And so it begins... update

60 lb female in a dirt hole set, mb750. Was out setting some stuff last Sunday and had wolves howling real close to me. Talked to them for a while hoping to see them and maybe put lead in one, but no luck. Unfortunately got a pup, hope the rest weren't learned up too well by it! Missed another one at a p post.

Very nice! Gotta ask what was in the dirt hole?

Way to go.Congrats

Great way to start Nate!

Tainted moose hide.

Alright!

That is a good start.

Interesting to see a northern guy using dirt holes also for wolves. I️ have had good success using them down here.

Way to go Nate, great way to start off the season. Be safe.

Right on Nate! I am looking forward to getting a few sets out when I get home from work.

This one was in a snare on a drag, hip caught. I think all the new snow made the snare too low. Good entanglement, so didn't go anywhere.

Nice!

Good job ,and thanks for the fine picture.

Way to go smalltime trapper!

Right on!

Healthy looking wolves,good job.

Been a little while since I updated this, had a good run yesterday so figured it was time.

A couple weeks back we picked up both these silvers on the same day. Pretty cool. One was in a wolf trail set, a little too much trap for him!



Got this nice cross in two snares at a bait station, one by the tail, one in the normal place.



Started targeting some cats, got this double a couple weeks ago. One trap at a cubby, the other on a trail. Got some other cats recently, they are looking real nice!



Yesterday we had a good New Years Eve outing. Got this real nice 32# tom, white toes on all 4 feet! The fox head in the cubby was something that I had found in the trail the week before. Couldn't tell exactly what happened, but he was pretty eaten up by some coyotes. Not in a set, must have run him down or something. I used what was left in a couple cat sets, worked on this beauty!



This guy is hanging around waiting for me to remake the set.



Got some marten and a couple fox on the run as well.



The real highlight tho was connecting on these wolves! All of these sets had been sitting for a month with no action anywhere close. We had a bunch of freeze/thaw stuff, snow mostly blew away, so they had to be reworked a time or two. Luckily they were in action when the party showed up! None of these were at the same set up.

First one is a 95# male in a #9 p post. Huge chest on this guy. Only had him by a couple toes in that 9, the dog was modded a bit short and pan tension could have been higher, I think those factors contributed to the somewhat marginal catch. Had several others with him, but they missed the snares, knocked one down. Hope they come back! We set some dirt holes with real stinky bait under those big spruce trees. Will be interesting to see if they work if the pack swings by to check this out again.



Next was this 90# female at a little bait station. Snare didn't lock up and got some bad water head. I set this station up along the road a couple years ago and this is the first luck I've had on it. Never know when it will payoff. Got a few snares around, and just throw off a little bait or some carcasses every now and then. Just something to try to pull them off the road if they happen by.



85# female at a #9 pee post. Full foot catch on this one. I think these last 2 may have been the last of the pack that we caught 2 from early in the season. Didn't appear to be any others with them, unlike the first one who had a whole pack with him.

We reset the same trap at the pee posts, assuming that with all the scent around the trap will just blend in with all the rest. Do you guys set a clean trap after connecting at a pee post, or just reset the one there?



Sled load of work there. The rest of the critters are on the other sled. That was my best day ever, hope the new year continues like the last one ended!



Happy New Year all, tight chains and good luck out there!

That is a awesome haul!!!! Congrats!

Nice job Nate! Thanks for the update. Always cool to see how it's going.
I need to post an update one of these days.

On the resetting wolf traps. I have reset traps many times at the same set.
One year I got three wolves, each a week apart, in the same trail set with same trap.

Keep up the good work on the wolves.

Nice work Nate. I agree with chickenmineron on resetting the same locations. Good luck in the new year.

ST you done good ! Thanks for the pics.Nice silvers and of course the wolves .

Nice haul,good bit of work allright to get the wolves skinned and boarded.

Nice! Pulling up to a wolf in three locations had to be a great feeling.

The Tanana Valley Trifecta!

Pete

They all look like good hair too !! Great job !

Way to go!

Congrats! That is a good run for sure!

Nice! You are going to be busy!

Awesome catches! Just finally set out a few traps the past week. Had to change bearings a few weeks ago, and had to change track the other week.

That last wolf had a healed up scar on a leg from a snare. Makes me wonder if it's the one that won a battle with a cat snare about 4 years ago.

Nice haul! Good looking wolves.

Nice work Nate, keep it up and great start to the new year.

WTG! Nice looking critters

Had another decent weekend, complete with some near misses. Got a couple more silvers, that makes four so far. My cross and silver catches have far outnumbered the reds the last few seasons.



Got a couple more cats, probably don't need to see more pics of them. Missed another by six inches at the shredded fox set where I got ol' white toes last week.

Had the wolves all over this pee post, this is where the male was caught last week. Trap was not quite in the right spot, I guess. They also went right past a couple dirt holes that were set with stinky bait and passed by. A bit of bad luck on these guys. Hope they come back, adjustments were made! This set is on the edge of a lake. There is a snared bait pile on one bank. I loop out onto the lake and make a pee post where the loop joins back into the trail. It makes a tear drop shape, I try to make that intersection where there is a big tussock. That becomes a pee post. Caught a couple wolves on this set, they hit one of the trails and find that clump.

That's neat on all the silvers you're getting.
Bummer on the wolves, it happens to all of us. Looks like you had a nice
covering of snow on the set too.

Pretty silver!

Thanks for keeping us up to date smalltime!

This 70 lb female makes number 6. #9 trail set.



Got another white toed cat, all 4 feet, same set I got the other one in. Must be inbred around there.



Got some foxes and yotes, shot a yote and called another one in this morning, so that's always fun. Did some calling the other night under the full moon, had a pair come in, winged one and trailed him until it quit leaking. Kinda hard tracking through the areas that are packed down with bunny tracks. Unfortunately never found it, which kinda sucks on many levels.

Nice work Nate. You are getting some beautiful fur this season. Those fox will bring good money at our auction.

Them silvers are beautiful I’ve only ever caught one silver fox. Wish I had kept it.

Way to go! I've tried calling quit a few times and have had zero luck!

Got a big dump of snow in my area last week, decided to pull most of the gear. Always kinda hard to wrap it up for the season, but gotta happen sometime. I've already got some plans for next season.

Got another tom with white toes on all four feet, third one like that this year.





Question for you big time wolfers, 5 of the 6 wolves I got this year were female. How's that affect the population going forward? I don't have tons of wolves around, but still seeing some tracks, so there are a few. I think I may have got the alpha pair in a pack I was into this year.

Not a big time wolfer but as long as 1 female is left in a pack then she will have a litter and replace some of the harvested population.

If you took the dominant female it will slow them down. Like Ryan said if there is a female left in the bunch she will breed eventually. I took 8 out of a pack of 9 or 10 and it took a couple of years before they built back up.

Beautiful lynx. I love white toes.

Cool lynx with the white toes!