This my first year trapping Idaho and while I have extensive experience with coyotes, I’ve never trapped for wolves. I’ve done the wolf certification and attended the wolf conference last July. As December 1 nears I’m planning to get some sets out.

My question is do you have luck for wolves setting on location or on anecdotal information from landowners. I’ve caught lots of coyotes by setting on location without any sign. Several of the places I’m trapping are, according to the landowners, areas where wolves have frequented. So far I’ve only found one wolf dropping. Rain and hard ground has made finding tracks impossible. No snow yet.

I know they run a big circuit and I’m only three weeks into working this ground so they may not have come through recently.

Wolves like to travel roads. Alot more then some would believe.

Short answer is, yes. Longer answer, how reliable are your informants? Lots of people "see wolves" fairly regularly. I on the other hand spend well over 300 days a year in the woods and can count the instances where I have seen wolves while just out there (not specifically hunting for them, or not in my traps) on my fingers and have fingers left over. Also, how accurate are there descriptions of where the wolves frequent? If you learn wolf habits and have reliable information on where they are using, you can often pick out "wolfy" locations to set your traps.

PM me if you want, I've trapped them down close to your area in the past and may again this winter. But I'm heading out in about 20 minutes and don't know if I'll be around any internet until December.

Bearcat will help you out. My wolves are different that yours and they all act differently depending on what they encounter in their lives. Around here they avoid snowmobile tracks, lures etc. but a new pack moves in and I kinda start over. Set on sign, don’t try and pull them off their path, even by 20yds. Gonna hang some snares today.

The information comes from the ranchers who are living on the ground 365. Can they err in their assessments? Of course, but these are some solid folks who, in my estimation would know if they saw wolves or wolf sign. When three ranchers tell me the wolves travel through a specific area, right down to the field and patch of timber, I’m inclined to believe them.

My plan was to key on the field and woods roads on their properties, get in some sets at pinch points and focal points along the roads. Set on location. And plan on the long game.

I would listen to them and set whatever area they talk about really hard. Lace both side of the road/area they pointed out.

Snow is your friend when it comes to wolves. Watch the white movie and pay attention to all the little details they show you. Pee spots, kickbacks, interest in something already there, etc.

I would set footholds all along the road/area. Gang set them, 20-50 yards apart. I would not use lure at first. I would use bait though. I would also use pee post's every other set. So there is a pee post next to a flat set or dirt hole. Then another set then another pee post. You can catch a couple after you hold one nearby. They will usually hit the pee post if there is one already there. Now you have two wolves.

Then I would line 1-2 dozen snares on one side of the road and 1-2 dozen more on the other side of the road. 90 degrees from the road and all the snares in a line.

The snares will pay off for any wolves in the woods on the side and especially when you hold one in a foothold, you should get a few in the snares that mill around, like younger wolves or a mated pair.

If you have zero sign, listen to who lives there. Set hard and hold some traps back for when you have snow and they return. Then leave all your traps alone, and go set the sign they left for you. Add a few more snares and wait them out. Let the traps soak as long as you can.

If they are all on a road, put in a line of snares on each side, put a dirty glove on a stick in the middle of the road, eye level for them, they will not like it, they will leave the road and they will hit the snare line hard. Add lure as a last resort. You might find your wolves freak out over lure. If so, you have other trappers already teaching them. Then set all the trails blind with big footholds on drags. Leave the snares out and add more blind sets as the season goes. That is what I would do in Alaska. Watch the white movie and learn about your wolves, they will teach you what to do. Your last post is on target.

Thank you sir.

Exactly what super wide said. Also if you're trapping ranches, set all trails in/out of a fresh killed cow. Roads/trails and creeks/rivers are great to set along, especially once snow accumulates they use the path of least resistance

Marty, that breakland country is pretty big. I wouldn't worry too much about finding sign. Use the landowner provided info as your starting point and gang set those locations. Any ranch road or cow trail coming outta the bigger canyons will be good as will the connective country between canyons and along the rims. Consider your "long game" access (make it easy) and check from as far back as you can. Hit me up for more info, happy to help.

Thank you sir.