Wolf trapping.

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BigBraz15

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N.W. Alberta
Good evening.

I just got a bunch of wolf stuff out today and was thinking...

I enjoy the Blew it on a wolf series, and all the other wolf journals through the year. So I know this is a hunting sub forum. Just wanted to see if I it would be an issue if I make a thread of our wolf trapping season?
 
So I'll start with a bit of history. Last year a buddy was helping me out to locate "the spot" I had a good idea of where I wanted to set up. I know where one of the boundary lines is for a wolf pack, there is always tracks in the same spot and they are always marking it. The one corner they always visit looked very promising, but the bush was very open and hard to get choke points to effectively snare a wolf. We traveled a bit north from the South West boundary of their territory. There is a small creek that crosses this road about 2km from the corner. We found an excellent spot that the trees open up into about a 30 meter clearing. Great! Perfect for the birds to find the bait and help bring in the canines. We pre baited this site for one month prior to setting any snares. With trail cam pics we were able to identify and name many wolves that were frequent visitors. Lots of raven pictures, golden and bald eagles, and a few weasels. Once we set snares the wolf activity seemed to almost stop for 3 weeks. Then we had a few pictures of a mangy wolf. I was able to harvest this wolf a few days after as he made a mistake and ended up in one of the snares. He was in rough shape. So it was a bitter sweet harvest. It was good that he didn't freeze to death with all the lost hair, but I was not able to save the hide for anything. After this there was no action in the area so I pulled sets a week or 2 after.
 
Last year was a big learning curve and we learned a lot. The buddy that was helping me had a similar setup on another line to the north of me. He was able to get 3 nice wolves on one check at his bait.

Over the summer we spent lots of time researching for more productive ways for our setups. A few of the tips I read late one night seemed to make perfect sense... don't pre bait the snares sights. Make sure that snares are all setup prior to baiting. The wolves will be used to the trail and smells in the area, especially if it takes them a few days to find it. Another tip we got from another trapper is to set multiple baits within 80-100 meters between them and set snares very heavily between the sights. As the Alpha eats first the other wolves have to wait their turn. By having 2 baits, the other pack members will wonder back and fourth as they won't have to wait for the Alpha to finish. Once the Alpha knows there is more food close by, it will also wonder back and fourth to make sure that it gets the best of the best. One other thing was scent control. As far as wearing the same boots everytime when refreshing baits and checking snares. We also were recommended by a few trappers to up size the locks on our snares for one size larger cable as the hold very well, but won't freeze as easily and they "fire" much faster.
 
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All hunting season long, I always collect all I can for bait. Hides, heads, guts, bones, everything. It was looking like it was going to be a rough year for bait supplies. One day I got a text from a buddy and said he had a bunch of bait. So between a few buddies I had a whole truck box right full of bait supplies.

Having good intentions all summer to get a bunch of snares all built and ready, we went into September and a big shutdown at work. So in the beginning of December I'm rushing around trying to get snares ready to go. One thing leads to another; and it got delayed again. Early last week I dig out all the supplies and start cutting 3/32" cable for snares. Length was about 6'. Get 50 of them cut and laid out. Then I crimp on 2 x single stops on one end. Then I install the 1/8" cam locks with the break aways that I pre-installed. I then installed a double sleeve and crimped them on. Then went to work cutting and building the snares extensions. I ran out of supplies after 37. Just my luck.

I prep all the snares to be boiled and dyed. I got the blessing from the Mrs to boil them on the stove in the house. Boiled them for one hour in a baking soda and water solution to take any oils and smell out of them. After that I took them outside to boil them in a dye solution for one hour. I hung them up to dry over night.

To be continued...
 
Any thing trapping is interesting wolf to squirrels it all cool
I fore one would like to see your sets and catches
 
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I also have a tip. Try to never walk on wolf runs if possible. If you follow a set of wolf tracks always parallel it a little distance from it. They will pick up on human tracks and scent on their trails. They will take it as being followed and will change their activity or avoid that particular trail. Always try to cross their trail at 90 degree angles as it just looks like you are passing by rather than following and you will leave less scent on their trail. When setting traps or snares on their trail sweep big "S's" and set the snare or trap at where you cross then continue trying to make as little tracks or disturbance then sweep around and cross again at 90 degrees setting another. Just something a trapper friend of mine does and he has been very successful taking multiple members from a pack.
 
Great post - glad to see it. An older gentleman in town who was a full time trapper said he had an old culvert piece that he dragged out into a clearing surrounded by high alders. After he had a few beavers caught, he would take them out to the culvert and split them open exposing the intestines. Then he threw them into the culvert piece (it was sitting on its end so that it was pointed to the sky) and placed snares in a big circle all around the culvert. The ravens would come and start making a racket while feeding on the frozen beavers. Wolves would come to see what was going on and circle around the bait site. He once got 7 wolves in the snares surrounding the culvert.

Good luck.
 
Chas said:
Great post - glad to see it. An older gentleman in town who was a full time trapper said he had an old culvert piece that he dragged out into a clearing surrounded by high alders. After he had a few beavers caught, he would take them out to the culvert and split them open exposing the intestines. Then he threw them into the culvert piece (it was sitting on its end so that it was pointed to the sky) and placed snares in a big circle all around the culvert. The ravens would come and start making a racket while feeding on the frozen beavers. Wolves would come to see what was going on and circle around the bait site. He once got 7 wolves in the snares surrounding the culvert.

Good luck.
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Interesting set Bet it would work like a hot dam for coyotes
 
Here's a tip/trick . Hard work but it works so well . Gather wild game , hides , guts , bones and freezer burned meat . Black bear is so good . Go to an area that predators , mainly wolves inhabit . Dig a hole about 2.5 to 3 feet in diameter by 5 feet deep . Dump your bait in , a couple of feet thick in the bottom of the hole . Cut a tree to fence post size and put it in the center of the hole with the butt end resting on chunks of bear , beavers and what ever . Now back fill the hole tamping the dirt down tight leaving the post in . Chop a few trees to act like guides to channel animals to the post . Do this in the summer giving the bait a few months to fester down there . When the ground is frozen in the late fall and trapping season is on take your hi-lift jack to the site and jack the post out . Set your snares and traps among the guide trees you cut down . As soon as you pull the post out , you'll smell it and it doesn't matter if it fills with snow as the smell will keep on coming . Wolves love to dig bears out of their dens in the winter to kill and eat them and you just manufactured the best smelling bear den on the planet . The wolves will just keep on coming as will coyotes and fox all winter long . In the spring the ground thaws and the hole collapses . Make another one . I know guys who will take 15 or 20 wolves off just one of these sites in a season and if you have a few sites ... Ravens can smell it but can't get to it and they'll make a big fuss and wolves will smell it for miles .
 
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