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Wolf hunt results

DTro

By DTro
in Deer Hunting-Bear-Elk-Moose

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NoWiser Mentor

NoWiser

Posted
Posted

Hey guys,

Thanks a lot for the congrats. It's been a fun few days. I expected to get a ton of grief when I pulled the trigger (not from this site), but I haven't gotten one negative comment.

Sorry I don't have time to type up a proffesional sounding story, but I'm swamped with work and am heading to Montana on Friday for a mule deer hunt.

I headed up this year with plans for a combo wolf/deer hunt, but with more of an emphasis on the wolf. There is a series of ridges near where we hunt that the wolves really seem to like using, so my plan was to concentrate on these areas. I had two climbers up, and hiked one to the far end of these ridges, where it funnels down between two swamps, and one on the highest point, which was nearer to camp.

Friday night I listened intently from my sleeping bag whenever I woke up at night, but only heard some very faint howls WAY to the north of us. I sat in the nearer stand that day hoping to see some deer. Saturday night I heard a lot of howling, and close to the near stand! So, I went there and had a wolf howling often about 150 yards away that morning. I tried to call it in with some coyote howls, but the main pack called it off to the west. Dang! I was sure it was going to happen! I double timed it in a big loop to the north and set up close to where I figured the pack was and let some more coyote howls loose, but to no avail...

I forgot to mention my buddy called a white wolf in that first day with his doe bleat call, but couldn't shoot because he didn't have a tag. He is from southern Wisconsin and it was the first wolf he'd ever seen, so that was cool!

Knowing that the coyote howl didn't draw them in, I spent Monday and Tuesday hunting those same ridges the wolves like to use, and hitting the doe bleats often, since it drew one in for my buddy. No luck, and we didn't hear from them in that time.

Tuesday night I heard the wolves again, finally, and they were near my far ridge stand. I took off early Wednesday morning in the fog and mist and crawled up the tree. It was one of those mornings that was dead quiet, but the water drops dripping off of the trees seemed deafening. I felt like I was in a Sherlock Holmes novel. I could hear a lone wolf howling constantly to the NW of me. It seemed like it took forever to get light enough to shoot, but finally I could see decent, so I hit the fawn in distress button on the electonic call I had with. The howling stopped... Oh boy, it's happening, I thought! 1/2 hour later and it howled again, from the same spot. Dang! I hit the fawn in distress again, and followed it with some yipping coyote sounds. Silence again, and about 1/2 hour later I heard a twig snap. My heart almost left my throat! It was coming from the swamp to the north of me (the same direction the wolf was). I saw some movement and identified it as a little pup of a deer. I watched it, waiting for the wolf to be following it, but nothing. Then I heard some howling to my SW a couple hundred yards away. Then some from the NW! Dang, I wish I was a little farther west and I'd be right between them! I hit the fawn and coyote calls again and waited. All of a sudden, I heard something coming fast from the east. The one direction I didn't expect a wolf to come from! I quick turned my head and saw a wolf coming fast. I swung around, got my gun on him, and pulled the trigger. He piled up right in his tracks and didn't so much as twitch. It happened so fast I couldn't even believe it! From the time I first heard and saw him until I pulled the trigger couldn't have even been 10 seconds. I never even had time to get nervous.

In the meantime my dad had been hunting about 1/2 mile away. He could hear the wolves all around me all morning. When he heard the shot he knew I got one. He came with a pack frame, we took pictures, and then loaded him up and packed him back to camp. It was brutal, and when we got him back we weighed the pack and it was 122 pounds. The pack weighs 5, so the animal was 117 pounds. Very nice for a MN wolf. He was a male, and has a very nice coat on him. I am deciding now between a rug and full body mount.

For those wondering, I was using my 270 WSM and some handloaded Barnes 130 grain TTSX bullets moving out at about 3,380 fps. I hit it right through the heart. I am pleasantly surprised at the lack of hide damage.

I still have to take it in for the carcass inspection tomorrow. We packed up camp early to take it to Cloquet on Friday, but at 2:00 on Friday all of the wildlife employees were gone, so we had to haul the stinky thing home. Today is a holiday for government employees so tomorrow I need to take it it. If you ask me, it is a little ridiculous that they require a carcass inspection, but don't have anyone available to do it on a Friday, early afternoon, at an office in prime wolf country..... Regardless, it is a hunt I will always remember!

full-28108-26364-pb070128_2.jpg

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Musky Buck Grand Master

Musky Buck

Posted
Posted

That's good news in my book, the local newspaper reported lots of OT county hunters feel the wolves are scaring the deer away and that the fed. trapper took 24 wolves in OT county this fall in just basically 1 location along HWY 29 between Wadena and Deer Creek to Henning, sound like more than 1 location to me, the article was a bit hard to figure out and that hunters saw several wolves chasing deer during season. I think my uncles and their group of 14 got shut out deer hunting unless yesterday they had action. 105 to date is great !

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Sorgy Proficient

Sorgy

Posted
Posted

NoWiser,

Congrats on the fine wolf. That is an awsome trophy. One of the first MN wolves harvested- More specificly that you were targeting a wolf not just sitting in your deerstand with a wolf tag in your pocket.

Nicely Done

Steve

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NoWiser Mentor

NoWiser

Posted
Posted

Awesome hunt! thats really cool you called one in. Said you were using electronic call....did you set the call out below your tree or have it in the tree with you?

Lungdeflator,

I had the call up in the tree with me. It had a 60 foot wire to the speaker, but I could just picture it tipping over the minute I got up in the tree, so I just took the whole works up with me. I could pick the direction that I wanted to direct the sound in too this way.

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lichen fox Experienced

lichen fox

Posted
Posted

Keep a watch out for late season tags...as of yesterday there were still probably more than 800 that weren't purchased...they only have till the 15th, (tomorrow),to purchase then any remaining will be resold...here's the snibit from today's DNR news release....

As of Tuesday, Nov. 13, the DNR has sold more than 1,000 of the 1,800 late season hunting license available and more than 500 of the 600 wolf trapping licenses available

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swamptiger Grand Master

swamptiger

Posted
Posted

Quote:
No wiser that beast you got is reason enough for me to check my backtrail on the way to the stand in the AM's for the rest of my life lol

Reason to check your pants, too, if you look back and there's one following you.... grin

I've had that happen a couple of times - makes the hair stand up on the back of your neck for sure....

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