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Wolf Questions #7169064
02/04/21 02:18 PM
02/04/21 02:18 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
bfisch Offline OP
trapper
bfisch  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
Do you use some of the same exact locations year after year( place bait piles in the same locations, put pee posts at the same stump, etc.) If the pack is together and one gets caught and the others see it, will they avoid it afterward?

I understand that each wolf is an individual and what one may do another may not. Just looking for some insight and general rules.

Re: Wolf Questions [Re: bfisch] #7169095
02/04/21 02:45 PM
02/04/21 02:45 PM
Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 148
Interior Alaska
H
Hankit Offline
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Hankit  Offline
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Joined: Nov 2012
Posts: 148
Interior Alaska
Yes. Certain spots get pee posts every year. And I’ve noticed certain areas or even bushes or rocks the wolves pee on year after year. We keep our bait at the same spots and it seems to get traffic October and early November before we have bait out so it seems they frequent the bait area just checking it out.

Re: Wolf Questions [Re: bfisch] #7169101
02/04/21 02:50 PM
02/04/21 02:50 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
W
white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
white17  Offline

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Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
I think both things are true. I will re-set certain spots every year.

But around 2000-01 I took 17 wolves on a quarter mile stretch of river. For at least the next 10 years, all wolves traveling the river, would go into the trees and circle that specific area before coming back to the river


Mean As Nails
Re: Wolf Questions [Re: bfisch] #7169189
02/04/21 04:28 PM
02/04/21 04:28 PM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 188
Southeast, Alaska
S
SE.Current Offline
trapper
SE.Current  Offline
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Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 188
Southeast, Alaska
I reset snare locations year after year with great luck.
Same with peeposts and bait stations. The older wolves get wise and avoid the gauntlet when I use baits and lures year after year

Re: Wolf Questions [Re: bfisch] #7169224
02/04/21 04:58 PM
02/04/21 04:58 PM
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,976
North Central Idaho
Jumperzee Offline
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Jumperzee  Offline
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Posts: 1,976
North Central Idaho
bfisch, FWIW - have been using the same bait sites and locations for the last ~8 years or so. Generally catch them in the same trap beds and locations every year, or at least did for a while. Similar to what White said above, I'm starting to notice less and less sign - and even none at some of my best spots, and not for a lack of wolves. Everything I've caught this year has been at entirely new sites or locations much further away from bait sites (mile or so - or more). It's been a continual learning experience here. My only thoughts would be to keep a number of spots in rotation and look at some of those potential travel routes further away from baits.

Re: Wolf Questions [Re: bfisch] #7169228
02/04/21 05:04 PM
02/04/21 05:04 PM
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,858
Northwest Territories
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muskrat411 Offline
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muskrat411  Offline
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Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 1,858
Northwest Territories
I used dog poop for lure at my pee post. Urine seems to disappear really quick in the -40 we have been having. Is dog poop just as good?

Re: Wolf Questions [Re: bfisch] #7169235
02/04/21 05:11 PM
02/04/21 05:11 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
bfisch Offline OP
trapper
bfisch  Offline OP
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Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
When wolves avoid a certain area, bait, or smell, have you been able to connect with them knowing they were going to avoid those things. Basically, using the knowledge that they were going to avoid something to funnel them to additional sets. I have an area they are avoiding by going around in the willows away from the sets. I don't feel comfortable setting snares there because there is too much moose activity.

Hankit- Sounds like those wolves are well conditioned to visit your site.

white17- 10 years is a long time! The pack must have started the habit and habits die hard! A friend and I took 18 (from 3 different packs) within a 2 square mile radius last winter and I wonder how much that is affecting this season other than less wolves.

SE.Current- If you take a year off from bait and lure do they seem to work again the following year?


Also, have you noticed any characteristic differences in behavior between small packs (2-7 and big packs (10+)?

Re: Wolf Questions [Re: bfisch] #7169244
02/04/21 05:17 PM
02/04/21 05:17 PM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
bfisch Offline OP
trapper
bfisch  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
Jumperzee- So it sounds like specific locations can work for several seasons, but can also go dead even with plenty of wolves still around. A problem I have is further the line in the direction the wolves are going. It never got cold here early on and so I am hesitant to travel certain sections of the river. I guess it may just depend how much work I am willing to do to find new areas.

muskrat411- I have heard mixed opinions on dog urine/poop. If it is working why not keep using it?

Re: Wolf Questions [Re: bfisch] #7169280
02/04/21 05:49 PM
02/04/21 05:49 PM
Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 188
Southeast, Alaska
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SE.Current Offline
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SE.Current  Offline
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S

Joined: Dec 2010
Posts: 188
Southeast, Alaska
I like to take a year off on my productive foothold sets just because I’ve seen on gamcameras where they completely bypass my sets. Sometimes switching up lures or urine helps but I usually just find a new spot on my line to make an new experimental set.

Re: Wolf Questions [Re: bfisch] #7169309
02/04/21 06:18 PM
02/04/21 06:18 PM
Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,976
North Central Idaho
Jumperzee Offline
trapper
Jumperzee  Offline
trapper

Joined: Oct 2010
Posts: 1,976
North Central Idaho
bfisch - yeah, hear you...kinda boogered here as far as finding new spots as well. Been a strange weather year, lots of early season snow that froze up in the bottoms, then very mild. All the low-mid elevation slopes are completely bare. Really no reason for anything to be down in the very bottom - which is all I can reasonably access now.

Re: Wolf Questions [Re: bfisch] #7169340
02/04/21 06:51 PM
02/04/21 06:51 PM

O
Oh Snap
Unregistered
Oh Snap
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O



Snares on trails, no bait or lure work well for me.They are known to use the same trails year after year. Pick your area on game trails.

I have had them return to their kill sites for years. Don’t snare too close to the kill, they come in too cautious. They don’t know is a gulo or bear are on the site. I snare trails to their kills a 1/4 mile away or so, when they are in a line coming into kill before they split up!
You can also do the opposite of what I said....I do that also!

Last edited by Oh Snap; 02/04/21 06:57 PM.
Re: Wolf Questions [Re: bfisch] #7169393
02/04/21 07:40 PM
02/04/21 07:40 PM
Joined: Sep 2016
Posts: 6,518
MB
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Jurassic Park Offline
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Jurassic Park  Offline
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Joined: Sep 2016
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MB
This year at every bait pile that I set where I had wolves last year not one wolf showed up to it.
Every other bait pile I set which was at a new location had wolves show up.

Next year I’m not setting any bait piles. Done with that!


Cold as ice!
Re: Wolf Questions [Re: bfisch] #7169786
02/05/21 12:41 AM
02/05/21 12:41 AM
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 223
Chicken, Alaska
Chickenminer Offline
trapper
Chickenminer  Offline
trapper

Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 223
Chicken, Alaska
Originally Posted by bfisch


Also, have you noticed any characteristic differences in behavior between small packs (2-7 and big packs (10+)?


Wolves are fascinating critters. You'll find a wide variety of behavioral habits depending on your area.

I have been trapping the same country for 45 years. In that time I have noticed small packs tend to be much more skittish. They are more likely to exit
the trail and go around every marten set or piece of flagging. While large packs are much bolder and there will be members that investigate every marten
of lynx set. Maybe the pups/younger ones ?

Wolves like to travel the same drainages. If you ding one or two on their pass through your trail, they may change their route slightly but I have found they will
still use the same drainage. Nothing is set in stone though. I once worked on a pack of 7-8 and for three checks in a row ( week apart) I caught a wolf in the same
set, same trap, each time they came through they used my trail.

I personally never use bait unless I am fortunate to run across a wolf kill, then I will set all the trails around that kill.
Otherwise all I use are pee post sets and trail sets.

Re: Wolf Questions [Re: bfisch] #7169822
02/05/21 01:32 AM
02/05/21 01:32 AM
Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
bfisch Offline OP
trapper
bfisch  Offline OP
trapper

Joined: Jan 2014
Posts: 1,144
AK
Good insight all!

Unlike last year, I have nearly zero interest in my bait pile (carcasses from other critters I've caught). I put it in the same place as last year on a lake that I have seen wolf tracks consistently every winter I have checked. This year they are not even frequenting the lake and only checked the bait pile once and haven't returned.

Interesting about them revisiting kills sites years later. Also like the thought on bigger packs being more confident vs the skittishness of a smaller pack.

Re: Wolf Questions [Re: bfisch] #7169833
02/05/21 03:53 AM
02/05/21 03:53 AM
Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 3,263
NWT
Ryan McLeod Offline
trapper
Ryan McLeod  Offline
trapper

Joined: Feb 2014
Posts: 3,263
NWT
wolves hit the same stretches of river out my way year to year. Same locations get pee posts usually within 50 feet of previous years depending on logs the high water left in spring time. If I catch a wolf I usually reset about 8-10 feet away cause the wolves will hang back a little the next time through after seeing a pack member caught before. I also had 2-3 years where they stayed away. Tracks were rare and usually a loner. This came after 2 really good years in the same area. I don’t think I’ve ever caught a wolf in timber or willows. It’s always on the open rivers


If you take care of the land the land will take care of you
Re: Wolf Questions [Re: bfisch] #7170153
02/05/21 12:35 PM
02/05/21 12:35 PM
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
W
white17 Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
white17  Offline

"General (Mr.Sunshine) Washington"
W

Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 35,129
McGrath, AK
Originally Posted by bfisch
When wolves avoid a certain area, bait, or smell, have you been able to connect with them knowing they were going to avoid those things. Basically, using the knowledge that they were going to avoid something to funnel them to additional sets. I have an area they are avoiding by going around in the willows away from the sets. I don't feel comfortable setting snares there because there is too much moose activity.

Hankit- Sounds like those wolves are well conditioned to visit your site.

white17- 10 years is a long time! The pack must have started the habit and habits die hard! A friend and I took 18 (from 3 different packs) within a 2 square mile radius last winter and I wonder how much that is affecting this season other than less wolves.

SE.Current- If you take a year off from bait and lure do they seem to work again the following year?


Also, have you noticed any characteristic differences in behavior between small packs (2-7 and big packs (10+)?


For sure I would not set snares in willow patches.

Different characteristics : just to generalize a bit. I think the one thing you could safely say is that the larger the pack, the more hungry each member is.


Mean As Nails
Re: Wolf Questions [Re: white17] #7170263
02/05/21 01:56 PM
02/05/21 01:56 PM
Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 30
Alaska
B
badgerboy14 Offline
trapper
badgerboy14  Offline
trapper
B

Joined: Feb 2017
Posts: 30
Alaska
Originally Posted by white17
I think both things are true. I will re-set certain spots every year.

But around 2000-01 I took 17 wolves on a quarter mile stretch of river. For at least the next 10 years, all wolves traveling the river, would go into the trees and circle that specific area before coming back to the river

Originally Posted by white17
Originally Posted by bfisch
When wolves avoid a certain area, bait, or smell, have you been able to connect with them knowing they were going to avoid those things. Basically, using the knowledge that they were going to avoid something to funnel them to additional sets. I have an area they are avoiding by going around in the willows away from the sets. I don't feel comfortable setting snares there because there is too much moose activity.

Hankit- Sounds like those wolves are well conditioned to visit your site.

white17- 10 years is a long time! The pack must have started the habit and habits die hard! A friend and I took 18 (from 3 different packs) within a 2 square mile radius last winter and I wonder how much that is affecting this season other than less wolves.

SE.Current- If you take a year off from bait and lure do they seem to work again the following year?


Also, have you noticed any characteristic differences in behavior between small packs (2-7 and big packs (10+)?


For sure I would not set snares in willow patches.

Different characteristics : just to generalize a bit. I think the one thing you could safely say is that the larger the pack, the more hungry each member is.



Both of these are spot on for me. I worked on the same pack of wolves for 8 years, picking off 1-3 wolves each year. Prior to last year, they would avoid every spot I had caught one previously..........including pee post, blind trail sets, and my original bait pile spot. I got 5 out of 6 last year and the new pack that has moved in over the summer has no problem using the old pee posts the prior pack started avoiding.

I have to avoid most willow and alder patches due to moose activity. I usually trail them back into the woods further out of the those moose browse areas if I'm going to try a snare.

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