rimfire on wolverine

[popcan]

I see in the synopsis (just released) that they allow rimfire on wolverine.

I always thought they were big enough / tough enough animals, that centerfire would be required.

I have never seen a wolverine in the wild yet, so it's just my impression.



Has anyone hunted these - and what did you use?

Love to see some pics!

 

[RobSmith]

Never hunted them (In fact IIRC they aren't on the "approved" critter list over here in Quebec to begin with), but since they are about racoon-sized animals, I suppose something like a 17HMR would do quite ncely.

 

[H4831]

Wolverine racoon size, my foot!
I have a professionally made up rug with half head. Nose to the tip of his short tail is 4 feet.
And they are tough with a capital T. The following is a quote from The Mammals of BC, by Dr. Ian Mctaggart-Cowan:

"There are authentic records of attacks upon mountain goat, moose, deer and caribou."

I would not shoot one with a 22.

 

[hakx]

Never hunted them (In fact IIRC they aren't on the "approved" critter list over here in Quebec to begin with), but since they are about racoon-sized animals, I suppose something like a 17HMR would do quite ncely.

I would never hunt Wolverine with a rimfire. Maybe a .223 or other centerfire varmint calibre.

 

[Charlie38]

I've shot 2 with a 22 long from 5 ft away. It just made it through the skull ! This was on my grandmothers trap line & they had nowhere to go . 223 Rem with 53 gr to 60 gr tough bullets would be my idea of where to start. As for size they are WAY bigger than a raccoon . The ones we got in the traps were 30 to 40 ish lbs. VERY tough animals !!! You don't want a pissed off one coming your way and not being able to stop it !

 

[tim_up_north]

I saw one driving up the Dempster on my way home to Inuvik that I thought was a bear at first...big SOB he was.

I'm forever seeing them, but I never have a rifle with me...(note to self, take rifle everywhere).

I'd love to bag one, a single pair of mitts made from Wolverine can fetch 600$+...sell a pair, make a couple of pairs for yourself and you're set.

I'd leave the rimfire at home .224 caliber would be my minimum choice.

 

[mahony1977]

Is a Fisher AKA a wolverine ? Iv seen a few the last one was about 4 feet long moved like greased lightning . One was dead in one of my dear blinds about 3 feet long . Had some nasty claws 2 " long or so .

 

[Calum]

Wolverine defence thread in 3...2...1...

 

[popcan]

Is a Fisher AKA a wolverine ? Iv seen a few the last one was about 4 feet long moved like greased lightning . One was dead in one of my dear blinds about 3 feet long . Had some nasty claws 2 " long or so .

No, fishers are not wolverines. I've seen a few fishers around our area, not the same.

No Wolverine defense threads please.

Where's the pics?

 

[buffdog]

.22 LR on Wolverine?

.
If you try to use a .22 LR on a live Wolverine that is not restrained by a trap or snare, I would advise you to make sure your Medical and Life Insurance is paid up.

If you can imagine having about eight wives, all of them pissed off at you, that is nothing compared to what a Wolverine can do.

There have been cases of Trappers having their cabins and trap line demolished by a Wolverine that took offense to something they did.

They are tough. I saw one hit by four 30-06s and still kept coming until it was less than 50 feet away. Since there was two of us there, and I had a 50% chance of getting my butt clawed, I added two .308s to the 30-06 collection. Actually, the first one would have done it, but I made sure of it with a second round.

However, after hunting in B.C. and Alberta for more than 30 years, I probably saw only about 7 or 8 of them. I did see one in Manitoba a couple of years ago.

If you are going after a Wolverine with a .22, have a good two way radio. That way, you can call in an air strike.
.

 

[Gatehouse]

I've only seen wolverines few times.

Once was when a wolf pack had treed a wolverine. I came across a very pissed off wolverine, snarling and hissing at me from the treetops. At one point, he did a back flip from one tree to another. Never seen anything like that.

Anyways, the thing was so damn ferocious that for the first time in my life, I felt "undergunned."

I was carrying a .300 Winchester with 180gr Partitions.

Bottom line is that if it was in a snare, I'd shoot one in the head with a .22. I suppose I'd shot one with a .22 if that is all I had.....

 

[bronco_mudder]

Without a doubt Wolverines are ferocious animals, and I definitely wouldn't shoot one with a .22 s/l/lr, unless absolutely necesarry, but I think a .22 mag, or a 17 hmr with a solid bullet would suffice given the shot was placed correctly.

 

[popcan]

Here's some info and some pics I found.

They seem to have a lot of pokey things attached to them!



Type: Mammal
Diet: Omnivore
Average lifespan in the wild: 7 to 12 years
Size: Head and body, 26 to 34 in (66 to 86 cm); Tail, 7 to 10 in (18 to 25 cm)
Weight: 24 to 40 lbs (11 to 18 kg)
Size relative to a 6-ft (2-m) man:

 

[Boomer]

I think that dispatching a wolverine in a trap with a .22 is prudent enough, but a wolverine that is walking around I would opt for a .22 magnum as minimum. You would want to stay away from high velocity varmint bullets to minimize pelt damage - these guys are valuable. Perhaps a cast bullet in a .30 caliber hunting rifle would be the answer.

The animal's tenacity has resulted in some great stories, one of my favorites being about a fellow who used to catch them for zoos. His system was to use a rubber padded wolf trap and when he caught an animal he would put a rope around it's neck, thread the rope through a hole in the bottom of a wooden keg, then pull the critter in, nail the lid on, and tie it to his pack frame. As he said, "There is your barrel of buzz saws, meat hooks, and assorted sound effects!" Well, he's packing out this one "wolverine in a barrel" when he suddenly feels this hot breath on the side of his face!! One could only imagine.