Just thought of one thing I use to do when making leghold sets. I always took some driftwood over to one of the neighbors that ran cougar dogs. Left them in with the dogs for a few days so they water them down a bit (LOL), then use to put them along the trail either with existing pee posts or use it as a new one and make the appropriate set. They don't like other canines watering down their area.
Now the wolves are breeding and usually peeing lots so it's a good time to try it and see if it works on your line.
Though I'd start a new thread on this so please add any other hints or tips that may help other trappers for this season.
Great idea. Any tips for using snares? One thing i have found it making a stink bucket up in spring and using that to start a bait. I have been using coyote carcasses on my baits and stink buckets and it works real well.
Stink buckets have always been my best friend for wolves and wolverine. Buy an old garbage "dumpster" (should be lots of oilfield ones around or at auction)...not very big but so it will hold about twently pails and is secure from animal invasion. Make sure when making the pails you put a nail hole in the top so the lid doesn't blow off. Twenty pails should last two seasons so I always have some that are two years old.
Snares...I use 12 ft. 1/8" cable only a cam lock...no BAD and no "killer" spring. I anchor mine a max. of 4 ft. off the ground. Works for me. Nube if you are tying them 7 ft. it may be too high. One of the reasons I use the 12 ft. snares is when they get caught they have a chance to make a good first run/pull which is enough to shut down the blood flow and it's lights out charlie. The only wolves I have had still alive are the ones that are radio collared.
You've got to get a bench crimper. A hammer may work ok for coyotes but I have never used it for wolves.
Everyone has their own little tricks that work so I hope we get some more posts on here.
The bench swagger is by far my best purchase! Way faster and more enjoyable making snares...What you guys using in your stink pails?
Yep it is a must!
I use beaver meat, fish guts, grouse guts, expired fish from various grocery stores, expired lobster, freezer burned meat. The lobster I think is the key ingredient..LOL.
Beaver works fish guts liver bear fat rule of thumb if your dog likes it and wants to roll in it wolves will to main thing is keep the flys out and age it for at least six months
I have seen several times where we stopped to pee that a wolf has left his pee over ours. I dont know if meat in our diet makes any difference in the smell, but I think it may.
There was a fellow on Vancouver island trying to leg trap wolves and was having not much luck until he saw his big dog lift his leg on a place a wolf had marked. When he saw exactly where the dogs legs were when he lifted his leg then he knew exactly where to put the trap. I like snares are better.
When I make a blind trail set I use a 6 foot long piece of green poplar with 8-10 feet of chain and two swivels. I set the leghold ( I use brauns ) right out of the back of my skimmer. I have a homemade aluminum cookie cutter the same shape as a set Braun. I dig out the shape of the leghold deep enough so when bedded the pan will sit approx. 3/4 of an inch bellow the hard pack level of the trail. Trench in the chain off into the powdery snow and throw the drag 5-6 feet off the trail. Cover pan with wax paper then sift powder snow over the whole trap. I use a spruce bough to smooth everything over. Now if you have a partner with you have him drive over the set trap with his snowmobile, if not just back over the whole set with your skimmer. Once done it's impossible to see it. I like to set just off centre on the right side of my track print then again a couple hundred yards up the trail on the left side of centre. If you can time it out so you get a couple of inches of snow the night you set them it's perfect.
Once set I don't drive over them again. I make a detour trail into the trees off to the side but still in sight. I put a marten box up in the tree on my detour trail so the wolves think I'm just checking another box. 98% of the time they stay lined out on the straight trail.
You can use the same technique for pee post sets as well. I just make a bow in the trail a half a sled width wider. Set the trap the exact same way as before, cover it and run over with the sled or skimmer. I use a bushy pine bough or a burnt stump to mark with urine, something with some eye appeal. When checking the sets just stay on the main part of your sled trail when passing. Your ski should pass by about 10 inches away from the set trap. Freshen with pee every couple times you go by right from your sled seat.
Also if you get pee and scat from other trappers lines that are quite a ways away (to make sure they are other wolves) that works well for pee post sets. Maybe we could arrange an AO pee and poop exchange
Stink buckets have always been my best friend for wolves and wolverine. Buy an old garbage "dumpster" (should be lots of oilfield ones around or at auction)...not very big but so it will hold about twently pails and is secure from animal invasion. Make sure when making the pails you put a nail hole in the top so the lid doesn't blow off. Twenty pails should last two seasons so I always have some that are two years old.
Snares...I use 12 ft. 1/8" cable only a cam lock...no BAD and no "killer" spring. I anchor mine a max. of 4 ft. off the ground. Works for me. Nube if you are tying them 7 ft. it may be too high. One of the reasons I use the 12 ft. snares is when they get caught they have a chance to make a good first run/pull which is enough to shut down the blood flow and it's lights out charlie. The only wolves I have had still alive are the ones that are radio collared.
You've got to get a bench crimper. A hammer may work ok for coyotes but I have never used it for wolves.
Everyone has their own little tricks that work so I hope we get some more posts on here.
I am finding everyone does things different. A lot of the big time wolfers i talk to also go short snare big enough to make a loop and then tie it to a #9 wire that goes around the tree. Basically no room for them to go except to wrap one wrap around the tree and hopefully die
Also if you get pee and scat from other trappers lines that are quite a ways away (to make sure they are other wolves) that works well for pee post sets. Maybe we could arrange an AO pee and poop exchange
Add some cheese essence oil to your stink pails wolves love it. I use big lumps of snow for pee posts, fairly big chunks 2'x2' or bigger preferebly ones with grass in them they are naturally attracted to them for some reason.
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