Today was a bad day. I won't get into it all because some is still unresolved, but you never want this to happen. Wolf in snare, big grey, caught by the foot. Got the gun out, realized the mess he had made and figured he had been there for long enough for me to get a pic. He is in the first pic, not a good one. But then gives one more yank leaving me with a couple toes and him with his freedom. The little snub nose .22 didn't help me much. Not a good feeling scrambling around trying to get a shot! Would have been number 7 if number 6 had been recovered. That's the rest of the bad day, but will leave it at that for now.





He made a mess of the place. Chewed off a couple 5" alders and leveled the brush.

I’ve been there and know that feeling. I’m sorry to hear that happened.
Positive side is I’d bet it never happens again.

"What is missed, remains a mystery...what is hit is history." phrase from a old museum collector. fits the bill

Dude that is a bummer!

Thanks to you, if my first wolf is up, he's going down the moment I lay eyes on him. Photos are cool, but that's a heartbreaker.

A clever you may encounter that wolf again - and, when you do, you will know it! We will look forward to THAT post...

We have legends about bears named "ole three toes" - so why not wolves. Has anybody on here ever caught a "marked animal" they were familiar with? I have, but that was a beaver.

Feel for ya Nate. I had one of those days last week myself. I've been wanting to try one of those extra large body grip traps for wolverine. I done know what exactly happened but the wolverine laid in front of the set for a bit after the trap fired. My best guess is he got hit hard when the trap fired. I had a crate set in the same area but he wouldnt go near it.

Wolverine hunter, a couple years ago I had a wolf pull a toe off in a trap (not with me watching), ended up catching him a few weeks later. It happens, hoping so with this guy.

Too bad Dave, that's a bummer. Always a bummer to lose something.

I am still looking for "Ol' 19 toes", a wolverine that left me a toe in a V-14. That started my search for a better wolverine trap.
So far, that animal has eluded me.

SO SORRY FOR YA.! It's hard enough to get em in place to loose em the last minute.
We have all done something like that, shoot a deer set gun down to take a quick pic and wolla, the buck jumps up and gone for good, was in Newfy once with a ladies that shot a fine caribou, set gun down to get pack and camera out, the Bou jumps up and runs away not to be killed..
Endeavor to persevere so they say!

Sorry to hear that Nate, I experienced the same 12 years ago and have never made that mistake again as I'm sure you won't either.

I had walked almost a half mile checking snares on a bluff. The last snare had this guy in it. I had left my .22 in the windshield bag (never again) so i took a pic and headed back. Upon return as I climbed the bluff I could hear him fighting the snare. Right as I crested he hit the end and I heard a loud snap as the cable snapped. No time to shoot and all I could do was listen as the cable slashed off the trees on his way out.

What a major bummer. I have been lucky so far and not had that issue but now you have me thinking I should bring a rifle instead of a pistol!

Caught one a few years ago with right front paw missing totally healed.

Bummer alright. We've all had them bad days!

That was my point. I was trying to encourage you, and help get you out of your funk, and back to being positive and hopeful (assuming you would be feeling the way I would be feeling.)

Can you tell I am a therapist when I'm not trapping???

Haven't lost a wolf in a trap or snare while I was there, but have lost one to poor snare maintenance on my part. I did lose one while I was watching in a trap that someone else had set the year before and it was hidden under the leaves when the wolf stepped in it. Remained set all spring summer anf fall until I came along.
It appears you don't have much snow, at least compared to the area around Fbks. Without looking for specifics, where in the interior is there that little snow?
mt

Delta area has little or nothing. Wind doesn't help either. Supposed to get a bit tomorrow.

I spent a summer in Delta Junction working on some projects for the military. I liked the area. Do you have to travel far to get into good trapping?

I lost a beaver earlier in the year in a foothold when a drowning lock failed me. Caught him a month latter in a BG. I hope you get another crack at that one.

Mostly have to travel a ways to get away from other people.

This is why I don't do glory pictures any more. Pretty heartbreaking to catch a cool critter and spend enough time photographing it so that it gets fully wound up and breaks free just as my gun is coming to bear. Now I just shoot and figure if it's cool, I'll still get a picture out of it.

I didn't say anything about this in my first post because I hate unresolved stuff. The rest of my bad day was catching a wolf and not being able to find it. With the little to no snow in my area, then a windstorm and warm weather, tracking conditions are terrible. So the story is I had a wolf hit a #9 pee post, trap had a steel hook and a (dead) birch pole on it. Trap was gone, wolf spent a bit of time there and disappeared. I looked for about 3 hours, back and forth trying to find some sign. It was real hard to see much of anything. While I was looking for him is when I found the other one who pulled his toes off. Anyway, had to press on and formulate a plan for recovery.

Today I went flying out there and located where he had gotten hung up. We got a bit of snow yesterday, so that helped make the dirt spots stand out. Couldn't see the wolf, thought maybe he had pulled out or something. Ended up going back out on the ground and found him. He had gotten back on the trail and gone another 2.5 miles before he hung up. Went off a few times, started to tangle and thought better and got back on the trail. 97 lb male, makes #6. I could have gotten decent pics this time, but figured my luck might have a swivel pop or something and I would be wiping the egg off my face again.