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Late Spring Wolf Hunt

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Late Spring Wolf Hunt

Postby 7mmfan » 05 03, 2019 •  [Post 1]

I'm going to be in the Salmon ID area mid June to do some camping and elk scouting. I have a 2019 wolf tag and the season is open through June so I thought I'd pack my rifle and see if I could knock one down. Does anyone have any tips for targeting wolves specifically that time of year? Assuming lost calf/fawn, calf in distress. What about pup in distress? I won't be putting a bunch of time into it, but I want to be prepared with a few tricks up my sleeve should the opportunity present itself.

Thanks
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Re: Late Spring Wolf Hunt

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 05 03, 2019 •  [Post 2]

Heading over in June (as you know) will limit you to generally lower elevations (snow won't be off yet up high). This may work in your favor though. I have never targeted/hunted them, but, have talked to a good handful of Idaho trappers and hunters over the years and queried them on how they hunt the big dogs. They mostly say that arguably the best time to hunt them is DEC - MAR. The elk and deer seasons are closed (you're out there by yourself), and, the elk are in their winter range with the wolves in close proximity. And of course, there's snow on the ground which makes locating a bit easier.

In mid-June, I would say that wintering elk should be starting their upward movement, almost following the snowmelt line, so you should be able to locate some wolves by snooping around the perimeter of the group(s) of elk.

I've always had no trouble locating wolves in N ID and NW MT but just bugling to locate elk at night. If there are wolves in the drainage, it seems that they'll always howl back at a bugle. You could also try just howling after dark also. Once you locate some big dogs than ya, head back in there in the morning, do some setups, and get busy with a distressed calf predator call. One guy in Idaho a few years ago mentioned he uses a Wolf Howler from ELK INC out of Montana. Here's the link for the howler. Hope you get into some!

https://www.elkinc.com/the-wolf-howler/
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Re: Late Spring Wolf Hunt

Postby 7mmfan » 05 07, 2019 •  [Post 3]

Thanks for the info. The number one goal of the trip is to find elk in some new ground, so my guess is like yours, if I can find the elk, the wolves shouldn't be to far removed. Snow is already coming off fast in some of that ground though. Lost Trail Pass is down to a foot on the south side of the highway. North faces I'm sure have a few feet left though. A month from now I imagine access to the higher country will be pretty easy.
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Re: Late Spring Wolf Hunt

Postby WapitiTalk1 » 05 07, 2019 •  [Post 4]

I've found that if looking at the high country (6K+), the snow doesn't leave till almost mid-July some years. Wife and I went and camped/scouted in ID a few years ago on the 4th of July; was still very snow packed up high.
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Re: Late Spring Wolf Hunt

Postby 7mmfan » 05 08, 2019 •  [Post 5]

Good info. The ground I'm hoping to scout is in the 7000' range, so we'll see how it goes! No shortage of ground to explore if those spots are inaccessible.
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Re: Late Spring Wolf Hunt

Postby Lefty » 05 23, 2019 •  [Post 6]

I got stuck in the snow at 6500 feet Tuesday under 100 miles from Salmon. Tried to get into the Southern end of the Beaverhead.
Buy the time you get there snow will be clear at 7ooo
The bear hunt is still open in some of that area too.
I dont know squat about wolf hunting. Pups would be 10 weeks old and maybe tagging around away from the den. 10 weeks old and hungry. So I would think any prey in distress, but before you leave I think the territorial howling and barking would get a response if in earshot.

Last weekend I hoped to set bear baits. then head to the hotsprings up Panther Creek,.. However my in-laws needed help

If you are a ways south of Salmon send me a PM
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Re: Late Spring Wolf Hunt

Postby 7mmfan » 05 28, 2019 •  [Post 7]

Those hot springs are likely on my to do list. I've been to Horse Creek but it's a bit of a jaunt in there and 9000' at the roads high point. If we find our way south I'll let you know, thanks for the feedback.
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Re: Late Spring Wolf Hunt

Postby Tigger » 05 29, 2019 •  [Post 8]

Awhile back I saw a map with the routes of collared wolves overlain. They had a different color for each pack. The different colors did not overlap. You could pick out the exact range of each pack precisely. Pretty interesting. Not sure how that helps you hammer one of them but I thought it was neat. Follow this link to see the map: https://www.adventure-journal.com/wp-co ... 9424_o.jpg

Or search for" vivid color territorial wolf packs".

I hope you get one (or two or twelve) and post up some pics when you do!
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Re: Late Spring Wolf Hunt

Postby 7mmfan » 05 30, 2019 •  [Post 9]

I just looked that up, that is interesting. They definitely seem to have very defined territories. I suppose if Idaho were able to publish a map like that you could easily identify areas of high traffic and target them more precisely. Maybe some day.
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Re: Late Spring Wolf Hunt

Postby 7mmfan » 05 30, 2019 •  [Post 10]

So I'm now considering adding a bear tag to the arsenal. I've also never hunted spring bear, but I've heard that the later into June you get, it can get REALLY good as boars start going into super cruise mode looking for sows. Anyone have any input, on this, and a plus would be in the Salmon area in general?
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Re: Late Spring Wolf Hunt

Postby Tigger » 05 31, 2019 •  [Post 11]

I hunted bears once in Idaho. If there is a snow line, follow that, they will be close. If there isn't, glass, glass, and more glass. We jumped one 100 yards from the truck and never saw another.
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Re: Late Spring Wolf Hunt

Postby Lefty » 06 02, 2019 •  [Post 12]

My neighbor hunts Salmon for bear. But this year his boys 12 and 14 are into baseball. Spoke with him today This is the week he generally hauls up bait. But its all baseball.
Another friend spend 8-10 days just over the hill in Montana spot and shoot hunting. He goes up to the edge of the greenery and glasess timber edges his secret is east facing slopes. But I think that's because the range he hunts in s a north south range :?


Western Hunter has this info on their site
https://westernhunter.net/tactics/backcountry-bears-and-elk-calving-areas/
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Re: Late Spring Wolf Hunt

Postby 7mmfan » 06 03, 2019 •  [Post 13]

Good stuff Lefty thanks. I've got a few spots that I'm strongly considering getting into to glass. We'll see how it goes.
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Re: Late Spring Wolf Hunt

Postby 7mmfan » 06 18, 2019 •  [Post 14]

Well we made it there and back and had a great time. The weather was hot, to hot. Sunday I bet it was 90ish where we were. We hiked until 1:30 and were wiped after our 11 mile loop. Spent the rest of the day in camp trying to stay cool. We covered a lot of ground in 3 days, saw lots of elk, zero deer (in the woods, plenty along the road), and learned a lot. Did not see any bears, and no fresh wolf sign. Got a lot of good work hauling my full hunting pack around with me including the 7 mag. Definitely felt good to stretch my legs.

Any input from guys familiar with the general Salmon area on the lack of deer? We spent Sunday morning in an area we see A LOT of deer in the fall, and did not see a single deer. Are they all up high already and come back down by mid October?
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Re: Late Spring Wolf Hunt

Postby Lefty » 06 20, 2019 •  [Post 15]

Last week my wife and I atved around the wyoming border. I think we actually got above where the deer and elk were. the quakies were just budded out and almost now green grawth up high on the north slopes
Driving east we did see numerous deer down low (6500-7000)


Looks like my wife and I are headed up towards Corn creek tomorrow morning Well see if we can spot some deer
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