Also, if you get a forward in your inbox of a "165-pound wolf" like I did today (and it does look big) in Wisconsin, learned from the hunter it's a legit kill but much smaller than listed.
I dont believe the 212lbs, but this is a very large wolf.
I have stated many times wolves will go over 100lbs in this state. Many more times I have been told to be full of crap they dont get that big. We have special wolves that never go more than 75lbs. There have been several taken that were real close to 100lbs officially. Have not heard of anything official larger than that. Dont know if this pic is actually WI or not. If it is I have no doubt this one to be over 100lbs. I can easily see some of them getting as large as their western cousins.
Not sure why folks are in such disbelief when we have coyotes that go over 50lbs. We have run coyotes that are larger than my hounds. Have seen wolves that make these 50-70lb hounds look like ankle biters in comparison.
There are some big scary critters in the woods!
Bowmania
The tags look like Wisconsin tags, I don't know what the other State's tags look like.
I seen on another site where the guy who killed that one with the buck had no weight, and was guessing around 140.
That one I posted had no other info on it. Daughter seen on facebook where it was now claimed to have been shot in Alberta.
Seen the pic of the 110lb one in WON toady. Have not had a chance to read story yet. BIG ANIMAL!!
It's also funny how everything is always a touch bigger in Hazelhurst. At least from the rumors I hear.
Bummer it is soon to be closed with so few taken. I have not traveled to far since the snow came. But, I have found more wolf tracks so far than in the last several years combined close to home. NOT GOOD!!
Including 147 taken in the early hunt (during the gun deer season there early last month) and 230 or so taken on depredation permits by trappers and farmers, the legal MN wolf kill is just shy of 500.
In Wisconsin, the legal kill (hunt/trap and depredation permits) and known illegal kills from the gun deer hunt is closing in on 200.
Minnesota will be doing its first extensive wolf population estimate in five years this winter. The last guess there was about 3,000 animals. It'll be very interesting to see if the number is closer to 3.5-4K this time around, even with the harvest.
In Wisconsin, let's see what they come up with. Anyone think the number will be "minus 200" from last winter? I'd guess that if they have enough staff and volunteers it'll still be at least 800.
Here's the info on wolves from the site:
WOLVES SUSPECTED AS ILLEGALLY KILLED
Seven wolves suspected as illegally killed were found dead during the 2012 gun deer season. This figure is preliminary pending investigation and animal necropsy to determine cause of death. Two of the wolf kills resulted in issuance of a citation for hunting wolf without a license.
Illegal wolf kill in recent years was 9 in 2006, 2 in 2007, 3 in 2008, 8 in 2009, 2 in 2010, and 7 in 2011. It appears this year that 3 wolves were found illegally killed in Wolf Management Zone 1 that was closed to coyote hunting in 2011, but open in 2012. In 2011, the number of detected illegal kills was also 3; from this limited sample, there is no evidence of a major increase of illegal kills. Suspected illegal wolf shootings and current status in 2012 included the following. (The AF or AM designation means an adult female or adult male greater than 2 years old.)
1. AM not collared, found dead 11/25/12 in Walworth County - carcass held for necropsy: Citation
2. AF not collared, found dead 11/21/12 in Oconto County - carcass held for biological sampling
3. AF not collared, found dead 11/18/12 in Bayfield County - carcass held for biological sampling
4. AF with collar 802F, found dead 11/19/12 in Price County - carcasses held for necropsy
5. AM with collar 832M, found dead 11/19/12 in Adams County - carcass held for necropsy
6. AF with collar 615F, found dead 11/19/12 in Bayfield County - carcass held for necropsy
7. AM not collared, found dead 11/25/12 in Dane County - carcass held for biological sampling: Citation
The big success was Wisconsin trappers, 20% of the tag holders accounted for 55% of the wolf harvest. Well done WI trappers!
Been seeing signs in different areas all fall. Can really see things now. More than ever in the past I have been asking, WHAT THE HELL ARE THEY DOING! I have never seen so much activity in and around houses. In 4 areas miles apart I have found them as close as 75yds from small subdivisions. Couldn't take tracks further for the obvious reason. I'm sure they are going right through. I know they do in a few. Like behind me in the St Germain subdivision. Seen them there first hand!
What will always baffle me. Is how naive, blind, and maybe even stupid. People are to what is lurking right out there back door.
What I know for sure. Is what I have seen so far this year is scaring the hell out of me.
Have an elderly lady that lives right at the entrance to one of my favorite hunting areas. She has about a dozen ankle biters. Had her put a fence around part of the yard few years back. To keep them safe. She would let them all run around. Couple times ran into a pack of the scary little things as they went for a walk about a mile or more away. Buddies got a good laugh once when I came out of the woods carrying 4 of them. Well, I stopped by her place a few weeks back. Checked, and repaired the fence. Then put flagging tape up every 10ft. When she seen it there was not a question to what I had done. It was one of those times you are shocked at what comes out of a little old ladies mouth! For a bit she was in denial they would get close. I pointed out the tracks 10yds past her fence. Then this 1/2 step from being a full bunny hugger. Was using kill about every 3rd word. At least this woman is realistic. So so many, would just say. They are not going to bother us. Yea right! They are just in your yard to admire the landscaping!
As of last night there were about 6 left in the 400 wolf quota and the DNR announced that the NW zone would close after today. (the other two zones were already closed.
Early on people on this site were saying how hard it would be to kill wolfs. Well, since every one of the three MN zones closed early for both seasons it wasn't too hard here. Wisconsin closed early too so it couldn't have been much harder there.
I didn't think that anyone that did a little homework would have too much trouble finding a place to fill their tag. I had several people I know that live in northern Minnesota contact me asking if I knew anyone with tags to send their way. I did arrange one connection but he had planed to go up there in the middle of next week. I warned him that would probably be too late. You snooze you loose.
Lets all hope that there are seasons in WI and MN again this year.
