2020 wolf hunts/trapline with Babine
Contributors to this thread:Small Game
From: Babine Guide
01-Nov-19
I know it's a little early to start this thread but a couple days ago a client shot this wolf with me and I figured it's a perfect time to start. We probably won't start trapping with clients till January 1st unless we get someone who wants to start a trip Dec. 15th. There is 1 more opening in January and 1 in February too. We expanded our area that we were trapping last year for wolves and we quite successful in those areas so we are going to continue to trap those areas this year. In the next couple weeks I will start pre-baiting some of the sites.
From: fubar racin
01-Nov-19
A favorite thread every year!
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
01-Nov-19
Excellent, can't wait to follow this annual thread!
From: Scar Finga
01-Nov-19
MAN... this is so on my bucket list!!!!
From: kota-man
01-Nov-19
Awesome Lloyd...You guys are on my "short list" to schedule that trip sometime.
From: jdbbowhunter
01-Nov-19
Will be following this , great thread every year!
From: Ambush
01-Nov-19
^^^ except you “.. don’t have a thing to wear..”
Good luck on the wolves fellas! Are lynx holding up? Saw one way up top of Cronin trail in late September
From: Babine Guide
01-Nov-19
There still seems to be a good number of lynx. The rabbit numbers seem to be down so the lynx numbers might drop in the next year or two if the rabbit numbers don't go up next year. There is a ton of mice this year though so the marten numbers should be good.
From: lewis
01-Nov-19
Great thread good luck Lewis
From: RK
01-Nov-19
Do your Lynx eat a lot of mice also. Our Bobcats, even the big ones eat a lot of mice and wood rats
From: Shiras42
01-Nov-19
Always follow this one!
From: Babine Guide
05-Nov-19
I have seen lynx hunt for mice before. They also eat lots of grouse and this year there was a big grouse hatch.
From: Babine Guide
11-Nov-19
Here's another wolf that one of our moose hunter got yesterday. He also shot a moose a couple hours before he got the wolf. This wolf is from a new pack that moved in.
From: Franklin
11-Nov-19
Did you photoshop his college graduation pic in....just kidding....your client takes a great pic for being in the bush. Can`t wait to see more pics.
From: Babine Guide
23-Nov-19
Here's a picture of a wolf that one of our guides called in for a client during a moose hunt earlier this fall. If anyone is interested on going on a wolf hunt/trapline trip this winter we still have a couple opening. Jan. 22-27 and Feb. 1-6.
From: BULELK1
24-Nov-19
Prolly my fav thread of the year------->
I sure enjoy reading thru them over the years.
Good luck, Robb
From: Medicinemann
24-Nov-19
Have you ever had an archer kill a wolf up there? If so, were they hunting over a carcass, a trail, by calling?
From: Medicinemann
24-Nov-19
From: Babine Guide
24-Nov-19
we have never killed one with archery equipment. It would be pretty tough to get done. The first wolf first wolf I shot I called into 35 yards and shot it with a rifle and I know Jack called one in while Ptarmigan hunting and shot it with a shotgun. Everything would have to line up perfect.
From: steve
24-Nov-19
I look forward to this thread every year !
From: Pat Lefemine
25-Nov-19
Me too. I can’t believe you have two openings. If I wasn’t booked on a coyote hunt I’d be all over that! Good luck!
From: Babine Guide
26-Nov-19
Today I started pre baiting a couple wolf stations to get them starting to use the sights. 2 of the 3 sights had wolf tracks already at them. I seen 1 spot where there was a wolverine crossing and lots of lynx tracks today too. I won't set any snares till around Christmas time. We have a hydro crew staying at the lodge right now who are doing line clearing. They are using a helicopter to get to there sights and they came back with video of 7 wolves on the ice by one of our cabins that we normally set bait by and hunt out of. I wasn't going use that cabin this year but that changed my might. Tomorrow I'm going to going set some more bait and maybe hunt for a beaver for lynx bait.
From: Beginner
26-Nov-19
I too enjoy this thread very much.
From: Rupe
27-Nov-19
Great thread. Beautiful animals. Especially the black phase wolf in the snow.
From: The last savage
29-Nov-19
That black wolf is crazy beautiful!!!
From: Bou'bound
29-Nov-19
Any more pictures of that wolf
From: dakotaduner
02-Dec-19
Sent my deposit and paperwork today. This thread has been my favorite for years and now my uncle and I are going together in February 2021. This South Dakota kid now at the age of 50 is going to check one off my bucket list. Thank you to the Bowsiters I reached out to for information about their trips.
From: dm/wolfskin
22-Dec-19
More snow this year so far?
From: Babine Guide
24-Dec-19
It's going to be an interesting winter. We haven't gotten much snow yet, hopefully it don't all come at once. We can still drive with the truck where we would normally be using snowmobiles. I will start setting snares out on the 28th. The first client flies in on Jan. 2.
From: HH
24-Dec-19
You can kill them with Primitive bow ?
K~
From: BIG BEAR
24-Dec-19
Go get em Lloyd !!!
From: Babine Guide
29-Dec-19
I started to set out snares today at one of the baits. I have 7 bait out and had wolves hit all of them in the last couple weeks. I'll set out snares at another station tomorrow. I have put out around 20,000 pounds of bait and probably have about that much more froze up.
From: Babine Guide
29-Dec-19
From: Babine Guide
29-Dec-19
From: Babine Guide
29-Dec-19
one of the baits that is set up for shooting wolves. All the bait had been cleaned up since the last time I was here.
From: Babine Guide
29-Dec-19
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
30-Dec-19
Getting closer! Can't wait to follow along with the first trappers.
From: Brotsky
30-Dec-19
I love seeing dead wolves and this thread never disappoints! Good luck to the trappers!
From: BIG BEAR
30-Dec-19
So you set up a bait site and then wait for the wolves to establish trails to the bait.... and then set snares on the trails ?? Or do you establish trails with snowshoes for the wolves to use. Excuse the newbie questions. Would that same setup work for coyotes ?? Are you using road kill as bait ?
From: Babine Guide
31-Dec-19
We set up the baits and use trails that the wolves are using to set the snares on. We also snowshoe trails and set the snares on those trails. Normally later in the season the wolves get smarter and start making new trails to the bait, then we'll set on those trails then too. By the end of the season it's normal to have 40 plus snares out at a bait station. We use road kill, scraps from the butcher shops, guts from the slaughter house, ect……….. Whatever we can get. We get coyotes and foxes in the same set up.
From: Goat Guide
31-Dec-19
Hope we see some Bowsiters at the Dallas Safari Club Show Jan 9-13 come by the booth and chat.
From: Babine Guide
31-Dec-19
Today I went and set another snare station. This one is set on an old brushed in road with snares set on the trails on the sides where the wolves are coming into the bait. The wolves have been hitting this bait hard. The whole area is packed down with wolf tracks. I put 25 snares out, the next time I go back I'll put another 10 or so snares out. The other day I had another cancellation so the client who arrives on Thursday is the only one that is coming this winter. If anyone wants to do this trip this would be a good opportunity. Next year only has 2 openings left.
From: rock50
03-Jan-20
We had a fantastic trip with Babine in 2014. Lloyd provides an experience unlike any other I have had.
Don't want to hijack his thread, but I did have a few pics of snares around the bait site set on the edges of Babine Lake, just down the shoreline from the lodge.
Our trip was in February, it seemed he had almost any gap between bushes covered with snares along the edge and back into the bush several yards.
From: Babine Guide
03-Jan-20
Today was Jim's first day. This is his 3rd trapping trip with me. Last year he got 4 grey wolves plus lots of other species. This trip he only had a black wolf on his list so we'll just concentrate on that. We finally got a big dump of snow overnight. Almost too much. It is needed though. We checked 2 wolf stations today. We got 2 wolves in 1 and 3 in the other, but guess what, no black. That's 9 grey wolves in a role for Jim.
From: Babine Guide
03-Jan-20
Thanks for posting a few pictures Mark.
From: Babine Guide
03-Jan-20
From: Babine Guide
03-Jan-20
From: Beav
04-Jan-20
That thing is a beast! Congrats!
From: RT
04-Jan-20
Nice. Get most of them.
From: Babine Guide
06-Jan-20
The last couple days we spent time checking baits that we haven't set snares at yet. One of them we put out about half a dozen snares and another spot we put out 20. Last night we stayed at one of the cabins that the wolves were hitting the bait last week. There was no sign from the last couple days. We did see 2 lynx on the drive over to the cabin that we could have shot but Jim didn't get a lynx tag. Tomorrow we're going to try a different cabin that has been baited for a couple weeks now and set some snares there.
From: skinner creek
07-Jan-20
Great job as usual!
From: BULELK1
07-Jan-20
Exciting!
Luv this thread
Good luck, Robb
From: Goat Guide
08-Jan-20
The Dallas Safari Club show starts tomorrow at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center! Come down and see us at our Babine Guide Outfitters booth #1455.
From: Babine Guide
08-Jan-20
Last night we stayed in one of the outpost cabins and we checked a lynx set that we set out on the first day.
From: Babine Guide
08-Jan-20
One of our guides come with us to the outpost cabin and he got a shot at a lynx on the road on the way there. I'm sure the gun was off because the lynx is still running.
From: Babine Guide
08-Jan-20
No wolves at the cabin this morning. I think they have a kill somewhere else because there was no sign of them being around for a while. On our way back we checked a wolf station that we got 2 wolves in on the first day and we got this coyote there today.
From: Babine Guide
12-Jan-20
Yesterday I went out and checked 2 wolf stations. The first one has had wolves hitting it all season but they have been alluding the snares so far. I put out more bait and 5 new snares on the new trails that they had made to the bait. The second station there was a singe wolf that had tracks on the outside of the snares but didn't go in. When I checked the snares I had a wolverine in one of the snares and looked like one other wolverine hanging around. I also went to one of the cabins to look for my phone that I lost but I didn't find it. I think it's under 3 feet of snow. When I got to the cabin there was a wolf lying out on the bait. Of course I didn't bring a rifle in on the snowmobile. I wasn't going to bait this cabin anymore because we have know more clients coming but after seeing all the wolf sign that showed up I went back out to the truck and brought more bait in.
From: Babine Guide
13-Jan-20
From: Babine Guide
13-Jan-20
The wolverine from yesterday
The wolverine from yesterday
From: Babine Guide
14-Jan-20
I'm glad we don't have a trip this week because it's minus 40 this morning
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
14-Jan-20
Minus 40 doesn't sound fun but I sure wish I could be there checking the line with you. Please keep posting pics. Really enjoy following your season. Jeff
From: SBH
15-Jan-20
Brrrr!
From: Babine Guide
19-Jan-20
Today Jen and I went out and checked 2 wolf stations and put out a bunch of more bait at one of the cabins. We ended up getting a wolverine and coyote at the 1st station.
From: Babine Guide
19-Jan-20
From: Babine Guide
19-Jan-20
The second snare station didn't have anything in it. After checking that we continued to the cabin to put out more bait there. When we got there we seen a lynx feeding on the bait. I got Jen to sneak around to one side of the bait where she could get a shot at the lynx. She made a perfect shot at the big tom. She wants to get it mounted and put it in her office. (tomorrow night we're going to cook a front should in the instant pot for dinner)
From: Babine Guide
19-Jan-20
From: Medicinemann
19-Jan-20
How tall is Jen? That Lynx is almost as big as she is.....
From: Babine Guide
19-Jan-20
Jen is 5'4. It was a big cat, probably been eating on the wolf bait there for quite a while.
From: Babine Guide
23-Jan-20
I'm looking at a wolf right now out of the window.
From: TrapperKayak
23-Jan-20
Pretty cool stuff. Wild country, I'd like to experience that...
From: Babine Guide
26-Jan-20
Today I checked a couple more Wolf stations. In the first one there was a Lynx feeding on the bait. It stayed close the whole time I was fixing the snares. There was also a nice wolf in one of the snares too.
From: Babine Guide
26-Jan-20
I also got a wolf in the second station. Tomorrow I'm going to go check a couple more Wolf stations and add more bait to the cabin site.
From: Babine Guide
27-Jan-20
Yesterday I didn't get anything in the wolf stations but I did see another lynx on one of the wolf baits. I pulled those snares and will sett them back out in about 10 days. I baited everything up real good, added some bait to where I'm going to put out some wolverine and marten sets at the beginning of Feb. when we have 2 more clients coming.
From: Babine Guide
06-Feb-20
Gary and Craig arrived just in time to have lunch and go put some more out where we're going to do our morning hunt. We walked the last 200 yards to the spot we would should from just in case there was a wolf on the bait. There was wolf tracks on the walk there. When we got to the bait and there was a coyote on it. I told Craig that he could take it if he wants. When he shot the coyote didn't drop. When we got back we checked his rifle on paper. It ended up being 6 inches high at 200 yards. That's a good reason to always check your rifle after traveling. (glad we practiced on a coyote and not a wolf)
From: Babine Guide
07-Feb-20
There wasn't any wolves on the bait this morning, just a coyote. We decided to let it go in hopes that a wolf was around for tomorrow. We checked 2 wolf stations after breakfast. Nothing in the snares in the first one but we did see a lynx feeding on the bait. It snuck away on us at first but we waited for about a hour and it came back out before we left. Craig was able to get a shot at it.
From: Babine Guide
07-Feb-20
In the second wolf station we ended up getting this coyote.
From: Babine Guide
08-Feb-20
Today we didn't have any sets to check. We set out a few lynx and marten sets and put more bait out at one of the cabins. On the way home stopped at 2 spots and set out the call to see if any lynx were around. On the second spot after about 10 minutes we could see a lynx coming (500 yards away at the end of the straight stretch. It got to about 200 yards and cut off in the bush just about the time the batteries died in the call. We waited about 5 minutes and then we slowly made our way towards the call. When we got there Gary said there it is. The lynx was about 15 yards in the trees looking at the call. Gary made good shot straight in the chest.
From: Babine Guide
08-Feb-20
From: Babine Guide
08-Feb-20
Just before we got back to the lodge we seen a few ptarmigan fly up in front of the truck. They landed a couple hundred yards down the road. We found one of them and Craig was able get a shot on it with the 20 gauge. He made a perfect shot for a mount only hitting it with a couple pellets.
From: kota-man
08-Feb-20
Good stuff...
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
10-Feb-20
Keep after em!
From: Babine Guide
12-Feb-20
Last night we set up a few snares on a bait that we were hunting and got this fox in one of the snares. (big one) We also missed a big grey wolf this morning too. (The scope wasn't set to the right distance.)
From: Babine Guide
12-Feb-20
Yesterday we got this big lynx in a wolf snare. We also seen a lynx on the road but the guy both already filled there lynx tag.
From: Babine Guide
12-Feb-20
The other day we found this moose that was hit by a logging truck so we picked it up to put on our wolf bait.
From: Babine Guide
12-Feb-20
When we stopped we seen a coyote that was about 150 yards away that must have been feeding on the moose. Craig laid across the snow bank and made the a good shot at a running coyote.
From: Babine Guide
12-Feb-20
We have 3 baits that the wolves are hitting so the next few mornings we're going to try to shoot a wolf off them. We will also make sure all our lynx sets are pulled because the 15th is the last day of lynx season.
From: Rgiesey
12-Feb-20
Really enjoy this thread! Looks like a great adventure
From: deserthunter
12-Feb-20
Do you see a decline in the number of wolves ? I have followed this thread for a few years and really enjoy it . Seems like you slay a bunch every year so just curious about the population.
From: Babine Guide
14-Feb-20
At the start of the year I would have said that the wolf numbers were way down but in the last few days we have noticed a bunch of wolves hitting the baits. Now that we're all done with the trips the wolves have arrived. Might see if anyone wants to come in for just a wolf hunt. Today we finished pulling the lynx sets and got 2 more. Tomorrow is the last day of lynx season.
From: Babine Guide
14-Feb-20
From: Babine Guide
14-Feb-20
otter that we got the other day on a set that was under a bridge.
From: Babine Guide
20-Feb-20
This morning in a snare. Now that all the clients are gone I'll try to get a few more wolves before the end of the season.
From: Babine Guide
22-Feb-20
A little better day checking snares. The wolves seem to be moving in
From: Babine Guide
22-Feb-20
From: Babine Guide
22-Feb-20
From: Ambush
22-Feb-20
Saving moose. One wolf at a time!
From: Rupe
23-Feb-20
Absolutely loved seeing all these pictures and following along. Thank you for sharing your adventure.
From: Eric Vaillancourt
27-Feb-20
I just booked for 1/3-1/8 2021. I am really looking for a wolverine. What a great adventure.
I have been watching this thread for years.
It was time to stop being a spectator.
Take care.
From: JTreeman
27-Feb-20
Good luck Eric! Will be looking forward to your reports.
—Jim
From: Babine Guide
28-Feb-20
Not just moose that are being saved. In one of the mountains that we goat hunt in for years we came across where a pack of wolves had there den. It was close to where there was a nursery herd of goats that at one time we had counted 48 animals in it. That number started going down to 28 and then the group broke into small groups of 5-10 goats together. After about 10 years of trapping wolves at the base of the mountain in the winter the wolf denning site was no longer used. I don't know for sure if it was because we trapped that pack of wolves out or if it was because the food source was less there. In the last goat count conducted by the ministry on that mountain the goat numbers went up by 20% from the last survey.
From: Ambush
28-Feb-20
You guys get ten thumbs up from this BC hunter!!
From: Babine Guide
04-Mar-20
couple coyotes from last weekend.
From: Babine Guide
05-Mar-20
a couple test trees
a couple test trees
This is in the area that we want to do the job and as you can see the young willows in the area have been over browsed
This is in the area that we want to do the job and as you can see the young willows in the area have been over browsed
This was taken a couple months after hinging. It shows how fast and thick the feed comes back after hinging
This was taken a couple months after hinging. It shows how fast and thick the feed comes back after hinging
One of the things we are doing that kind of goes with trapping wolves is putting together a willow hinging job. About 10 years ago we did a willow hinging job that was about 325 hectares. We are trying to get another one started for March of 2021 at least as big. The idea of willow hinging is to create more younger shoots of willow to grow up through the stump of an old fallen willow tree that isn't giving any feed to the moose anymore. If you hinge the willow then there will also have new shoots grow on the trunk of the fallen tree creating up to 10 times the feed.
From: Goat Guide
05-Mar-20
Me and Crystal went out to our new outpost camp to build a new skinning and meat shed. We also have been keeping a bait pile out in front of the cabin and I was lucky enough to shoot this amazing wolf. It almost has a blue silver tinge to it. Looking at his colors and thick fur was a little overwhelming as I stared at him where he lay from the shot. This will be my first lifesize!!!!!
From: Goat Guide
05-Mar-20
The next morning before I skinned it out. It took a while to skin because I would sit and look at it time to time. The canine teeth were wore halfway down, old male.
From: leo17
05-Mar-20
By far the prettiest wolf I’ve ever seen. Congratulations
From: HuntnBigGame
05-Mar-20
Great Pics and That's sure is gonna be a nice Mount Congrats!!
From: Ucsdryder
05-Mar-20
Wowwwwww!!!!! Beautiful
From: elkmtngear
05-Mar-20
Damn, that Silver Wolf is incredible!!
From: Smtn10PT
06-Mar-20
That is an amazing creature, a lifesize mount is definitely in order! Congrats
From: scott7030
06-Mar-20
That's a great looking wolf. I never thought I would like another color more than black, but that one tops a black wolf any day.
From: bigswivle
06-Mar-20
My lord what a wolf
From: iceman
06-Mar-20
Wow! Beautiful wolf right there!
From: trakman
06-Mar-20
That is a good one.
From: BOWNBIRDHNTR
06-Mar-20
Oh wow.....incredible wolf, congrats!!!
From: Goat Guide
13-Mar-20
Back to working on the skinning shack at the new outpost camp and 2 more wolves came into the baitpile. One was a big black one which I missed with the first shot and hit this smaller one after three more shots. At least 2 off the shots should have been easy, checked the gun, it was me, getting wolf fever.
From: SBH
16-Mar-20
Love it! Strong work!!
From: Babine Guide
18-Mar-20
This morning I shot this female wolf over the bait. The hair on it is still real prime
From: OFFHNTN
18-Mar-20
My gosh.........that blue/silver wolf is amazing!!!
From: Babine Guide
22-Mar-20
I pulled 3 of the 6 wolf snare stations this weekend that I have out. I got 2 more wolves and 3 coyotes. One of the wolves was rubbed real bad on the back, I don't think I have ever seen one quite that bad. The rest of the body had great hair, must have had a bad itch.
From: Babine Guide
22-Mar-20
From: Babine Guide
22-Mar-20
one of the coyotes
one of the coyotes
From: Babine Guide
25-Mar-20
A Lynx that's on the bait over at one of the cabins.
From: Babine Guide
25-Mar-20
Otter infront of the lodge
From: Babine Guide
26-Mar-20
Pulled the rest of the snares today and got 2 more wolves and 2 coyotes
From: Babine Guide
01-Apr-20
The schools are still closed so the kid's and I stayed out at one of the cabins. This Lynx was on the.
From: Babine Guide
01-Apr-20
Bait infront of the cabin.
From: Babine Guide
01-Apr-20
March 31 is the last day that we're aloud to use snowmobiles in the use of supporting hunting in our area so we had use use the ranger with tracks to get to the cabin. Trapping wolves is closed but we can still hunt them.
From: HuntnBigGame
02-Apr-20
Awesome trapping work, and Great Pics
From: HuntnBigGame
02-Apr-20
Awesome trapping work, and Great Pics
From: HuntnBigGame
02-Apr-20
Awesome trapping work, and Great Pics
From: CurveBow
05-Apr-20
Congratulations on your productive season!
