High country Mule deer and Wolves

[Rizzy]

Wolves have been in the basin that I plan to hunt "The Buck" in for the whole month of September. I'm still planning on going in next week to carry out my plan to hunt the Buck and at this point the Wolves. I know there are at least 6 wolves from the trail camera video I got. I've archery Elk hunted in there 3 times throughout this month and got howled at in the morning, mid day, and evening all 3 times.
What are some of your experiences with hunting a Buck you've scouted when Wolves move in?

 

[DuckDawg22]

take a slower buddy with you

 

[Pafarm]

take a slower buddy with you

They ain’t gonna eat you I promise buddy

 

[Indian Summer]

My experience was after we killed a buck we snuck up on the carcass the next morning and we were able to shoot one of the wolves.

 

[mtnbound]

Wolves have been in the basin that I plan to hunt "The Buck" in for the whole month of September. I'm still planning on going in next week to carry out my plan to hunt the Buck and at this point the Wolves. I know there are at least 6 wolves from the trail camera video I got. I've archery Elk hunted in there 3 times throughout this month and got howled at in the morning, mid day, and evening all 3 times.
What are some of your experiences with hunting a Buck you've scouted when Wolves move in?

When was the last time you saw the Buck?

Any time I have had wolf activity in an area the animals are more on guard.

If the wolves have stayed in that basin for the entire month of September they have killed a lot of animals.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Go on a wolf hunt first?

 

[mtnbound]

Go on a wolf hunt first?

I agree, once fresh sign is found let alone howling, I become fixated on them and will happily spend my season trying to kill them.

 

[TimberMuleys]

I’ve dealt with wolves a lot. Have had mixed experiences with finding bucks after wolf activity. I’ve had about every possible outcome. Some I found in the same area, some I didn’t see for a while but found a few weeks later, and some I never saw again. If it’s me, it would really depend on how much more I wanted to get my number 1 buck over my number 2 buck.

I would guess that buck is probably still using that area, but I would also assume he may be using it in a slightly different way depending on pressure


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[Rizzy]

I got TC pic of him on 9-2 in a saddle, the first TC pic of Wolves in the same saddle was 9-6. I had wanted to specifically glass for Deer while there, but kept getting distracted chasing the Elk.

Optimistically I want to think a 5+ year old Buck in that basin has learned how to deal with Wolves and he will be up in the rocks like the Elk. Maybe it works to my advantage and I can eliminate looking in the areas of the basin where the Wolf ghetto is?

Also to elaborate, I got howled at in the middle of the day on Monday. I had my bow and only 1 wolf tag and didn't want to educate them and spread scent all over the basin.
I planned on coming back in there next week for Deer with 5 Wolf tags and a rifle. If we get a low pressure system, I will be approaching and glassing from the north glassing point which is right above one of their rendezvous points. If we are in a high pressure system then I will be coming in and glassing from the south and may not be able to get to the wolves without spreading scent across the basin.

 

[robby denning]

.... Some I found in the same area, some I didn’t see for a while but found a few weeks later, and some I never saw again...

hey Brock, good tips and readiing that reminds that bucks where no wolves are often do the same thing

OP, I don't have a lot of experience in this area but lean on what you said about a mature buck probably knows how to deal with them, or he'd already be wolf poop

 

[mtnbound]

hey Brock, good tips and readiing that reminds that bucks where no wolves are often do the same thing

OP, I don't have a lot of experience in this area but lean on what you said about a mature buck probably knows how to deal with them, or he'd already be wolf poop

I would love to think that deer and elk have figured out how to survive living with wolves but if they had figured that out then wolves would starve to death and wouldn’t continue to be an issue. Unfortunately I think for any prey animal in wolf habitat it’s only a matter of time before they are killed.

 

[TimberMuleys]

I would love to think that deer and elk have figured out how to survive living with wolves but if they had figured that out then wolves would starve to death and wouldn’t continue to be an issue. Unfortunately I think for any prey animal in wolf habitat it’s only a matter of time before they are killed.

Correct me if I’m wrong Robby, but I think Robby was saying that mature bucks have gotten big for a reason. They have evaded predators for 5+ years. Those bucks are much more likely to survive wolves coming through because they have seen it before. Of course, there’s always still a chance big bucks get killed by wolves, I know of 2 in my area in the past 5 years over 170” that have been killed by wolves. But, I know WAY more bucks that have died of old age, cats, and from hunters. In my experience the wolves aren’t necessarily killing mature bucks at high rates, and I think that’s what Robby was getting at.


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