wolfhunter
New member
This quest started in the beginning of December with baits being put out.Bait consisted of butcher scraps,both pork and beef as well as 4 baitcicles per site in case the bait ran out.If you have never seen how much a Raven can eat,just start feeding a 100.
A week later the baits were checked.On one site,even the baitsickles were gone. Wolf tracks were everywhere.This site was rebaited and checked 5 days later,again it was totally cleaned up.This time a blind was added,286yds from the bait.The blind is a 4x4 box 6' high.It has 3 windows in it,along with a carpeted floor to keep things quiet.
Three days later we went back and again it was all cleaned up,wolves had been up and down the cutline and one even"marked" the blind in wolf fashion.This was a really big pack,I would guess upwards of 10 with a huge single track always coming from the east,a loner perhaps.
The table was set and in two days the hunt would begin!!!!
A wolf has a circular route that will take them back to a previous food source.This "circle" takes from 3-8 days to complete,the colder the better I might add!!!! Ideal temps are around -40,without proper clothing this kind of cold bites and bites hard.Proper clothing consists of thermal underwear,blue jeans and a set of Raven Wear bibs,the top end a t-shirt,heavy wool sweater,light Gortex coat with a heavy Raven Wear coat over top.On my feet where wool socks with heavy liners( a old trappers trick) When everything was on,it is time to climb into the Raven Wear body bag.For headwear I use a bellaclauva and a heavy wool touque over top.
Day 1
I was dropped off at 7am in the dark,it took a few minutes to get everything on and then it was time to wait for daybreak.
As daylight increased,the ravens came in to feed.Literally a hundred of them,What a racket!!!!About 9 am a couple of coyotes came in to feed,all the ravens went up into trees.The coyotes fed for about 20 minutes than left. Now it was the magic hour,or 10 am.For whatever reason I have seen more wolves come into a bait at this time than any other.Baically the rest of the day was a bust,nothing but ravens and a couple of bald eagles.When my ride showed up at dark the bait was replenished and the table was set for day 2.
Day 2
Started like day one,no coyotes in the morning but no wolves either!!!! Ravens,man the racket is unreal!!!!!6 hours of this and they all went up into the trees.....show time I thought.
Sure enough,2 coyotes showed up and trotted right thru,but kept looking back behind them hmmmmm I wonder!!!!
5 minutes after the yotes left there was movment down the cutline in the exact spot the coyotes came thru.Lifted the bino's and here is a cougar following in the coyotes footprints.What a beautiful cat!!!! He didn't stick around long and off he went trying for a yote supper.That was a thrill plain and simple!!!!
My ride showed up and the set was rebaited again
Day 3
I woke up with a feeling that today was the day!!! It was going to happen.
Got settled in the blind.Made sure my rest(sandbags) were where I wanted them and the .223AI was loaded resting on the bags,pointing at the bait.My load was a 75grn a-max @3072 fps.
The rifle had a nightforce 3.5x15NXS with Kenton Industry's turrents set at 286 yds.
At daybreak the ravens were there as usual but at about 9:20 they flew up into the trees and went silent.I scanned as hard as I could with the bino's, something was there,I just couldn't see it.The Ravens were looking into a stand of spruce so I started peering into the timber,suddenly a big creamish color head stuck out from behind a spruce and a huge wolf stepped into the cutline.He was in a depression and I could only now see his back and head.With the accuracy of the 223 AI it would have been a chip shot to shoot him in the head,but I wanted a full mount and was scared of what the amax would do.I waited and watched with my finger on the trigger only to have him cross the line and disappear,never giving me a chance at his vitals.I sat there kicking myself for not shooting,I had never seen a wolf marked this way,a cream colored head blended into a gray body.
After a hour,nothing else showed however the ravens wouldn't land either.Suddenly 2 blacks crossed the line on a gallop,playing.A couple of minute's later a big grey crossed and stopped.I ranged him at 443 and set the scope,only to have him fade away as well without a shot.The rest of the afternoon was blank,but the ravens still were not feeding as they had before.About a half hour before legal light was over,I decided to howl, a minute later,answered my self in a higher pitch.
It was not more than another minute and here was a black wolf standing at the bait,glaring toward me,it;s head going back and forth trying to find the imposter that had howled.When it quartered towards me I touched the 1lb trigger.With a resounding SMACK the v-max found the shoulder and the wolf crumpled ontop of the bait.Nary a kick.AS I walked up to the dead wolf,the remaining pack members started howling all around,I answered hoping one more would show itself but it never happened.They howled untill dark.It was a thrill
The wolf was female,beautiful coat worn teeth,a old girl for sure.Not big,I would guess 80 lbs but she was mine.
Sleep came easy that night
happy hunting
R
A week later the baits were checked.On one site,even the baitsickles were gone. Wolf tracks were everywhere.This site was rebaited and checked 5 days later,again it was totally cleaned up.This time a blind was added,286yds from the bait.The blind is a 4x4 box 6' high.It has 3 windows in it,along with a carpeted floor to keep things quiet.
Three days later we went back and again it was all cleaned up,wolves had been up and down the cutline and one even"marked" the blind in wolf fashion.This was a really big pack,I would guess upwards of 10 with a huge single track always coming from the east,a loner perhaps.
The table was set and in two days the hunt would begin!!!!
A wolf has a circular route that will take them back to a previous food source.This "circle" takes from 3-8 days to complete,the colder the better I might add!!!! Ideal temps are around -40,without proper clothing this kind of cold bites and bites hard.Proper clothing consists of thermal underwear,blue jeans and a set of Raven Wear bibs,the top end a t-shirt,heavy wool sweater,light Gortex coat with a heavy Raven Wear coat over top.On my feet where wool socks with heavy liners( a old trappers trick) When everything was on,it is time to climb into the Raven Wear body bag.For headwear I use a bellaclauva and a heavy wool touque over top.
Day 1
I was dropped off at 7am in the dark,it took a few minutes to get everything on and then it was time to wait for daybreak.
As daylight increased,the ravens came in to feed.Literally a hundred of them,What a racket!!!!About 9 am a couple of coyotes came in to feed,all the ravens went up into trees.The coyotes fed for about 20 minutes than left. Now it was the magic hour,or 10 am.For whatever reason I have seen more wolves come into a bait at this time than any other.Baically the rest of the day was a bust,nothing but ravens and a couple of bald eagles.When my ride showed up at dark the bait was replenished and the table was set for day 2.
Day 2
Started like day one,no coyotes in the morning but no wolves either!!!! Ravens,man the racket is unreal!!!!!6 hours of this and they all went up into the trees.....show time I thought.
Sure enough,2 coyotes showed up and trotted right thru,but kept looking back behind them hmmmmm I wonder!!!!
5 minutes after the yotes left there was movment down the cutline in the exact spot the coyotes came thru.Lifted the bino's and here is a cougar following in the coyotes footprints.What a beautiful cat!!!! He didn't stick around long and off he went trying for a yote supper.That was a thrill plain and simple!!!!
My ride showed up and the set was rebaited again
Day 3
I woke up with a feeling that today was the day!!! It was going to happen.
Got settled in the blind.Made sure my rest(sandbags) were where I wanted them and the .223AI was loaded resting on the bags,pointing at the bait.My load was a 75grn a-max @3072 fps.
The rifle had a nightforce 3.5x15NXS with Kenton Industry's turrents set at 286 yds.
At daybreak the ravens were there as usual but at about 9:20 they flew up into the trees and went silent.I scanned as hard as I could with the bino's, something was there,I just couldn't see it.The Ravens were looking into a stand of spruce so I started peering into the timber,suddenly a big creamish color head stuck out from behind a spruce and a huge wolf stepped into the cutline.He was in a depression and I could only now see his back and head.With the accuracy of the 223 AI it would have been a chip shot to shoot him in the head,but I wanted a full mount and was scared of what the amax would do.I waited and watched with my finger on the trigger only to have him cross the line and disappear,never giving me a chance at his vitals.I sat there kicking myself for not shooting,I had never seen a wolf marked this way,a cream colored head blended into a gray body.
After a hour,nothing else showed however the ravens wouldn't land either.Suddenly 2 blacks crossed the line on a gallop,playing.A couple of minute's later a big grey crossed and stopped.I ranged him at 443 and set the scope,only to have him fade away as well without a shot.The rest of the afternoon was blank,but the ravens still were not feeding as they had before.About a half hour before legal light was over,I decided to howl, a minute later,answered my self in a higher pitch.
It was not more than another minute and here was a black wolf standing at the bait,glaring toward me,it;s head going back and forth trying to find the imposter that had howled.When it quartered towards me I touched the 1lb trigger.With a resounding SMACK the v-max found the shoulder and the wolf crumpled ontop of the bait.Nary a kick.AS I walked up to the dead wolf,the remaining pack members started howling all around,I answered hoping one more would show itself but it never happened.They howled untill dark.It was a thrill
The wolf was female,beautiful coat worn teeth,a old girl for sure.Not big,I would guess 80 lbs but she was mine.
Sleep came easy that night
happy hunting
R
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