BC Bigbore
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- BC's Peace Country
Yup...add in elk, caribou, sheep, mtn. goat, cougar, black bear, grouse, rabbit...etc, etc.
Best rifle for shooting Wolves
- Thread starter Gibbs505
- Start date
First just to answer the question. I don't have wolves here but if I did I'd feel quite confident in a one shot kill with 85 Sierra BTHP loaded stiff in .243
I was within likey 50 yrds of one this fall. I hears a stick snap about an hour before I got to move from my position on a beaver dam. After I moved from the damn and walked to the spot I heard the twig snap I heard a strange noise I couldn't identify right where I had been sitting. I dismissed it as a bird of some type and moved on. Once out an into the clearing the wolf began to howl and serenaded Chilly Willy and I out of the bush. A neat experience and the first time I had ever heard one but had he stuck his nose out where I could have seen it he'd a got H&H'ed all to heck with the full suport of the lodge owner.
Lazzerous please do entertain us with more of the story of being licked and sniffed
I once petted a wild fox and even hand fed him! He in turn took to nawging one my arm in several places causing me to require rabies vaccinations. Letting a wolf that close to would be down right sillyness
I was within likey 50 yrds of one this fall. I hears a stick snap about an hour before I got to move from my position on a beaver dam. After I moved from the damn and walked to the spot I heard the twig snap I heard a strange noise I couldn't identify right where I had been sitting. I dismissed it as a bird of some type and moved on. Once out an into the clearing the wolf began to howl and serenaded Chilly Willy and I out of the bush. A neat experience and the first time I had ever heard one but had he stuck his nose out where I could have seen it he'd a got H&H'ed all to heck with the full suport of the lodge owner.
Lazzerous please do entertain us with more of the story of being licked and sniffed
I once petted a wild fox and even hand fed him! He in turn took to nawging one my arm in several places causing me to require rabies vaccinations
. Letting a wolf that close to would be down right sillyness
Live animal target practice. Die vermin.
With remarks like that proving the level of sporstmanship and mental and ethical maturity out there, I'll go with my original remarks ...
If you don't want the pelts, and can't eat the meat, then you are simply a killer, not a hunter.
If you want a true challenge, join the army, and go out and hunt something more challenging ... like another person with a gun.
With remarks like that proving the level of sporstmanship and mental and ethical maturity out there, I'll go with my original remarks ...
If you don't want the pelts, and can't eat the meat, then you are simply a killer, not a hunter.
If you want a true challenge, join the army, and go out and hunt something more challenging ... like another person with a gun.
Gibbs is a little old to be enlisting...
I can't see how taking a "trophy" off an animal is what makes you a hunter.
Sorry did I get off topic? I read "your", post and responded to it.
See my post #24.
BC Bigbore
CGN frequent flyer
- Location
- BC's Peace Country
OK. I deleted "troll" from my post. After all, you're just stating your opinion no matter how Greenpeace it may sound
Gibbs is a little old to be enlisting...
I can't see how taking a "trophy" off an animal is what makes you a hunter.
Depends, where do they want me to fight!
I agree, and however, distasteful, it is necessary from time to time to control the predator population. No way are we going to eridacte them all.
How is hunting wolves any different than people going to Africa to shoot 20 animals just for their heads. Can't bring the meat back.
Or people that shoot prairie dogs all day. They don't keep the pelts either.
Dude, you got issues with shooting people.
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Any caliber in bolt action, very challenging to get the entire pack, want something a little less challenging try any caliber in semi auto, and thats still extremely challenging to get the entire pack. Good Luck, Stay Safe, and Have Fun
- Location
- Somewhere on the Hudson Bay Coast
I think a wolf rifle should be in the .270 Winchester class - at least for use around here. Once you get into the barrens, the tundra, along the coast or out on a lake and the wind is blowing, these rifles are just easier to shoot well. Having said that many wolves around here are taken with .223's & .22-250's, .243's, .30-30's and .303's.
It was interesting one year when we had wolves coming into town. A lady put her little dog out first thing in the morning, and two wolves emerged from the darkness, and half the dog went one way and half the other. Sled dog owners were loosing up to a dozen or more dogs - that's a substantial financial loss. Comparatively, polar bears take very few dogs. Everybody got bent and went out wolf hunting, and you know what - they got as many wolves that year as they get any year here - perhaps 20 or so for the whole community. Wolves tend to be difficult to hunt, and most are taken when the hunter is doing something other than wolf hunting and bumps into one. We have a few guys who are dedicated wolfers, and put a great deal of time and effort into getting their wolves. Trapping is by far the most productive method. Taking 20 wolves doesn't seem to effect the over all numbers as they are prolific, and the harvest does not seem to vary considerably from year to year.
Although wolves evoke strong emotional reactions in people, like any other other wild animal wolves can be viewed and photographed, trapped for profit, or hunted. Trophy hunting is a legal and legitimate sport as opposed to poaching which is not. In an era where hunter numbers decline each year, we shouldn't squabble if someone wants to hang pelts or heads on his wall.
It was interesting one year when we had wolves coming into town. A lady put her little dog out first thing in the morning, and two wolves emerged from the darkness, and half the dog went one way and half the other. Sled dog owners were loosing up to a dozen or more dogs - that's a substantial financial loss. Comparatively, polar bears take very few dogs. Everybody got bent and went out wolf hunting, and you know what - they got as many wolves that year as they get any year here - perhaps 20 or so for the whole community. Wolves tend to be difficult to hunt, and most are taken when the hunter is doing something other than wolf hunting and bumps into one. We have a few guys who are dedicated wolfers, and put a great deal of time and effort into getting their wolves. Trapping is by far the most productive method. Taking 20 wolves doesn't seem to effect the over all numbers as they are prolific, and the harvest does not seem to vary considerably from year to year.
Although wolves evoke strong emotional reactions in people, like any other other wild animal wolves can be viewed and photographed, trapped for profit, or hunted. Trophy hunting is a legal and legitimate sport as opposed to poaching which is not. In an era where hunter numbers decline each year, we shouldn't squabble if someone wants to hang pelts or heads on his wall.
From what I saw in South Africa, the meat is processed locally for consumption by people (every concession we hunted had its own abattoir for processing the game). The horns, skulls and hides belong to the hunter as his trophy.
As far as the best caliber for shooting wolves, I would suggest a 6.5x55 or .270, although they can certainly be killed with a .223.
Alberta had a wolf eradication program in the 1950's that was quite effective. We're talking a provincially sponsored program of poisoning wolves (and other carrion-eating animals) which was quite effective.
The interesting thing is that the wolves are definitely back. In the last fifteen years I've been seeing and hearing wolves pretty regularly in the bush (compared to not seeing anything but coyotes in the '70's and '80's).
I think it's unrealistic to believe that hunters alone can eliminate or even put a big dent in the provincial wolf population. State-sponsored poisoning and trapping is another matter.
They're certainly handsome creatures, but I can't say I'd like to run into a pack if I'm only armed with a hiking stick.
And a .223 will work if you hit them right.
Good Hunting with whatever you choose!
I recommend the 6mm remington or the .243 winchester. Possibly even the 270 winchester but thats a little over kill. Still the 270 with a 130gr bullet shoots very straight out to 300 metres.
The Wolf & Coyote issue is up north in the Peace River Country and Northern Alberta - mainly associated with cattle pastures.
I'm with Gatehouse on this one folks. Man is still a part of the food chain ballance and frankly we haven't been filling our role in that ballance for a very long time. The ballance is a little out of wack in certain places so not more 'holier than thou' sentiments please.
Editted to correct my horrible spelling mistakes....
My 1909 Argie in 6mm Remington
Slightly better performance than the .243 Winchester but nothing to really rave about.
A great shooter.
The Wolf & Coyote issue is up north in the Peace River Country and Northern Alberta - mainly associated with cattle pastures.
I'm with Gatehouse on this one folks. Man is still a part of the food chain ballance and frankly we haven't been filling our role in that ballance for a very long time. The ballance is a little out of wack in certain places so not more 'holier than thou' sentiments please.
Editted to correct my horrible spelling mistakes....
My 1909 Argie in 6mm Remington
Slightly better performance than the .243 Winchester but nothing to really rave about.
A great shooter.
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Best rifle for shooting wolves? The one in your hand when you see one. - dan
