Elk Hunting With Wolves

[Swede]

I have heard and read how awful having wolves in your elk hunting area is. It is not my desire to argue that point. What I can say is that I have not noticed a significant change in my hunting success where there are wolves. I have heard wolves in camp a couple of times and got elk soon after. One thing that seems obvious is that where the wolves are, the elk are close by. Wolves don't forage on sage or other flavors or brush. What is your observation and experience related to hunting with wolves?

[WapitiTalk1]

Should be a good discussion Swede.

[Lefty]

Glassing the National elk Refuge in Jackson some fellow lets out a yip,,, wolves , wolves, The rancher next to me tell s the fellow "Just coyotes" There was noway that flipping fellow would believe us those were a pair of coyotes

My first experience with elk and wolves my wife and I were trailing a bull elk, a wolf was tracking that same bull 80 yards in front of us

I had spent 17 days watching this huge bull in August, 5 days before I could hunt, a pair of wolves with 5 yearling pups killed "my bull My bull of a lifetime

My daughter was on the knife edge of a ridge, We called in a herd, 5 bulls and 17 cows calves.
.Two of us calling are 60 yards back, My daughter is less than 20 yards from a big bull and other elk , some closer to her, some further, My daughter wasn't getting the shot,,, The bull walked off, Well actually got closer when the elk busted. We didn't know what happened at first,, but after leaving the call site the wolves were less than 40 yards from the two of us, the elk spotted the wolves and the wolves spotted us.

US government sheep were killed,, The government trapper killed the 5 pups and released the alpha female, Local talk the alfa female didn't make it out of Idaho. We hear a lot of talk,,, about wolves, and grizzlies, way too many rumors and cover ed untruths.

The afternoon before Andrew arrowed his bull a wolf came trotting towards him,,, then spotted Andrew 40 yards close. Andrew was spooked, he didn't even think of drawing with his pistol

The area we hunt use to be great moose country,,, the wolves wiped them out.

This year my Montana rifle hunt two wolves were taken the first few days 8 miles from camp

Ive spenbt a few days watching wolves in Yellerstone, It is surprising how close deer elk and bison will let a wolve get to them

I have yet to get Wolves on camera

[Tigger]

Well in MN, we have more wolves than all the western states put together I believe. They are out of control. The deer herd has been decimated up north. They need to be managed just like any other animal. There is nothing special or evil about a wolf. Wolves do what wolves do just like deer or coyotes or grouse.

[saddlesore]

10 wolves were release in January here in Colorado.Within 2 months, cattle were being killed by those wolves. I think so far about 10 -12 yearlings calves have fed the wolves. CPW said this should relent once elk calves hit the ground. One only has to look at the Yellowstone elk herd that was about 19,000 pre wolf and is now about 1500 to know the out come.

Just this week the CPW Commission voted 5-4 that under certain circumstances, wolves may now be killed. Right after these wolves were released, congress passed legislation that this was an experiment, so this is now possible.

[Swede]

I know wolves kill elk. Based on what I have read they kill Lots of elk. Lefty kind of answered my question with a rambling statement, but the question was about your experience and personal observation. Even relevant firsthand information is good.
I am going back to an area to hunt my old haunts this year where wolves have a known presence. It has been a good area to hunt but the wolves are still hunting there. I hope to get an elk this season again. Is a tree stand still the best answer for my situation?
I know RJ has hunted a wolf area for years and has good insights into dealing with the critters.

[Lefty]

At least 11 Saddle sore
Saddly there are people that think wolves belong where ever they want them.


Years back I had a stufent shoot a wolf in the calving pasture (March) A fellow from Utah "lost" his pet




Gray Wolf Trapped in Colorado Was from Great Lakes Population, Feds Confirm
A rancher discovered the wolf earlier this month in a coyote trap on private land
By Dac Collins

Posted On Apr 23, 2024 8:59 PM EDT

An unknown man holds up a gray wolf.
The only known photo of the gray wolf that was found in Elbert County was shared to social media earlier this month. Photograph via Facebook
On April 3 a rancher in Elbert County found an animal resembling a wolf in a coyote trap on private land, according to a recent article in The Fence Post. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson confirmed in an email to Outdoor Life that “this animal is a gray wolf from the Great Lakes population.”

The USFWS was notified of the discovery by Colorado Parks and Wildlife after the rancher reported it to a CPW wildlife officer. That officer coordinated with the federal agency to collect tissue samples and send them to a lab for DNA analysis. The lab results revealed that the animal in question was a gray wolf from the Great Lakes population, which is genetically distinct from the gray wolf population of the Northern Rockies.

“This is not a wolf from the ten recently released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in December 2023,” the USFWS spokesperson told Outdoor Life. He added that the federal agency was working with CPW to investigate the discovery, as gray wolves in the Great Lakes population — unlike wolves in the Northern Rockies — remain under federal protections as an ESA-listed species.

The wolf was an 84-pound male, and it was caught by a trapper in a legal leg-hold trap that had been set for coyotes, according to The Fence Post. Body grip devices, foothold traps, and cable device traps are prohibited in Colorado, but landowners who are eligible for a 30-day agricultural trapping exemption can still use these devices, according to state regulations. The USFWS has not released a cause of death or any other details as part of its open investigation.

A Google Maps screenshot showing the location of Elbert County (highlighted in red) as it relates to the Great Lakes Region.
Even more puzzling is how a wolf from the Great Lakes region ended up in Elbert County, which lies in eastern Colorado not far from the heavily populated Front Range. Elbert County butts up against El Paso County, where Colorado Springs is located. The county seat of Kiowa is less than 50 miles southeast of Denver and roughly 25 miles east of Interstate 25.

The Fence Post reports that the wolf did not have a GPS tracking collar or show any signs that a collar had been removed, and CPW’s wolf activity map does not show any of the state’s known wolves passing through the county in recent months. An unnamed neighboring rancher told The Fence Post he thought the wolf could have been someone’s pet, but there is currently no other evidence supporting this theory.

Read Next: Are Wolves Following Moose into Nevada? State Reports First Wolf Pack Sighting in 100 Years

It is possible that the wolf made it all the way from the Great Lakes to Elbert County on its own. Gray wolves are known to roam, and in 2023, researchers tracked a collared wolf from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that traveled more than 4,000 miles over an 18-month period.

Minnesota is home to the highest number of gray wolves in the region, with an estimated population of more than 2,500. A map from 2018 shows that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has observed wolf packs as far south as Anoka County. That county is located not quite 900 miles as the crow flies from Elbert County, Colorado.

[RanchoSueno]

At least 11 Saddle sore
Saddly there are people that think wolves belong where ever they want them.


Years back I had a stufent shoot a wolf in the calving pasture (March) A fellow from Utah "lost" his pet




Gray Wolf Trapped in Colorado Was from Great Lakes Population, Feds Confirm
A rancher discovered the wolf earlier this month in a coyote trap on private land
By Dac Collins

Posted On Apr 23, 2024 8:59 PM EDT

An unknown man holds up a gray wolf.
The only known photo of the gray wolf that was found in Elbert County was shared to social media earlier this month. Photograph via Facebook
On April 3 a rancher in Elbert County found an animal resembling a wolf in a coyote trap on private land, according to a recent article in The Fence Post. A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson confirmed in an email to Outdoor Life that “this animal is a gray wolf from the Great Lakes population.”

The USFWS was notified of the discovery by Colorado Parks and Wildlife after the rancher reported it to a CPW wildlife officer. That officer coordinated with the federal agency to collect tissue samples and send them to a lab for DNA analysis. The lab results revealed that the animal in question was a gray wolf from the Great Lakes population, which is genetically distinct from the gray wolf population of the Northern Rockies.

“This is not a wolf from the ten recently released by Colorado Parks and Wildlife in December 2023,” the USFWS spokesperson told Outdoor Life. He added that the federal agency was working with CPW to investigate the discovery, as gray wolves in the Great Lakes population — unlike wolves in the Northern Rockies — remain under federal protections as an ESA-listed species.

The wolf was an 84-pound male, and it was caught by a trapper in a legal leg-hold trap that had been set for coyotes, according to The Fence Post. Body grip devices, foothold traps, and cable device traps are prohibited in Colorado, but landowners who are eligible for a 30-day agricultural trapping exemption can still use these devices, according to state regulations. The USFWS has not released a cause of death or any other details as part of its open investigation.

A Google Maps screenshot showing the location of Elbert County (highlighted in red) as it relates to the Great Lakes Region.
Even more puzzling is how a wolf from the Great Lakes region ended up in Elbert County, which lies in eastern Colorado not far from the heavily populated Front Range. Elbert County butts up against El Paso County, where Colorado Springs is located. The county seat of Kiowa is less than 50 miles southeast of Denver and roughly 25 miles east of Interstate 25.

The Fence Post reports that the wolf did not have a GPS tracking collar or show any signs that a collar had been removed, and CPW’s wolf activity map does not show any of the state’s known wolves passing through the county in recent months. An unnamed neighboring rancher told The Fence Post he thought the wolf could have been someone’s pet, but there is currently no other evidence supporting this theory.

Read Next: Are Wolves Following Moose into Nevada? State Reports First Wolf Pack Sighting in 100 Years

It is possible that the wolf made it all the way from the Great Lakes to Elbert County on its own. Gray wolves are known to roam, and in 2023, researchers tracked a collared wolf from Michigan’s Upper Peninsula that traveled more than 4,000 miles over an 18-month period.

Minnesota is home to the highest number of gray wolves in the region, with an estimated population of more than 2,500. A map from 2018 shows that the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources has observed wolf packs as far south as Anoka County. That county is located not quite 900 miles as the crow flies from Elbert County, Colorado.

My guess would definitely be on Minnesota wolf. They are extremely overpopulated and deer numbers are waning. It would make sense for them, especially young males, to migrate out. The MI dnr is even surveying for them in the northern lower peninsula in case they swim down from the UP

[Lefty]

Ive read multiple reports, There is continued investigation because of where the 2 year old male came from.

People All so often think they can do their own "transplanting" .
Do I think a wolf could travel from the UP Wisconsin and Minnesota, West the cross the Missouri and James Rivers in South Dakota.
Absolutely.
Maybe follow the White, Cheyanne or Platte rivers westly some more, Yes still quite possible ,,, Follow the freeways , keep his belly full

A two year old male , why leave the pack?
Ending up near fort Collins?
Was he a pet?
did he ride in a kennel in the back of a Subaru? or Nissan pickup!

[Lefty]

Back to part of the original post/question.
The wolves that roamed Idahos big desert. The wolves that killed "my bull" I met the " CyoteHtr" another elk hunter and my self had each seen the wolves twice over three years The one archer thought the wolves denned near a few distant irrigated ag field in the desert

[Tigger]

One area we hunt has wolves and elk are more skittish IMO. I remember a setup I goofed up by not making an elk sound first and doing some light raking. The whole herd exploded. I don't think that happens (at least as often) in an area without apex predators.

[Swede]

One area we hunt has wolves and elk are more skittish IMO. I remember a setup I goofed up by not making an elk sound first and doing some light raking. The whole herd exploded. I don't think that happens (at least as often) in an area without apex predators.

I believe you are 100% correct on this. I have not observed enough to be positive, but what I have seen suggests you are correct.

[WapitiTalk1]

John, do you remember how the Canadian Grey's effected the elk’s mannerisms/routine when we hunted N Idaho a few years ago?

[Swede]

I remember what you said about the matter, but you saw it first-hand much better than me. I have no doubt that you were spot on about them going much quieter, but I have no basis for comparison. I heard as many bugles there as I normally do from a tree stand. How about you explaining what you have observed and how you compensate for the change due to wolf activity?

[WapitiTalk1]

Fair enough sir, I’ll provide my spin soon. For now, I’m off to rack out…. work early in the AM

[Timber02]

Rancho, I live in the lower peninsula of MI and a coyote hunter mistakenly shot a wolf 3 miles from my home. DNR cover ups are a thing. They are in the lower peninsula already for sure.

[RanchoSueno]

Oh I know that. I am in the lower peninsula too. They estimate there's only 762 wolves in the UP currently but even that is fffaaarrrrr too many considering how many breeding pairs there are here vs Washington, Idaho and Montana. No wonder our deer herds are demolished there while they kill ours off beneath the bridge

[Indian Summer]

When it comes to wolves, I have seen it all. Lived alongside them for years. Had them chase horses, kill cattle, called them in with cow calls and shot a couple. Watched firsthand how they affected hunting. My opinion of how they affect elk and hunting is all based on personal experience. The most obvious thing that happens when wolves are present is that it’s harder to find and kill elk when there are only half as many of them. Hard to question that. What else needs to be said? The elk that are there will change their habits. They will bugle less. They become more cautious in general. Eventually you see them standing down on small ranches by September when prior to that they never set foot in the valley floor until late November or December.

When it comes to wolves, there is no such thing as a small problem. If there are deer and elk where you hunt, they will multiply like wildfire. You will never hunt or trap enough of them to make a difference. There was a day when I was of the mind that it was pretty neat to see a wolf or to hear them howling. But since the state has its hands tied when it comes to managing things like wolves and grizzlies, those predators have become cancer too big game populations and hunting. You can’t hunt an elk that’s already dead.

Don’t form an opinion based on what is happening where you live or hunt. Look at what has happened and is happening all around you. It’s really bad. Watch what is about to happen to Colorado where there are huge ranges of elk habitat. That state will not be the same in just 10 years. Ok…. my 2 cents.

[RanchoSueno]

Hoping there's enough smart western slopers who'll pick up their brass and leave their phone at home..
Or Wyoming will give them a helping hand when they cross their border

[Lefty]

Hoping there's enough smart western slopers who'll pick up their brass and leave their phone at home..
Or Wyoming will give them a helping hand when they cross their border

Colorado has already complained about Wyoming killing "their " wolves"

[Indian Summer]

Hoping there's enough smart western slopers who'll pick up their brass and leave their phone at home..
Or Wyoming will give them a helping hand when they cross their border

Colorado has already complained about Wyoming killing "their " wolves"

In a few years they’ll be begging fish and game to exterminate them from helicopters like they have in western Montana. It’ll be my pleasure to watch them learn the hard way.

[Lefty]

Hoping there's enough smart western slopers who'll pick up their brass and leave their phone at home..
Or Wyoming will give them a helping hand when they cross their border

Colorado has already complained about Wyoming killing "their " wolves"

In a few years they’ll be begging fish and game to exterminate them from helicopters like they have in western Montana. It’ll be my pleasure to watch them learn the hard way.

Colorado has a not so great history with species "introduction... Th efirt Lynx cat we very successful sat dying quickly.
I hope those wolves cost them $20,000 each

[RanchoSueno]

Lefty, they are 6 million in to this between purchasing all the wolves, vet car and transportation as well as rancher depredation. Unfortunately, they haven't paid the ranchers yet.

[Lefty]

Lefty, they are 6 million in to this between purchasing all the wolves, vet car and transportation as well as rancher depredation. Unfortunately, they haven't paid the ranchers yet.

hat a lot of money per wolf. I find it hard to believe they will spend that much.

I wonder how much grizzlies will cost us in Cascade national park

[RanchoSueno]

[/quote]
I wonder how much grizzlies will cost us in Cascade national park[/quote]

Goodness, I hope they don't.

[Tuffcrk14]

[img]https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20250129/9c77b39e419e295199db30fa33b36bbf.jpg[/img]
Curious if everyone thinks this was a wolf or lion kill. Long story short I was able to figure out that this elk was killed 8 days before I took this photo based on game camera footage of elk stampeding by in the middle of the night. For it being there that long, not much was eaten on it. I come back a week later and there’s only a back bone with some ribs, scapula, ball of fur, and lower jaw bone left. Wolf tracks everywhere the second time. Thoughts?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tuffcrk14]

Here’s the photo I tried to attach to my last comment.

IMG_8429 Small.jpeg (26.73 KiB) Viewed 1327 times

[Lefty]

Wolf kills tend to be in the open.
Lions tend to pull or drag their kill to a more secluded location. An example road kill they will drag a 1/4 mile or more

One thing about lions often they will have a definite trail they crete to and from the carcass. Late season they will feed on a carcass until it is gone, sometimes laying beside the carcass to keep birds off

May not have been killed by either , Was it a calf or yearling?

[Tuffcrk14]

It was a yearling cow from what I could tell. I work around an electrician that runs hounds and he speculated a lion kill only because A) there was a lot of the carcass left for it being a week old and B) the insides were eaten first. It was odd that it wasn’t dragged 30 yards into the trees or buried at least. I set a camera downwind of it and caught a lion going to it. Either way, spending more time in the mountains this year makes me want to start trapping wolves and hunting lions with more conviction. Every camera I have set in NW Montana has gotten multiple of each. Hopefully the legislature in Montana passes some pro wolf management bills that’ll allow us to knock the statewide population down from the alleged 1,100. I’m optimistic at this point.


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[MtnOak]

I’ll never understand why people out west let those things live, they need more rednecks out there.

[WapitiTalk1]

How about a school wolf? Maybe she just wants a higher education? https://www.khq.com/news/possible-wolf- ... 51d42.html

[saddlesore]

I’ll never understand why people out west let those things live, they need more rednecks out there.

The vote only won by a 1/2% margin and that came from the Denver,Boulder voters.

I don't have any personal experience but there is a reason the wolves were exterminated years ago in Colorado and the Yellowstone elk herd went from just under 20,000 to less that 2000. I might be just a senior old fart,but I am smart enough to know wolves will be a problem.

[saddlesore]

https://www.facebook.com/reel/663090072770623

[wawhitey]

Now this is just my own anecdotal observations, but with the explosion of the wolf population around here ive seen a very noticeable decline in the moose numbers. Real bad, to the point i think im done applying for moose tags. Deer numbers have been plummeting too, but i think a lot of factors are at play there, and the wolves might just be the straw that broke the camels back. But ive seen no obvious decrease in elk numbers. What i have noticed though, is elk showing up a lot the last few years, where they were unheard of before. I think the elk are just smart enough to leave bad neighborhoods, whereas the mosse arent.
Again, just my own unprofessional observations. But im pretty sure i have a good graspon things in the mountains here locally.

[wawhitey]

How about a school wolf? Maybe she just wants a higher education? https://www.khq.com/news/possible-wolf- ... 51d42.html

Aint the first time, wont be the last. Wolves and lions running through school grounds and grocery store parking lots are SOP here in colville. Welcome to stevens county!