My buddy and I had just arrived at our vantage and were about to sit down and start glassing for Mule Deer when we heard a howl less than a quarter mile distant. We dropped our packs and set up as another howl echoed in the box canyon. I immediately howled back, just using my voice and cupped hands. GAME ON.
The next howl was closer. we adjusted our setup and moved to the edge of the cliff, looking down on about 50 yards of open ground.
I howled again and got an immediate response. Closer still. a minute or so passed and I sounded off again. My buddy motioned to me and through the brush I could see a wolf running toward us. At About 35 yards he stopped, sat down and started to howl again. He barely got half of it out when the rifle barked back.
When we set up, my buddy said if its a black one, he wants it. I said I would shoot any wolf. It turned out that I didn't have a shot as he was partially blocked by a small tree, and as this gray one sat down to howl I whispered "shoot him." I turned my head and plugged my ear closest to the gun and watched the fur fly!
Purposely calling in a top-tier predator is an incredible experience. we were just hoping he would show up where we could kill him. There were about 8 wolves howling by the time he came in, so things stayed tense for a few minutes...but the rest of them got really quiet after the shot.
We did see one other wolf that day (a big black one) about 600 yards below us as we worked on stalking a group of deer. in hindsight I wish we had tried to double up on dogs, but the season is long here and hopefully by the middle of March, we will have a tall stack of pelts.
My new winter hobby: wolf hunting!!
The next howl was closer. we adjusted our setup and moved to the edge of the cliff, looking down on about 50 yards of open ground.
I howled again and got an immediate response. Closer still. a minute or so passed and I sounded off again. My buddy motioned to me and through the brush I could see a wolf running toward us. At About 35 yards he stopped, sat down and started to howl again. He barely got half of it out when the rifle barked back.
When we set up, my buddy said if its a black one, he wants it. I said I would shoot any wolf. It turned out that I didn't have a shot as he was partially blocked by a small tree, and as this gray one sat down to howl I whispered "shoot him." I turned my head and plugged my ear closest to the gun and watched the fur fly!
Purposely calling in a top-tier predator is an incredible experience. we were just hoping he would show up where we could kill him. There were about 8 wolves howling by the time he came in, so things stayed tense for a few minutes...but the rest of them got really quiet after the shot.
We did see one other wolf that day (a big black one) about 600 yards below us as we worked on stalking a group of deer. in hindsight I wish we had tried to double up on dogs, but the season is long here and hopefully by the middle of March, we will have a tall stack of pelts.
My new winter hobby: wolf hunting!!
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