2015/2016 Wolf Hunt/Trapline Trips
Small Game
Contributors to this thread:
Goat Guide's Link
It's the start of a new trapping season and we have seen lots of wolf and lynx tracks while baiting the snare stations the last couple weeks. We did tear down our old lodge and replaces it with this new one this summer and it came out awesome. From tear down to spending our first night in the new lodge was 68 days, 2 days before 2 bowsiters came on a goat hunt.
Yesterday was the first day of the trip for Dennis and while he walked down to the bait station with Lloyd to try and shoot a wolf they found this cow moose that fell through the ice during the night. It took some work but we managed to pull it out of the hole and drag it to the bait station.
The first day had no luck with the wolves but it was a great day for trapping lynx. Here is Dennis with the first of 2 lynx from yesterday.
And his second. This one was much bigger and it looks like they both may get life size mounted together.
They also caught a large weasel beside the lynx pen from the second cat. As I post this the guys are walking down the lake to check a bait station for wolves but so far I have seen no sign of any shooting but hopefully something will be in the snares they set yesterday around the moose that fell through the ice. We will do our best to keep this thread updated daily while clients are in camp.
Hey I've been looking forward to this! I'll be following along daily. Thanks a lot for the time and effort you spend sharing this with all of us.
Hey Jack...Always look forward to your threads. I would love to do this trip sometime.
Cory
Love this thread!
Hey Jack how did Robins goat hunt go?
Looking forward to this. I would love to do this trip in the future!
I look forward to this thread each year. Best of luck this season!
WOW
Jack, the lodge is awesome!
The trapline trip in February,2014 was one of my best ever trips.
My favorite thread of the year. My dream trip someday.
The night of day 2 we spent out at one of our cabins hunting wolves over bait. There was lots of sign but in the morning nothing was around. We checked out a snare station that was close to it and had some bad luck with the snares freezing up. 3 of the snares were knocked over by wolves but the locks were froze up. Later that night we walked over to another bait and Dennis shot this coyote.
We also got 2 more lynx and 2 marten yesterday. We pulled most of our lynx sets yesterday and will reset them after Christmas again.
Your new Bowsite 'club house' looks fantastic!!!!
Thats alot of lynx in short time there population cycle on the upswing?
Oh yea, my favorite thread of the year!!!
Brettpsu, we only went up the mountain for one night with the family and we got hammered with 8inches of snow. Lucky that we had a cabin to sleep in like the one during your goat hunt this year. On the way out we did see goats but they were about 4 hours away and we had to get the kids back to school.
Awesome! Been watching for this thread!
Here's double in one lynx pen yesterday. Yes Huntcell the lynx seem to be at a high. A few years in a row of good rabbit and grouse populations I'm sure had something to do with it
wow you guys sure do catch a lot of lynx up there. Thanks for sharing your adventures with us.
Is Lynx similar in taste to Mountain Lion?
Sorry for the delay on the update, Dennis flew out yesterday and in the last minute panic of Christmas shopping I forgot. Medicinemann I have never tried mountain lion but I can tell you lynx goes perfect with your morning eggs. We spent the next day checking traps on the way to our outpost camp to hunt wolves. There was lynx sign everywhere in the fresh snow but after catching 6 we have all the lynx traps pulled. No luck with the wolf snare station today but Dennis did catch 2 nice marten that will be going home with him. This one was extra large and orange in color.
After spending the night in the cabin the only activity on the bait was a coyote which Dennis chose not to shoot hoping a wolf would come in. We then pulled this calf moose hit by a car to a snare station for one last check. This was the last day and we have high hopes for this snare station because during the last check snares were frozen with several knocked over and the bait was all eaten.
As we snowmobiled into the last snare station we started to have high hopes because there was fresh tracks. Then we became disappointed when we saw no tracks in the station and no wolves in the snares. Dennis said that when him and Lloyd checked the snares last that they set 4 more snares in the back corner of the station where they seemed to be coming in. Sure enough there was this mature female that got caught before even getting close to the bait. It is going to make a great lifesize mount and was an awsome way to finish the trip.
Love this thread every year!
Is that marten's coloration known as canary? One of the guys I stayed with in Wyoming when I went on my Mt. lion hunt trapped as well. I think he said about 1 out of every 100 marten they caught would be similar to that color. I think that's what he called them but not 100% sure.
You know winter is here when the Trap Line Thread appears! haha
Thanks so much for sharing every year.
Good luck, Robb
We have had a great start to this trip. Jack picked up the guys from the airport on a morning flight and they set and checked a few sets on their way out to the lodge. On the way out they got a lynx and a few weasels.
Always a good one to follow...
The next morning we when over to one of the cabins to hunt wolves. No luck on hunt over the bait, just a coyote there. We did get a wolf in a snare on the way over though. The next day we checked some more sets and got another wolf, lynx, a weasel and some more marten.
Great thread as always!!!
Thank you and keep it rolling!
Mark
Keep them coming I always look forward to this .
This is by far the best thread every year!!
Hey Lloyd, I know it is a lot of work, setting traps and taking photos but thanks for the story.
That black wolf is special.
my best, Paul
Are those 160s your using on the marten boxes?
Nctrapper. we're using 120 mag. for marten. They're plenty strong for marten and fisher. I even got a small wolverine in one once. Today was another successful day. We checked the line that the guys put out on the way back from the airport the first day. We got a wolf, 2 coyotes, 2 lynx, and 2 weasels.
Awesome! Glad hear things are going good since we left. We are in Dallas setting up the booth at the Dallas Safari Club show, hope to see some of you here. We are in booth 751. Jack
Do you guys do any other shows?? East Coast at all?
Machias: Dallas is the farthest East we go. Otherwise we do 3 shows in Washington. We got our 4th wolf of the trip yesterday and were able to get an otter and a few more marten.
a couple different coloured marten
Love this thread! Would love to do this trip. Lots of success, lots of smiles and everyday is an adventure.
I know your busy but PLEASE don't skimp on the pics and story telling. Look forward to this each year!!!!!
Yesterday I dropped the guys off at the airport. On the way it we seen a wolf on the road just as it was getting light. We almost got a shot off but another truck came around the corner at the time. That seems to be the way it happens. Yesterday I started baiting a new spot for a snare station. In about 10 days or so I'll get that spot set out for wolves. Today I'm going to set out a snare station down the lake. The ice on the lake seems to be frozen up good now.
Lloyd and Jack,
Great thread and pics as always!!!
A few questions when you have time:
-how Long do you have to run the baits before you start snaring?
-do you normally snare the same stations each year or do you have to move them?
-does the provincial govt set quotas or can you guys do that?
Thanks, Mark
Hi Mark, we don't have to run baits before we start snaring but at the start of the season we like to set baits for a while before we put any snares out to make sure all the bears have gone to bed. This year I had one bait that a Grizzly hit and I never did set any snares on it. We set the same sites every year. There is no quotas for trapping(except black bear)just seasons.
Jims first day started out with what everyone wants. We got this nice wolverine in a wolf snare.
We got 4 marten and 2 weasels today too
Thanks Lloyd.
Wolverines are incredible critters!
I saw one this past August in NE BC. He crossed 75 yards of shale slide faster than I could get my camera out for a pic!
Mark
Here is a photo of uniquely colored wolf (for my trap line anyway) that I snared a few days ago.
Gorgeous wolf. How tall are you? What would you guess that it weighed? Are you only using snares for wolves....or do you also use foothold traps?
That wolf ^^^^^^^^ is badass...!!!!
Love this thread and that black wolf is indeed gorgeous.
How does this work? Do these guys get to keep all the critters that they catch? Who would not love to catch a lynx, wolf and a wolverine in one trip?
Amazing stuff. Keep it coming.
Medicineman , I'm 6ft. Although the wolf looks large in the photo it is a female and likely only about 75 lbs. I've caught a few 120 pound males and they are indeed huge . Wolves are long legged ,long bodied and very lean plus the heavy fur all make them look bigger and heavier than what they really are. I live and run a small trap line in Saskatchewan . I use both snares and 750 leg holds . I catch mostly gray colored wolves , occasionally a Black or a white but this is likely the prettiest wolf I've ever caught . Thought I'd share it with you guys! Babiine .....your posts impress the heck out of me.
Thanks for the picture Jeff. The wolf trapping has been slow this week. Yesterday we went to one of the other cabins to hunt wolves over bait. No luck in shooting but I did see 2 wolves out on the bait at 2 in the morning. They didn't stick around till shooting light though. We did get 2 lynx and a coyote on the way over though.
When we got back to the lodge we checked an otter trap that we had set before we left. I think Jim was just as excited on getting the otter as the wolverine
I caught another different coloured wolf today. This one is an old female just shy of 90 lbs. I'll post a better photo once I get her thawed. Likely the most beautiful wolf I've ever caught.
Very unique wolf coloration!
Thanks for sharing with us every year.
Good luck, Robb
Today was another good day for lynx. We got 3, 2 big toms and a smaller one. We had wolves hit one of our baits but came in a way that we didn't have snares. They won't make in that way next time.
Tomorrow we're going to spend the night back out at the other camp and try our luck out at hunting wolves there.
Today was Jims last day. We had know luck on the wolves today but we did get a fox, 4 more marten and a weasel.
I'm holding you to a better photo of that female wolf
I would love to go back and do this trip again.
We had a big dump of snow the last few day and we've been spend the last couple days resetting all the snares. They should be working again now. We were able get lynx and some marten and weasels. This could be a challenging trapping week. Warm weather, snow and rain. Here's Chuck and a lynx.
I always like this thread. Mike
Yesterday we got another big tom. We also set out a new wolf station in an area that I've never trapped and made a new lynx pen. There was tracks of both in the area that we set up.
this thread starts my day keep it coming Thank you
Here is a better photo of the big female I catch a few days ago
Awesome thread, I would love to run a trapline like that some day. Great pics!!
Today we nice wolverine. This was #1 on Chucks list of wants.
We also got a couple more marten a weasel and 2 coyotes today.
Lloyd, have you ever lost a trapped animal to wolves? Sees like easy pickings for them.
Paul
Great thread! Keep the pictures coming! :)
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Chucks last day ended successfully. I'll post it tomorrow, right now I'm off skinning. Paul, we don't get lost animals to wolves. It seems like trapped animals mostly get damaged by birds. A lynx will come in and eat lynx though. And your marten, weasels and wolverines do sometimes chew on dead animals in the traps, not very often though.
This wolf was caught in the new station that Chuck and I set out a few days earlier.
Chuck said it stunk too bad and wouldn't hold it up for a picture so I had too.
We also got another big lynx and a second big wolf in the last set that we checked on the trip. Chuck is now on his way home and the next group starts Friday.
I would say the tough week turned out pretty darn good! Can't wait for the next week. As always, thanks for sharing everything. Jeff
Yesterday morning I picked Tina and Corky up from town and on the way out checked a few sets. We got these 3 lynx. We also picked up a road kill moose and deer while we were in town.
This morning we got these 2 wolves and a fox in a snare station up the lake. I'm not sure if we going to get out to check any more sets after lunch. Our plans got changed with some skinning.
After lunch we caught a coyote and a weasel.
Lloyd,this may be a dumb question but what do you do with those little weasel's and are they worth much?
ElStone, Lloyd sent one home with me and this is what I did with him.
I don't know what they are worth, but I do know he cost a lot $$$ to get mounted.
My Dad had these 2 little guys mounted. Both were from his trip with Babine.
Dale: weasels aren't worth much on the fur auction but if you already have caught them then you should skin them out. Even if you only get $5 for them. I think they use them for trim. They do make a nice mount. Mark yours looks real good. Here's a couple more lynx from this week.
This picture doesn't do the size justice but it's probably the biggest one we're caught this year. It also has 4 white feet.
Thanks for the replies guy's they do make very cool mounts. I just retired this month and am going to try and learn how to predator trap here in Pa. Thanks for this great thread every year. Dale
On Jon's first day we got 2 lynx, a wolf, a coyote and a weasel.
Here's a fox from yesterday
Anything going on up there?
Sorry everyone we got busy and never did any updates on the last trip. I didn't take any pictures with my camera, just with the clients. We got a couple wolves during the last trip and a big lynx on the last day of the lynx season. We also got a couple coyotes, some weasels and a few marten. I think Jack got the pictures from the last client before he left so I'll see if he can post them when he gets here tomorrow.
Here's a wolf and fox that I got this morning
a few marten from when I pulled the rest of the marten traps last week
I got the pictures from the last trip. Here's the lynx that we got on the last day that lynx was open
Here's a wolf that I got today. There is a few more that moved into one the areas.
Yesterday Jen and I went and checked a wolf station and got these 2 wolves.
I finally got the last of my coyotes and bobcats boarded today and then saw this thread. Makes me wonder how tough those wolves are to flesh compared to a coyote? Similar just a lot more to do? Also do you have any year end pictures of your fur put up from past years?
wolves are pretty much like coyotes but just a lot bigger. I find them not any harder. We don't board any wolves, only a few coyotes and lynx. We board mostly just marten and weasels. We have never taken a picture at the end of the season.
Here's a wolf the one of our guides shot off the porch in front of the lodge yesterday morning.