Our wolf season opens next week and I need the opinion of experienced wolf trappers...we are limited to a relaxing lock with absolutely no entanglement....so all catches will be alive. We have a 24 hour check. My question is what cable size would be best to avoid chew outs?

1x19x3/32

Or

7x7x1/8

1x19x 3/32 IMO

Thanks for making this post. I am interested to see what people say. I have been running a mix of 3/32 and 1/8 cable. I have had two wolves chew out of 1/8 cable this year. It's probably due to me making mistakes while learning to properly set these snares.

From the regs DNR posted last night:




I personally think 3/32 is too thin. I'm trying to figure out if 1/8" is enough. An equally considerable concern is whether a wolf would open the 350# BAD.

I'm trying to figure out where to buy 'Wi Legal' WOLF cable restraints

I'm making my own.

Here's what The Snare Shop just emailed me. I wonder if 7/64 would be thick enough:

https://www.snareshop.com/prodinfo.asp?number=SNARE605

How do you propose anchoring your snares? Frankly, with those restrictions, I wouldn't even consider snaring.
Footholds would by my choice, period.

Rebar, or chain earth anchors.

Upon further review, the WOLF regs don't appear to require a BAD like for coyote trapping

My personal preference is 7/64" 1X19 cable. I've never used relaxing locks, however. In Alaska and Idaho, the snares I make (made) for various Fish and Game agencies have a BAD in the loop, and it breaks pretty consistently at 700-750 lbs (that's tested on a tensiometer, not the manufacturers "advertised" break-away poundage). The 7/64" or 1/8" 7X7 cable had far too many chew-outs for me. Good to see they're not requiring a BAD for wolves in WI.

Also, I would add, I agree with Viking; I'd use footholds where possible rather than cable.

X3. Those restrictions would lead me to footholds on a drag.

I’m using 7/64 1x19 with the #12 swivel. No BAD per regs. Setup similar to snare shop’s version but I don’t like their terminal swivel. Idk if I’d trust a standard snare swivel on a wolf rig....your setup is only as strong as the weakest link.

Once you get an earth anchor under the frost line, it goes nowhere. The no entanglement rule sucks but that’s what we have available.

All of my wolf size footholds are setup for beaver and not prepped for K9 trapping or I’d plant those too.

First I need a tag!!

You AK boys are living the dream...I love reading about your adventures! Thank you for sharing your experiences.

I use 7/64 cut at 68 inches with a cam lock and 5 feet of number 9 seems to work pretty good

Good thread.

Curious how you plan to attach the swivel, BvrRetrievr.

Here's how the swivel on my wolf CR is attached. Each attendee at the 2014 Wi Wolf Trapper Ed course course got 1 of these CR's for free.

Those restrictions on anchoring a snare (cable restraint) are the most ridiculous thing I have seen in a long while!

I wonder if whoever dreamed that nonsense up has any idea of what that will result in? I'd guess not!

Is their objective to have a bunch of wolves wearing snares around their necks running all over the countryside?

Pete

That was my thought exactly !

How would you do it different?

They need to allow you to at least tie it off to a tree. But they are no doubt afraid the wolf will wrap the cable around the tree before you get there.

I just wouldn't mess with cable at all

Proper rebar and/or chain earth anchors would hold it fine. The issue would be the no entanglement, or chewing. Or I suppose another issue is it could pull hard enough to pull off the swivel at the end, but I don't worry about adequate staking being the issue, not in our frozen ground.

How often do you have to check them ?

Daily.

They allow them to be 10' long, but I'm unsure of the benefit of them being that long.

Your all input is appreciated. We haven't really done this before for wolves much, b/c past seasons typically closed prior to Dec 1st when CR's become allowed.

I had this same thought, but since they have mandatory 24hr check it would probably be less of an issue.

I find the whole "cable restraint" issue for wolves fairly entertaining.

Alaskans may recall the big uproar in the media when Gordon Haber, Friends of Animals and the Anchorage Daily News photographer exploited the pictures of the Moody Creek wolves (20A) caught in snares.

The issue that the anti-trappers were able to exploit so extensively was that "the snares did not kill the wolves cleanly!"

And now a fish/game department is MANDATING that wolves not be killed cleanly!

Pete

The reason snares aren't allowed in Wi is to avoid the killing of incidental catches.

Of course.

And the RESULT is that wolves will not be killed cleanly!

Pete

I would shorten up those CRs to about 7 feet. by doing that they won't be able to get up much of a run. And that will also keep you out of some entanglement issues.
But with the entanglement thing If you cut down the brush that is bigger then 1/2" then just leave It laying around. And since It's not rooted anymore you should be OK. But of coarse the more disturbance the less chance for a catch.

I haven't tried building a "clear cut" to snare wolves yet.

But I cannot imagine that that sort of disturbance would not alert AK wolves that "something was amiss!" We normally try desperately not to disturb an area around a set.

Perhaps you could get away with it on WI wolves?

Pete

Good points.

Pete, if we cut any brush, we are allowed to stick it back in the ground, and it's legal (I think) so long as it is not rooted, but I'd have to read the regs on that again. We, too, try to create minimal disturbance.

I kinda wonder if the theory behind the 10' wolf CR is that there might be less chew outs b/c there's more cable for the wolf to chew on.

Part of my concern is whether the 2 1/2" deer stop would work for elk. 'Lotta elk where I am at.

Do you have to "draw a tag" for wolves, there?

Yes, & it is very hard to get a tag.

Man, I don’t know how you do it with only 5’ of support wire. I made the mistake of making a bunch of them and was highly disappointed when trying to set. 8 out of 10 times they were 2-3’ short when setting. I use 1/8x19 with 8-10’ support wire. Which are working good for my terrain..

I would spend the money on 4-6 wolf traps, even MB-750 wolfers. They are very reasonably priced, and, in my opinion, much more likely to catch a wolf than snares, given your ridiculous rules.

I agree with those who advocate using traps instead restraints for your season. The traps would eliminate weaving through the nonsensical regulations you have mentioned. Chew out potential would be eliminated also.

Good luck getting after the wolves!

Thanks for all the input, guys.

For all practical purposes, our season is winding down. It was open for a mere 34 hours before the DNR announced they were closing down 2/3rds of the state due to getting close to the quota. That just goes to show the actual number of wolves running around our state.

I feel sorry for anyone who drew a tag and attempted to trap one during this condensed season. After the dust settles, it will be interesting to see the harvest data but I doubt many (if any) were trapped in the three zones they already shut down.

I have no idea how many wolves you guys have but........I suspect the harvest indicates just how habituated to human activity your wolves are rather than how dense the population is.

If you get to have additional seasons I think you'll find the wolves wise up a bit.

But at least you managed to get one season on the books

This is our fourth season. But it's been about 7 years since the last one.

Oh that's right ! I forgot about the previous ones. I have a friend who raises hogs near Pittsville and he had a few taken on his ground a few years ago.

I agree. I think your wolves will wise up fairly quickly. Then again, with your "season" being measured in hours and minutes, maybe not!

Pete

Thanks for the input.
Keep in mind most Wisconsites likely rely mostly on footholds (oftentimes MB650s) and then hang CR's once they have their footholds out. And in many cases, cable restraints are placed in areas where trap theft is of high concern.
In our 'normal' wolf seasons, most zones filled (closed) before we were allowed to put out CR's or MB750s (Dec 1st).
1 thing I'm pondering about 10' cables is that it would be tougher to easily release incidentals with such a long cable I bet.
Ps.
UPDATE: ALL Wi wolf zones are closing today. The state went way over quota. So to summarize, all the zones allowed trappers only 2 nights

Well I know at least a couple got trapped. A friend of mine who lives there sent me pictures of ones a group he knows got, 2 trapped and 3 with dogs as of yesterday and then a black one this morning but I don't know if it was trapped or shot.

I'll try to post the breakdown once DNR posts the results, as far as how many got taken by hounds, hunting (bow v gun), CRs, footholds, and foot snares.

Wi trappers are very proficient wolf trappers, but not many Wi folks have experience pursuing them with cable.