sabotloader

I wanted to relate this to u-all even though it is not ML...
This morning a freind was in one of normal spots looking for a keeper buck. Early in the morning he watched a group of does come across the road from the timber in the far back of the picture. They progressed their way out to about the middle of the CRP field just doing their thing... no bucks...

Then for some reason they all bolted full speed throught the field to the left... they wasted not time at all getting out of Dodge. My partner could not think of anything that he might have done that would have caused this bolt... So he continued to glass and watch the field.

After a few minutes and from the rise on in the CRP field to the right came two if these... jogging towards the flight path of the deer. He picked the easier of the two shots and got her at about 150 yards. She was the smaller of the two - but offered the better shot.



When I saw the animal I was really surprised at the physical size. I know when Idaho re-introduced the wolf he was not suppose to come to civilization... well so much for that theory.
Maybe this is also why the elk that use to be in this area have moved on...

1874sharpsshooter

That's cool. A nice trophy in my book. If I had a choice I would probably have shot the wolf even over an elk had they both been there.

sabotloader

I am really trying to remember why we introduced the the wolf back into an area in which the habitat has changed completely from the time that they were here originally...

No - I do not want extinction - but there was reason they were removed in the first place.

Look at the front feet of this animal. They are what I feel really big feet fro the size of the animal - with very thick and large soft pads.

cayugad

They do throw a big track. Especially in the snow. And that would sure explain the change of habitat in the area. Our Wolf season is on right now and last reported... four were killed out of the 200 and some they are going to be allowed to harvest.

sabotloader

To be honest I am not much of a dog tracker, but like you already know, up until recently we had not had any rain for 3 mos. The other day in the powder dust on a logging road I ran across some tracks that I now know were wolf. In that powder dust on the road they were huge paw prints. A 'yote' on steroids??? or what I as hoping - it might be a loggers pet dog - big dog mind you but I really do not want the wolves to be here...

cayugad

If you saw the wolf track side by side to a coyote or even a large dog... they really are wide, and often times you will see they are very shallow in snow. I run across them from time to time. I have seen them in the woods but they never bothered me. In fact they did everything they could to disappear. But where wolves are, normally the deer leave. Maybe elk do the same. Good luck hunting.

JW

Congrats on the wolf. As Caygad said the wolf hunt is on in WI. It was no surprise to me that Dr. Deer repported the wolf population was 3 times higher than expected! I bet it is even higher than that as the DNR don't count the wolf packs on the reservations to my understanding.
And the wolf is repsonsible for the demise of the Clam Lake Elk herd too.
So the more that can be taken the better.

JW

sabotloader

The Idaho Fish and Game once told us that there were no wolves in Latah County. We are to populated and to rural for them to take up residence here.

I pretty much think they go where the food is... The Park country is pretty much 90% cattle farms - then rest is timber and wildlife country. Lots of people around all the time... but here they are...

And as I have always said - I really do not blame the animal - they are just following their noses and natural instinct... I rally blame the floks that thought they need to be re-introduced into a habitat that is completly different now than it was then...

onetohunt

Hey SL is there a limit on the number that can be killed in Idaho? Do you have to have a special license? Pretty neat trophy for your friend. I thought the way the read started you were going to have a pic of a mountain lion. At any rate, you had any luck yet?

sabotloader

There is a give number of tags issued each year - this year there was a large jump in the number of tags issued... the wolf problem is becoming larger.

Just a valid hunting license and purchase a tag..

No trigger pulls yet for me... I have been doing a lot of elk scouting and if the right deer shows in the right spot - he might buy the farm. I have to make this one tag last through the end of November...