Well - I WAS a member of the wolf trapping club. Now I am a member of the wolf catching club!

It was time to check, and after watching the weather, today was the day I picked. It dawned with a blue sky a really calm most of the day. With the full moon and the big tides, I could drive in close and moor the boat a lot closer than usual - especially with the tide coming in most of the day. My first set was on a bend in a creek. Family Trapper suggested I put one there and I'm glad I did. When I rounded the bend, I saw some big movement - and that could only mean one thing - my first wolf! He struggled a little bit, but then decided to hunker down and try to hide in the spruce bows. I commenced loading my .22 long rifle to put him down while I observed him. He had his head down on his paws, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. I tried five times but the gun wouldn't fire! This gun has been with me since I was a teenager. I bought it for $20 and it is a beater! I don't really care how ugly it is - because it serves it's purpose. Well, the firing pin must have worn out. Somebody on here lost a wolf recently when they were monkeying around, and I wasn't about to let my first wolf get away - so I "picked the cherry" on my new Toklat and shot the wolf through the ribs. Holy crap does that thing bark! The gun I mean. That wolf just folded right up, and I sat down for a little bit to get past the concussion.



This was the water set possibility that Len and I had observed about six weeks ago, when he accompanied me on my line. A big spruce had fallen across a small creek. Len thought it would be a great spot to "keep a trap working long term." At the time, I didn't have any leg hold traps, but I went right home and ordered some. This particular trap was a "Jack Rig" that I got from Minnesota Trapline Supply. The spruce was real full - so between the branches, I wired a moose head to the trunk, which was resting in about 4-6 inches of water. There was a lane coming in from the side and that's where I put the trap. Then, it was just wait and see. The wolves came back a few weeks ago, but didn't fall for it. This time, one did! Thanks Len - this likely wouldn't have happened without you!

As near as I can tell, there have been wolves hanging around my area for several days. We got a dusting of snow last night, and I think the wolves were there when I arrived this morning. I also think I had just caught this wolf - probably within the last 5-8 hours. There were fresh tracks all around. One day old tracks. Two day old tracks. Looked like several wolves. This was my first set, so of course, I was chomping at the bit - thinking I had about 80 snares in the neighborhood, and of course, feeling greedy! I did hook one more with a snare. I tracked him right to it. No sign of any struggle. The snare was laying right there where it was hanging. Wolf tracks came right to it. There was a dump there. And the cable was chewed right in half. Anybody got any explanations? This is the second time this has happened here for me - once with a coyote and once with a wolf. Too bad - I HAD a double, but still super happy with my first!

This is another water set. You can see wolves have been all over in the sand. My trap and bait is right in that logjam in the background - but they just didn't quite fall for it.



I have a few other leg holds out. The wolves were all over around these. This particular one is a NO BS WOLF and you can see that a wolf stepped mere inches away, right behind it! I purposely put the trap there because a wolf had stepped there several times - but with the changing snow conditions, maybe they are onto me.



I had several other spots where I came so so close to having another wolf go through my snare. Several times, they were within feet but traveling at a slightly different angle.I jockeyed a few snares around from questionable spots to what look like more productive spots. Overall, I just need more snares!

On the way home, I stopped at Fish and Game and got the wolf sealed, and weighed it. The scale is not recently certified - but I was told it was within two pounds. It weighed 114#, so we are calling it 112# male.




I am no connoisseur of wolf fur, but if this thing is anything like the coyotes I have gotten that were mangy, this looks the same. Not quite what I was looking for. The head and tail and legs look pretty good. The neck and shoulders look really lousy. The belly is all brown and red. I think it has a pretty good noggin though.

What are you guy's thoughts? I have more pics...

Congrats Tim!
That's lice. Expect Kenai wolves to have them more often that not.

Congrats on your first wolf. Sorry to hear it’s lousy, still that’s a big dog. Your doing great and I look forward to more wolves caught in the future.

Congratulations now that you broke the proverbial ice things hopefully will get easier from here on out for catching more wolves. Just a thought, a head mount so to speak of this one since it's your first wolf catch .
Allan

Way to go Tim! A bit of a disappointment with the lice, but great start nonetheless! Glad the "Jack Rig" worked for you. Did the wolf travel any distance before the drag got hung up, or was it basically right there at the trap site? Again, big congrats!

Jack

Congratulations, Your persistence paid off. old243

I didn't employ the drag. I wired it to the tree and he stayed right there.

Thanks Tim. I'm just always wondering how the setup works for others in varying habitat.

Jack

Good work!
You Saved some critters there
Can you add some traps under those tracks in the sand? May be freezing hard at night.
Set on the sign....set for them on the approach to bait since they usually circle it.

Good idea. Thanks for the tip! I need more traps haha

I have learned so much. I have great ideas for how I'm gonna run things next season. I'm gonna start much earlier, have more traps, and I know exactly where I am going to put them!

On second thought, I may go back over on Saturday and "tweak" things a little bit. I still have a week to get number two! Your idea in the sand sounds good, and if I get one, you get the assist. How's that? Just need that sand to stay unfrozen - and with the way the weather has been, it shouldn't be a problem.

Way to go!!! Congrats!

Good job man way to get after it. I have to admit I was skeptical with all your plans you had for this year. I am super pumped that you persisted and did what it took, the RIGHT way. New guys can learn from this, keep it up! You have to have new goals for next year now lol

Well done. You have what it takes, and now have the "credit", if you will, to plumb the vast information library that exists on this site.
Many, many come calling, but, like most things, until you prove up, reception will be luke-warm, until you are "all in".
You clearly are.

I wish I could say, but I don't have that kind of experience YET. Anything I could offer would be secondhand. I know some guys hate drags. They are amazed by how far the critter gets. Others seem to do well with them. Like anything, mixed opinions. This particular setup was near some big open area, and I didn't trust it - which is why I locked it down.

I appreciate that! I know - the "veterans" on here probably see lots of people show up with all kinds of big plans, expectations, dreams - only to fizzle out. But I am not built that way, and I guess some of you are figuring that out by now. Early on in life, some blankity-blanks told me that I couldn't do stuff, and I guess that is exactly what I needed. I have been proving them wrong ever since.

You are absolutely right - I do have plans for next year. Like - I will start in November. I will have many more snares, and many more #330 conibear, and leg hold too. And you know what - I think, in my memory, I already have a spot for each of them haha.

The thing that could get distracting is when they open up the cat season. Local biologist says that if hare and lynx populations follow their trends, this could happen in the next couple of years. Well, when that happens, I will be going great guns after Lynx. And, I will not quit till I get it figured out. In the meantime, I've got a lot of room for growth in the whole "arena" of learning to be a good wolf and wolverine trapper.

Thanks AV! I appreciate your help and encouragement.

I came here not that long ago, wanting to set up a small trapline, find my niche, and catch a first wolverine, and a first wolf. If feels so good to say that I did that, in just two months. I have learned so much, on my own - just being out there, and following tracks, and trial and error, and such - but also from many of you who have commented here or PM'ed me. Thanks so much all of you. I will continue to "grow" in this as long as I can keep on keeping on. Like I say, usually more desire than brains here, but I actually think that is starting to balance a bit :-) In Alaska, it's a must!

Allan - no offense but, head mounts of predators/carnivores just do nothing for me. I dunno - maybe I have just not seen one done up right? I'm gonna beatle the skull for a keep-sake and call it good. And I got some good pictures. I gotta pay the fiddler for a full mount wolverine, and that is probably enough for this go-around!

Next years goal is to catch a wolf with a skin good enough to tan into an ornamental skin I can hang with my collection, or, a rug. I'm cool with waiting for that. As long as I can stay healthy, it is just a matter of time until it happens.

Sweet! I like your humble statement about growth.

Just read this whole journal . Great stuff ! Appreciate your taking the time to share it.

I think I have done that with every journal on here by now, and now I just keep up as it comes. Some of the really long ones took me a few nights to get through. Good stuff to fall asleep reading...