My year for predators
Contributors to this thread:Small Game
From: Hessticles
09-Jan-23
Archery Timber wolf
From: Hessticles
09-Jan-23
Canadian bear
From: Hessticles
09-Jan-23
Trapped another otter, we can only tag 1 otter a year in Nebraska
From: Hessticles
09-Jan-23
From: Hessticles
09-Jan-23
Thermal kills
From: APauls
09-Jan-23
Solid work Tanner!!!! Where did you end up for the wolf and the bear?
From: midwest
09-Jan-23
Nice work, Tanner...hell of a year!
From: Hessticles
09-Jan-23
From: huntinelk
09-Jan-23
Very cool with all the toothy critters
From: Hessticles
09-Jan-23
Bear and wolf was NW ontario
From: drycreek
09-Jan-23
That’s a big otter !
From: Chief 419
09-Jan-23
That bear looks like a jumbo. Did you get it scored?
From: Hessticles
09-Jan-23
Not yet, the hide is still in the bottom of the taxidermist freezer, it's gonna take 2 or 3 of us to get it out. The otter was 43", my otter last year was 49 or 50, can't remember. This is my otter from last year
From: Zbone
09-Jan-23
Hessticles - Otters being from the mustelid family, do otters stink or have an oder like ferrets?
From: Hessticles
09-Jan-23
They have a smell to them but I wouldn't say it's overwhelming
From: midwest
09-Jan-23
Cool mount!
From: Smtn10PT
09-Jan-23
Tell me more about the archery wolf!
From: Blue Buck
09-Jan-23
Pretty awesome! Congrats!
From: Hessticles
10-Jan-23
So the wolf doesn't really have a huge exciting story, but when we got their my friend said they have had wolf tracks at the bear bait so he thought I should get a tag. We got there and the tag was more expensive than I thought and didn't think I'd ever have a chance so I almost never got one, then my hunting buddy/taxidermist told me, "you know with your luck your gonna see one if you don't get a tag". So needless to say I got a tag. I sat I think 4 nights at the bait without seeing or hearing anything and it's some of the thickest forest I have ever experienced. I think it was the 5th night about 20 minutes before dark I caught movement and seen a big blocky white head peaking around a tree at me and kept throwing his nose in the air trying to wind me.
From: Hessticles
10-Jan-23
He must have felt a little uneasy about something so he moved off, about 5-10 minutes later I hear bones being crushed to my left. Apparently he found something to chew on, and let me tell you I don't usually get worked up until after the shot but this thing had my A** rattled. I was losing light fast and kept catching glimpses of him, when all of a sudden he started making his way back to the bait. It was getting dark in that timber fast. It was a good thing he was pure white, he came to about a basketball size opening and I drew back and released all in one motion and he dropped. I was freaking out and excited and then about 2 minutes later he picked his head up and looked me in the eyes and then tried dragging himself off with his front legs because I Apparently spine him. All I had for a 2nd shot was a facing me head shot with him looking around a tree. Nailed him smack dab in the middle of the forehead but didn't penetrate the skull and came out by his ear. Now he's super pissed and I'm trying to thread needles through super thick trees. I was taking any shot I could get to make sure he didn't get away.
From: Hessticles
10-Jan-23
5 arrows later he finally died. I got down to check him out, my first arrow nicked his spine and came out behind his off shoulder but it must not of been enough to kill him. There is no cell service so now I wait for my friend to pick me up, as I walk to the truck I'm kind of hiding my bow behind my body. My buddy says "show me your bow" and I said man you have no idea what I just did. He said "you just killed a booner bear didn't you" I said nope a pure white wolf. Needless to say I started coming off my high and almost got sick because I was so rattled haha. He had a couple cold beers waiting for me so that helped calm me down a bit. We got back to camp and still haven't told my outfitter friend about what just happened. We made up some story bout killing a bunch of grouse, and dropped the tailgate and he almost lost it. He said he has only ever heard of 1 other guy that has ever killed a wolf with a bow. We were all in disbelief. Then this is where it gets a little interesting...
From: Hessticles
10-Jan-23
We get him all measured up and skinned out and in the freezer. My outfitter friend got ahold of the lady that deals with checking in wolves, apparently some things had changed with the whole process of tagging one. She said I need to drive an hour to the ministry to get an export tag to be able to take it home, so while my buddy was hunting and fishing I went on a road trip. With it being a holiday that lady wasn't working so it took another lady a couple hours to track her down and figure out what I needed. Got the export tag and headed to camp. The last night I killed my giant bear. The next day we left for our 16 hr drive home. 5 hours into it we get to the border and stop at canadian customs to make sure we are legit to cross before we hit US customs. 2 hours later and alot of phone calls to wardens, we needed to still have a cites permit to cross, the first lady told us we didn't need it anymore but I guess she was wrong. So now what.... the guy we were dealing with at the border could tell how upset I was. He's like "I tell you what, I'll take it home and put it in my freezer until you are approved for the permit and then I will ship it to you"! In the end I got the permit and now my wolf is home! My taxidermist is gonna have his work cut out haha
From: Hessticles
10-Jan-23
All my nocks haha
From: Smtn10PT
10-Jan-23
I would call that story huge and exciting! Congratulations man!
From: TMac
10-Jan-23
Great story congrats on killing some fine predator specimens.
From: Z Barebow
10-Jan-23
Congrats on your 2022 & what an awesome story Tanner!
I had a similar experience in the 90's in MN. (Other than I could not let an arrow go due to fed protections.) Wolf came into bear bait at 10 yards. Congrats!
From: hdaman
10-Jan-23
I love the wolf story! The excitement and emotions were real! Congrats!
From: Nomad @ work
11-Jan-23
Nice!
From: M.Pauls
11-Jan-23
Unreal! Haha got a good chuckle out of that lighted nock pic
From: HUNT MAN
11-Jan-23
Good stuff
From: Old Reb
11-Jan-23
It was good of that guy at the border to offer to help you the way he did. It's nice to see that there are still good and honest people in this world.
From: Hessticles
11-Jan-23
Thanks guys, and yes I agree old reb
From: deerhunter72
11-Jan-23
It'll be hard to top that kind of success. Congratulations!!
From: t-roy
13-Jan-23
Dang! Heck of a year, Tanner! Congrats.
From: MA-PAdeerslayer
13-Jan-23
Awesome story tanner. I to got a chuckle from the nock picture! You got it done tho! Not many people can say they took a wolf with a bow. Nvm a white one!
From: hdaman
13-Jan-23
Great story! I also like the pic with lighted nocks. I've seen wolves 3 times while bear hunting and never was able to get a reasonable shot. Congrats on your success!
