Wolves at bear baits

[jkcmj]

While hunting on Saturday and Sunday of last weekend, I saw no bears, but did see wolves on both of my bear baits.

On Saturday a female wolf came in and spent 15-20 minutes working the bait pile and investigating my trail in, as well as my stand base. She never looked up at me, but I assume she new I was there.

The second day, Sunday, I moved to a new bait site 20 miles away, and again encountered wolves. A large male cautiously approached the bait, after 1st passing by 2 times on the back side. He tucked his tail and left the bait when he saw me reaching for my camera. There were also at least 2 young wolves that stayed mostly on the trail to my stand and in the brush within 10 yards for most of 1.5 hours just prior to dark. Trail cam photos indicate the wolves at this particular bait have been waiting for the bears to tear the logs and rocks away, then using numbers to force them off the bait and then cleaning it out. We use mostly grain and molasses based bait, along with some sweet stuff and apples, so I wouldn't think that would be a big draw for them, but obviously they are agressively taking over these bait sites.

Anyone else have issues with this? Or is this just due to an over abundance of wolves in the Ely, MN area I am hunting in?

[certified jumbo]

We were hunting near the cloquet area. We had 1 timber coming in to one bait station. It didn't seem to bother the bears. The day my buddy shot his bear the wolf was there 2 hours earlier. But it didn't seem like there was a pack of wolves. Just one.

[Bear55]

Cool vid, I wouldn't think grain and molasses would attract wolves but I guess if they are hungry anything will do.

[Matt Breuer]

No wolves for me this year, but I did have a few gray fox that would just gobble up the bait on a nightly basis after the bears moved on...

[mrklean]

last year bear hunting i had a wolf come in, look like he was going to the bait to but then he saw me

[Neiko]

My wife and I pulled up close to a bait site one year and while I was at the bait site she scream like she was getting murdered. I counted to 10 and then went to see what the problem was. She saw something fury about 10-15 yards in the woods. I went after it to see and it was a young wolf pup. I LMAO at her.

[Steve Foss]

Neat vid. Thanks for sharing it.

All the large predators are opportunists, and wolves are well known to eat berries and other non-meat items. As for using numbers to drive a bear off a bait site (or off a kill), that's normal wolf behavior, too. If you've got an advantage, use the advantage. Most predators large or small will hit a bear bait station if it's got something they're interested in.

I don't bear hunt, so as to whether it's happening more often now than it used to, you'd have to rely on someone who has been bear baiting for a long time to offer some evidence from their personal experiences.

I do wonder if the video age, with trail cams and digicams, seems to give incidents like these added significance.

Good luck on the hunt!

[jkcmj]

I know what you mean steve about video and trail cams making things appear as though it is new, when it likely has been going on for some time. I usually hunted 20-30 miles to the West, Near Tower, but this season am hunting south and East of Ely. I had trail cams out for several years by tower, with no wolves seen, but I did not use them on the marginal hit baits, where logs were seldom moved much. It could be that we had wolves hitting several of these and just never knew it.

Although in hunting that area since 2002, I have never seen a wolf while on stand, and while hunting my very 1st weekend around Ely, I see nothing but wolves on two different stands, so I assume they are a bigger issue in the Ely area regardless.

[Steve Foss]

Although in hunting that area since 2002, I have never seen a wolf while on stand, and while hunting my very 1st weekend around Ely, I see nothing but wolves on two different stands, so I assume they are a bigger issue in the Ely area regardless.

It could be so indeed.

Or it could be you just hit it unlucky, with dispersed members of the same pack hitting your baits, or baits in two different wolf pack territories being nailed.

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the idea that wolves, which have not been hunted/trapped for decades, have started to lose their fear of people. I think this is true, and may explain why you're getting wolves over bear baits while you are present.

Interesting topic, and much to think about.

[kelly-p]

Quote:

One thing that hasn't been mentioned yet is the idea that wolves, which have not been hunted/trapped for decades, have started to lose their fear of people.

Very good point. When I was way, way younger and it was still legal to hunt and trap wolves if a wolf smelled a track in the snow and it was human the wolf would jump 6 feet off to the side. Now they follow human tracks. We are seeing wolves on the baits here this year for the first time ever. My feeling is that it is a loss of fear and hunger as the only deer left are right around the people.

[Random guy]

From the start of baiting to yesterday I have seen 34 wolves with the naked eye mid day as they do not get out of the way for trucks, ATV or even walking hunters. In fact one farmer has them following his hay equipment within 20 yards and catching mice while he is cutting hay. I had two that refused to get off the trail as I and my client where driving into a bear bait: I finally needed to charge them with the ATV to get them to move. It is getting ugly no doubt about it. In fact below is some of the now 360 pictures I have off wolves on bear baits. And remember I do NOT bait with meat or meat smelling things due to these critters yet they are still pounding the baits nightly. Four baits went dead due to wolves, I mean not a single bear all season and two where top producers for big bear in the last few years. Yet another mismanaged file by the DNR.

[Big-Al]

Quote:

Yet another mismanaged file by the DNR.

Jonny-

Please remember that the DNR's hands have been tied and still are at this point. The wolves were under control of the Feds until they were removed form the threatened and endangered list very recently. I think there is a period of time after removal from the list that they cannot be hunted or trapped. I believe you will see something in terms of management in the next couple of years and I bet you will see a drastic change in behavior in a very short time.

And yes I have seen plenty of examples of the lack of fear of humans and absolutely think something desperately needs to be done.

[DRH1175]

No wolves but between the ravens and deer they are driving me nuts!

[Random guy]

Jonny-

Please remember that the DNR's hands have been tied and still are at this point.

I hear that often around these parts. They close forest roads "Our hands are tied blame someone else". DNR Foresters with a bad vane for bear hunters walking into bear baits daily DNR management tells us "Our hands are tied blame someone else". Wolves keep killing off cattle, dogs and a mass of wildlife well beyond their needs, “Our hands are tied blame someone else". Major areas closed to hunting or ATVS: "Our hands are tied blame someone else" Public swimming beach is closed unless you have a DNR park pass "Our hands are tied blame someone else", both pilt and con con grant moneys for multi use trails has to be denied because DNR parks doesn’t like it we get "Our hands are tied blame someone else".

It’s getting pretty old and truth of the matter is if the Minnesota DNR wanted to take action with federal mandate or emergency action they would but wolves have yet to invade anything close the metro or a high volume park so it’s really not a big concern…yet. Just wait until a DNR park is threatened or wolves are spotted close to a metro area. Then the hands will be untied so they can put the gloves on; long after rural Minnesota has been overrun.

Wolves are out of control and have been for several years and the DNR/Feds have ignored this problem. Instead of sitting on thumbs, building bicycle bridges and boardwalks they should have been studying the resource and taking action. Now we have a problem that is going to take a miracle to get under control. Although we can watch the carnage unfold from a multitude of walking trails with water fountains and rest benches, arched bicycle bridges and multiple mile boardwalks…as long as you purchased a park pass.

[lichen fox]

[mrklean]

well if they decide to hold a season you might have another thing to guide for

[jkcmj]

I see they are also talking about trying to thin the deer herd in the Arrowhead region to 10 deer per square mile as part of the save the moose debacle. I would wager if they were able to drop deer numbers that far, that alone would be enough to wipe out the moose completely, with the current wolf population relying more on the moose for winter feed.

[jay83196]

I don't think they know what to do in most cases, about our problems.

[jerkbait]

Well I get to join the wolf club too. No bear just wolf.

[Random guy]

Local farmer just had a heifer taken down about a 1/8 mile from my bear bait, not a calf but a full sized heifer. Sate trappers where called in and the state even admitted it was a wolf kill but said it was one non breeding female wolf…come on now, really?! The poor farmer is one of the nicest most ethical guys your ever meet and would never take matters into his own hands when comes to wolves even after wolves came into, yes into his calving barn and started plucking calves out of the calving stalls this spring. That particular area I lost two baits to these wolves and the “non breeding female” was the runt of the operation. Hopefully the state trapper hangs around for awhile and clicks a few of the breeding type as the farmer is gonna run out of cows for state pet food pretty soon.

[jerkbait]

I am beginning to think we should be hanging some wolf rugs on our walls this year . Really seems that this year it is happening more. I do know if I was that farmer I would not have put up with that much.

[lungdeflator]

Johnny I fully agree with you there. Wolves arent "getting" out of control, they are out of control. There have been a big number of bear hunters struggling with the wolves this year. And I just have to shake my head in disgust when I think about the priorities set by the folks down in the concrete jungle where most have never seen a wolf in the wild. The wolves have figured out the "free food" at the bear baits, and since humans are providing the food, who do they not fear anymore?

[jay83196]

Fear my 30-06....

[picksbigwagon]

So, let's get this back to the original topic, while the discussion was good and the real life experiences are valuable, the question remains, what do you do when the wolves are hitting the bear bait. I have no experience what so ever when it comes to bear hunting or baiting, what's the next step when your baits are over run by wolves.

[Random guy]

Abandon the bait; I have never had a bear bait recover from wolves within a season. Smaller males may come in but old boars and sows will not touch it as often times the wolves mark it. Not to mention you could be spending your nights hunting with wolves running the perimeter ruining your chances completely unknown to you. Used to be I could spook wolves off by simple human scent the bears would tolerate but that is no longer working.