Wolves, signs to look for before putting a dog down in that honey hole

[AspenBud]

I recently saw a good topic on another hunting forum  about wolves and how to avoid them with your bird dog.

Besides the obvious (talk to the locals, call the wildlife bio in the area you plan to hunt and see what they can tell you, look for scat in the road, etc) a guy on there mentioned something I hadn't thought of.

Look for tracks, but more particularly, look for tracks that go in both directions. That generally means you are on a pack boundary that is contested or that it's a rendezvous area for them. Both are highly dangerous areas to put a dog into.

Just thought I would pass this tidbit on since we are now a wolf state and it's sometimes nice to know how to avoid trouble with our dogs.

[Stilly bay]

for pointing dogs I would imagine the biggest measures you can take is using an Astro, a good Ecollar, and making sure the dogs recall and OB are bullet proof. This way you know where your dog is at all times and what he is doing. you won't have to wonder if he is on point or running amuck or being chased by a wolf.

probably just as important is reeling in his range in areas with poor visibility like the grouse woods.

Wolves, bears, cougars, abandoned wells, conibear traps - you name it- there are millions of things out there that can get your dog, especially a pointing dog that is supposed to work a distance away from its handler. I don't think talking to a biologist about the possibility of wolves  or looking at tracks would ease my mind enough to let my guard down or make me avoid an area entirely.

what does give me great peace of mind -no matter what threats may be present- is the fact that I know my dogs very well and what they will do in most situations.
They are trained to check in and do so more frequently in the big woods.
They have excellent OB and recall so I can control them even at a distance.
I use a tritronics collar with the Tone feature so I can communicate with them, even if they are out of earshot.
I use an Ecollar so that when ( not if) the dog decides there is something he would rather do than practice obedience I can persuade him otherwise.
And I use an ASTRO so I can see the dog and what he is doing even in the thickest brush.
With the above combination I can spot trouble quickly most of the time and I can actually do something about it, unlike people who don't believe in Ecollars or Gps collars and let their dogs run rampant.

while hunting with labs or a flushing breed I wouldn't give wolves a second thought since the dogs are working so close.

[WAcoyotehunter]

before I turn hounds loose in an area I will howl to see if I get a response.  They don't always respond to howls, but often do.  I always try my best to circle the area and look for tracks- I generally hunt snow, so it's pretty easy.