Blew it on a wolf - Season 11

Chas

Chas

CGN frequent flyer
GunNutz
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Location
N.E. Ont - home of the Concrete Goose
And we're back...

Its hard to believe that this is the 11'th year I have been posting about our wolf hunting experiences along the north shore of Lake Superior, and how it usually works out in the wolves favour. In addition to My72Jeep, his wife QHPenny (who is hooked more than he is on predator hunting), Gunner410, and we are happy that Paddle2DaC has moved back to town, we have 5 or 6 hunters that regularly get together to chase predators once the moose and deer seasons close. Well, here we go again for another season......

We will also be doing a limited predator control hunt in the community with the municipality having passed another extension to the no discharge bylaw allowing a small group of us to hunt in 2 locations. So far this year coyotes in the community seem to be scarce, so not sure how we will make out

We have been puttering about getting some baits and trail cameras out and will be starting out more in earnest now. Seems every time we went moose hunting in November we either saw a wolf or a coyote, but since the season ended, not seeing any. Crazy weather - we were +2 on the weekend and -24C this morning. That being said, it was a cold crisp morning with no wind so I went out to our favorite spot on the hydro line. Everyone else was working, G410 is laid up for a while, and Wayne couldnt let go of his warm coffee in Tims this AM.

Started out with a wolf confrontation call, no response, waited 10 minutes, repeated, no response. So I was looking at the list of calls on the handset and realized there were a couple I downloaded last year. Got the audio of a single wolf howling and a pack howling from a popular video posting website and cleaned them up using the free software program Audacity. So I played the pack howl and immediately got a response of 5-6 wolves. I figure they were probably 1/3 - 1/2 mile away, but the calls carried very well in the crisp air. They were not happy about intruders in their area!

So I waited a bit and did the single call and they let loose again - perhaps a bit closer, and now I had a couple calling from behind me where M72J and QHP usually hunt. We ended up calling back and forth intermittently for an hour, but they never closed the distance or came out. Even though I never saw them, it was another memorable hunt.

QHP informed me that she is off on Friday and that we are going out in the morning!

Looking forward to another great year

Regards
 
So pleased you are back at the hunt now that you have more time in your schedule! Good on ya. Time for me to get out for some coyotes down here in Southern Georgian Bay.

Best of luck this season!!

Cheers, Barney
 
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Here is the picture.....
 
I was just thinking the other day that i hadn't seen any new wolf posts in a while. Glad to see you guys are still at it!
 
Well QHPenny and I went out this morning. Lots of tracks on the road in, looked like coyotes. None last night when My72Jeep and I drove in to check in a light snow fall.

This morning crisp, cold and light breeze. Perfect for calling, and light dusting of snow from last night to show fresh tracks. When we got to the hydro line, the wolves had come out last night! On my side of the line had what looked to be at least 6 sets of tracks on the now groomed sled trail, including where one of them had rolled around on its back. Will add a picture when I get them off my phone. My baitsite was demolished and nothing left of the deer hides we staked out last week. Unfortunately the trail camera shut down the other night in the cold and I have no pictures, will bring new batteries and more bait out this afternoon.

Once we were settled in on both sides of the line, I played a single howl and right away the pack started howling back, same spot as yesterday. Then they started growling and snapping at each other. We did this back and forth 3 times but they wouldnt come closer. Next time we go there we are going to walk in some cut roads and get closer, although I dont think they were more than 1/4 mile away.

Played some snowshoe in distress calls but nothing came out to the line.

We are going to cross paths with the pack one of these times!
 
Looking forward to your stories as always, have you tried playing coyote calls when the wolves are around? I'm just wondering if they would be more interested in running them off instead of another pack of wolves and maybe would be more interested in showing themselves.
 
Moose have been getting hit on the highway and Paddle2DaC managed to score the head, hide and scraps from a road killed calf and put them on the power line on the weekend. I went out this afternoon and sat for a bit and then pilled the camera cards. We definitely have some critters working the bait and thought you might enjoy some of the pictures:

OWWW - My eyes! Paddle2DaC put the moose hide right under the camera box of an old WGI camera that uses a real flash (rather than IR) - sure this guy saw spots for a few minutes after his one:

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And a couple of others:

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Great pics! I enjoy your stories!.....:)

I hope you harvest a few of those wolves. Coyote decoys work well out here in BC, wolves hate the competition.

The wolves, other predators, habitat loss and hunting pressure has decimated our elk and moose populations in the South Eastern part of our province. Thinning out the predators is a great way to protect the moose population in your area.

Good luck!......:)
 
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This morning my wife and I decided to sleep in and not meet the guys out on the line. About 10 they called claiming they shot two wolves.........right.... pics or it didn’t happen. Lol was just a good natured joke. Well about 12:30 qhpenny and my self went for a walk on a trail I just opened up yesterday with the sled to our second bait. As we got there she goes down on one knee rifle up and click safety on, then bam. As we run to it it’s hobbling away or trying, as it dies over the river bank it goes. It’s 200 feet down a 60deg incline. Lucky it hit a tree 75 feet down I hit a tree 73 feet down.
 

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my72jeep said:
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This morning my wife and I decided to sleep in and not meet the guys out on the line. About 10 they called claiming they shot two wolves.........right.... pics or it didn’t happen. Lol was just a good natured joke. Well about 12:30 qhpenny and my self went for a walk on a trail I just opened up yesterday with the sled to our second bait. As we got there she goes down on one knee rifle up and click safety on, then bam. As we run to it it’s hobbling away or trying, as it dies over the river bank it goes. It’s 200 feet down a 60deg incline. Lucky it hit a tree 75 feet down I hit a tree 73 feet down.
Click to expand...

Well done qhpenny and great pics chas. I look forward to each post.
 
I dont know what it is with that riverbank, but the two of them are determined to shoot and fall /climb over it....f:P:

I get the phone call that M72J has slid down the bank and 1/2 to the river and cant get back up (see last years post...). So I get the throw rope because he can get to within 50 feet of the top of the bank. Rush out there and drag in a sleigh and he had made it to the top .

Hell of a blood trail from QHP's 243 with handloads from her (late) father who was a good friend of mine

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Happy lady with her wolf:

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