and a few deer but no elk. About 12:30 we finally cut a wolf track. It was a couple days old but still mighty impressive. 1/2 mile later we cut a pair and could see where they'd traveled the same route coming and going. 1/2 mile later we cut a pack. Looked like over a half dozen and there were a couple super-sized tracks so we new the alpha male and female were running with them.
They were either made during the night or early in the morning. Pretty big ridge to our north, paralleling the road. We drove up the road as far as we could and then Jake and I got out to hike up the ridge. Zane would drive to the end of it and we'd walk it out for 2 or 3 miles howling and glassing. If the wolves were on our ridge, it would be hunt on. If they were to the north we'd pull out the gps loaded with our huntingGPSmaps chip and really scrutinize the boundary.
We walked that ridge out and howled a few times with no response. Toward the end of it, we cut their tracks. We knew it was a long-shot but we took off in pursuit. 2 miles later we humped it up another ridge. There were lots of moose tracks/beds in the ceonothus and blow-down with new willows and a few aspens growing. The wolf tracks went right through the middle of them but no evidence of a chase. As we peaked out on the ridge, we decided to howl one more sequence. If we could get a response in the big canyon below us, we'd figure out a strategy. If not, we'd head to the rig.
Jake howled and we waited and waited.
Finally a lone dog answered but sounded miles away. 10 seconds later, the whole pack answered and they were across the canyon! Jake hustled down 100 yards to where he could glass the opposite side. I turned the video on and captured some audio and me grinning like a wolf in a herd of wooly range maggots.
About then, Jake hollered back that he found them! I hustled down to him and set up the video before I started glassing. The openings were pretty sparse, but some of the pack were laying out in the open.
The Alpha male was the most impressive critter I've seen in the woods.
They howled off and on for 5 minutes while we decided what to do. After looking at the gps, we knew we were still legal in the bottom of the canyon. There was a small ridge between us that I could have hiked up and shot them at 250 yards, but it wasn't on our side of the line.
We bailed off the big ridge and ski'd down to the bottom. The wolves serenaded us most the way. As we got to the bottom it was a cluster. A couple canyons, a creek and a boundary all came together at the same point. We had to stay south of them and didn't get to set up in a very good position, but it was the best we could do. We figured we were within 800 yards of them.
I set up 15 yards in front of Jake who was manning the video and the calling. I had 2 decent shooting lanes but knew they'd have to be within 50 yards. Everything else was pretty dense with small conifers, deadfall, willows and huckleberry.
He howled and the wolves INSTANTLY howled back. Sounded like they were coming closer. They were carrying on when Jake squeeked at me a couple times. I looked up just in time to see a grey blur go through 2 little openings. I swung my rifle around but never saw it again.
Jake had a good look and new it was a pup that ended up at 75 yards sitting on its haunches for 4 or 5 minutes.
The pack continued to howl so Jake changed tactics. With 1 of their clan alone and close to us, Jake started yipping/whining like a hurt pup. No deal.
We stayed put for 25 more minutes with them howling off and on. Finally they sounded like they were within 100 yards and really started carrying on. The audio from my video camera is unbelievable. I've got close to 4 or 5 minutes of the howling at 100 yards. They were growling/fighting as well, but the camera didn't quite capture that.
We called with wolf sounds until they let out a barrage of howls. Jake decided to pull out the coyote call and barked at them 8-10 times and then pseudo coyote howled a couple more.
I really wish I could have seen the look on their faces when he did that. Next thing I know, he's squeeking at me again. I'm scanning the forest to my north for all I'm worth. Finally I see a flash of grey. It spun and was booking the other way. I swing my rifle and catch 2 or 3 more flashes.
One went through a 2 foot opening parallel to me so I swung to the next opening. I was in the center of the 4 foot opening when black started into my scope. Unfortunately, it had turned and was jumping over a deadfall almost straight away and I only caught part of its side in my scope. I swung to the left and just about took a snap shot at it's hind quarter. The angle was pretty steep - not a Texas heart shot - but almost straight away. I passed on the shot and that was the last flash I saw of wolfie wolf.
They had come behind us enough that the first dog had finally caught our scent. We knew if they came in below us, they'd catch our scent but didn't have any other options with the set-up.
Jakes view from the camera, 15 yards behind me. How many can you see?
]
How many now?
I'm pretty dang good at shooting blues and ruffs in the aspens with the shotgun and am pretty sure I would have connected, but............. As much as I've wanted to shoot a wolf in the last 18 years, I didn't want it to be that way. I also knew there was a certain boundary within 10 yards of this wolf. I had been able to glass a couple of the boundary signs while I was waiting and had a mental note of where they were in relation to the creek. Last thing I (or any ethical sportsman) needed was a dead wolf on the wrong side of the boundary.
We've come so far with the management of these awesome animals and I didn't need to give the enviros another arrow in their quiver.
I'm still just sick to think we were so close. Even sicker to know that Jake could have killed any one of them, but didn't have a Wyo tag. It was an unbelievable experience to have them so close(3rd pack I've had under 60 yards - but first time with a tag in my pocket). They are truly the most intelligent animal I've ever pursued or seen in the wild. Now that states have management responsibility, I intend to do my part every chance I get.
Jake and I telling the camera 'How Close' we came from tagging a lobo.
Thanks for listening to me sob and try and get it out of my system. I think I'll be alright until I get to go again for 3 days between Christmas and New Years. If that doesn't cure me, I'll be in Central Idaho for 6 or 7 days in mid-February. Hopefully one will want to take a road trip through Wyo with me. We shall see.
As a side note, I took all these pics off my video camera so quality isn't super, but tells a decent story when we were dogging tracks and didn't take any still pics.
-Cade
www.HuntForeverWest.com
We were in East Idaho for turkey day with my 2 brothers, sister and our families. Friday we were going to go look for a Canis Lupes. Zane and Jake had tags on the Idaho side and I had a tag on the Wyo side. I hadn't hunted over there for many years but we'd had a couple experiences with wolves before management went back to the states. Our plan was to travel some of the roads until we cut tracks in the snow and then we'd make a game plan. To be honest, we weren't expecting to find any wolves. We were looking at some new country for a high-country backpack mulie hunt next fall and planned on being home in the early afternoon.
We decided to take one more road before we called it a day. We were the first rig on it for well over a week. Quite a few moose tracks and a few deer but no elk. About 12:30 we finally cut a wolf track. It was a couple days old but still mighty impressive. 1/2 mile later we cut a pair and could see where they'd traveled the same route coming and going. 1/2 mile later we cut a pack. Looked like over a half dozen and there were a couple super-sized tracks so we new the alpha male and female were running with them.
They were either made during the night or early in the morning. Pretty big ridge to our north, paralleling the road. We drove up the road as far as we could and then Jake and I got out to hike up the ridge. Zane would drive to the end of it and we'd walk it out for 2 or 3 miles howling and glassing. If the wolves were on our ridge, it would be hunt on. If they were to the north we'd pull out the gps loaded with our huntingGPSmaps chip and really scrutinize the boundary.
We walked that ridge out and howled a few times with no response. Toward the end of it, we cut their tracks. We knew it was a long-shot but we took off in pursuit. 2 miles later we humped it up another ridge. There were lots of moose tracks/beds in the ceonothus and blow-down with new willows and a few aspens growing. The wolf tracks went right through the middle of them but no evidence of a chase. As we peaked out on the ridge, we decided to howl one more sequence. If we could get a response in the big canyon below us, we'd figure out a strategy. If not, we'd head to the rig.
Jake howled and we waited and waited.
Finally a lone dog answered but sounded miles away. 10 seconds later, the whole pack answered and they were across the canyon! Jake hustled down 100 yards to where he could glass the opposite side. I turned the video on and captured some audio and me grinning like a wolf in a herd of wooly range maggots.
About then, Jake hollered back that he found them! I hustled down to him and set up the video before I started glassing. The openings were pretty sparse, but some of the pack were laying out in the open.
The Alpha male was the most impressive critter I've seen in the woods.
They howled off and on for 5 minutes while we decided what to do. After looking at the gps, we knew we were still legal in the bottom of the canyon. There was a small ridge between us that I could have hiked up and shot them at 250 yards, but it wasn't on our side of the line.
We bailed off the big ridge and ski'd down to the bottom. The wolves serenaded us most the way. As we got to the bottom it was a cluster. A couple canyons, a creek and a boundary all came together at the same point. We had to stay south of them and didn't get to set up in a very good position, but it was the best we could do. We figured we were within 800 yards of them.
I set up 15 yards in front of Jake who was manning the video and the calling. I had 2 decent shooting lanes but knew they'd have to be within 50 yards. Everything else was pretty dense with small conifers, deadfall, willows and huckleberry.
He howled and the wolves INSTANTLY howled back. Sounded like they were coming closer. They were carrying on when Jake squeeked at me a couple times. I looked up just in time to see a grey blur go through 2 little openings. I swung my rifle around but never saw it again.
Jake had a good look and new it was a pup that ended up at 75 yards sitting on its haunches for 4 or 5 minutes.
The pack continued to howl so Jake changed tactics. With 1 of their clan alone and close to us, Jake started yipping/whining like a hurt pup. No deal.
We stayed put for 25 more minutes with them howling off and on. Finally they sounded like they were within 100 yards and really started carrying on. The audio from my video camera is unbelievable. I've got close to 4 or 5 minutes of the howling at 100 yards. They were growling/fighting as well, but the camera didn't quite capture that.
We called with wolf sounds until they let out a barrage of howls. Jake decided to pull out the coyote call and barked at them 8-10 times and then pseudo coyote howled a couple more.
I really wish I could have seen the look on their faces when he did that. Next thing I know, he's squeeking at me again. I'm scanning the forest to my north for all I'm worth. Finally I see a flash of grey. It spun and was booking the other way. I swing my rifle and catch 2 or 3 more flashes.
One went through a 2 foot opening parallel to me so I swung to the next opening. I was in the center of the 4 foot opening when black started into my scope. Unfortunately, it had turned and was jumping over a deadfall almost straight away and I only caught part of its side in my scope. I swung to the left and just about took a snap shot at it's hind quarter. The angle was pretty steep - not a Texas heart shot - but almost straight away. I passed on the shot and that was the last flash I saw of wolfie wolf.
They had come behind us enough that the first dog had finally caught our scent. We knew if they came in below us, they'd catch our scent but didn't have any other options with the set-up.
Jakes view from the camera, 15 yards behind me. How many can you see?
]How many now?
I'm pretty dang good at shooting blues and ruffs in the aspens with the shotgun and am pretty sure I would have connected, but............. As much as I've wanted to shoot a wolf in the last 18 years, I didn't want it to be that way. I also knew there was a certain boundary within 10 yards of this wolf. I had been able to glass a couple of the boundary signs while I was waiting and had a mental note of where they were in relation to the creek. Last thing I (or any ethical sportsman) needed was a dead wolf on the wrong side of the boundary.
We've come so far with the management of these awesome animals and I didn't need to give the enviros another arrow in their quiver.
I'm still just sick to think we were so close. Even sicker to know that Jake could have killed any one of them, but didn't have a Wyo tag. It was an unbelievable experience to have them so close(3rd pack I've had under 60 yards - but first time with a tag in my pocket). They are truly the most intelligent animal I've ever pursued or seen in the wild. Now that states have management responsibility, I intend to do my part every chance I get.
Jake and I telling the camera 'How Close' we came from tagging a lobo.
Thanks for listening to me sob and try and get it out of my system. I think I'll be alright until I get to go again for 3 days between Christmas and New Years. If that doesn't cure me, I'll be in Central Idaho for 6 or 7 days in mid-February. Hopefully one will want to take a road trip through Wyo with me. We shall see.
As a side note, I took all these pics off my video camera so quality isn't super, but tells a decent story when we were dogging tracks and didn't take any still pics.
-Cade
www.HuntForeverWest.com
