More wolves than elk in Taneum

[Salmonstalker]

One of my hunting partners drew the Peaches Ridge Quality Bull tag with 2 points (lucky SOB0.) My other hunting partner and myself decided to tag along and hunt the Taneum side along with the permit holder- considering it was open for general archery as well+ the Little Naches was burning. After 3 days of intense hiking, 12 hours/day and not seeing any fresh sign, or getting any bulls to bugle back, we decided to move around a little and try bugling different ridges/drainage's. That proved nothing as well. We talked to a couple guys camping near us that had been hunting there for 25+ years and this was the first year someone hadn't killed an animal in the first week. He concluded that he had very few elk on trail cams but MULTIPLE packs of wolves... Having heard this, it's all starting to make sense. That night we tried bugling in a different drainage and I spotted a pack of wolves cross a landing right at dark  The following day, we tried a different ridge several miles away, and finally got a response..... HOOOOOOOWWWWLLL..... followed by a bunch of puppy yelps. We went back and forth with them for about 1/2 hour. Each time they responded, they got closer to us. SOOOO we went back to camp to drink about it  The following day we took a stroll down a logging road at a way lower elevation thinking the elk had been pushed down low. For several miles, approximately every 50', there was a pile of wolf scat- full of light brown hair and bones.... That was the last straw for the one buddy and myself. It was Friday, we had been at it for a week straight and made zero connections with any living elk. We sadly told our permit holder, that we would be headed home to lick our wounds for the weekend and get ready for a busy work week. He planned on staying till the last day but with weather coming, he was getting nervous. Fast forward 24 hours: Permit holder calls me with an ecstatic sounding voice "I killed a bull!!!!" Turns out, he went back to a spot we hadn't been in a few days, sat at a landing, let out a bugle, GOT A BUGLE BACK, bull popped out below him, disappeared for a while, snuck into 20 yards and popped up at the end of his nocked arrow..... He made a perfect shot thru the boiler room, bull went 100 yards and died on his feet. Dead 6 point bull. I don't have permission to post the pics at the moment, sorry.

I guess that's why you never give up hope. Although that was the ONLY elk any of us laid eyes on in 9 days. The other guys around us pulled the plug as well, due to lack of elk activity. Does anyone else have any personal accounts similar? Mind you, we are literally within a couple miles of the Pacific Crest Trail and it's all down hill from there to the west side....

[hunterofelk]

Most of my experiences hunting elk east of the crest is with modern rifle.  I usually see elk the first two days of season and than nothing.  When I go look at the elk at Joe Watt or Oak creek there are many spikes munching hay, haven't seen a wolf yet.

[HighCountryHunter88]

you report any of this to FW?

[Dan-o]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but there are no wolf packs verified in the Taneum. 

If you could show WDFW where you're seeing/hearing all these wolves, you'd be a hero to those of us who would like wolves delisted.   

[Mfowl]

We found wolf scat and tracks up on Manastash Ridge by Quartz Mtn this summer. I don't doubt they are in the Taneum too. 

[yakimanoob]

That's next door to the Teanaway pack, so it wouldn't be surprising.

+10 for reporting (as publically as you can) to WDFW. 

Glad your buddy laid claim to being the better predator!

[Bob33]

The lack of a "confirmed pack" doesn't mean there aren't wolves. Quite a few sightings have been reported there. Kind of interesting to see how many have been reported in the Seattle area...

[Rimrock hunter]

Seen 2 wolves chasing a deer in the Taneum last year after snowmobiling. We were driving out of the sno-park, and about 1 mile down the road they came across the road right in front of us. The two black wolves were right on the deer heels, and another deer came across the road behind them. My wife thought they were 2 bears chasing the deer, but i told her those were 2 wolves honey.

Called the WDFW the next day, and they said, Oh, wolves in the Taneum now. I gave him the exact spot that I had seen them in, and his answer was that the snow would probably be melted by the time they could get there. The snow was to turn to rain the next day though.

Seen wolf scat in Rimrock last year.

[boneaddict]

Wolves at Joe Watt, and wolves on Quartz.   What's in between?

[Dan-o]

I don't doubt there are wolves there.   

The OP referenced a bunch of wolves on trail cam in there as well as puppy calls.   

If that's the case, the documentation should be given to wdfw to make them acknowledge the pack(s) in Taneum. 

[HUNTINCOUPLE]

Glad your buddy got a good bull! Between the wolfs and man we should have no elk around there soon.......    Please report all the info you have to WDFW.

[yakimanoob]

The lack of a "confirmed pack" doesn't mean there aren't wolves. Quite a few sightings have been reported there. Kind of interesting to see how many have been reported in the Seattle area...

Is it really that surprising?

What percentage of people in Seattle do you think know the difference between a wolf and a coyote?  Or a wolf and a big husky in the dark, for that matter?

[Special T]

 

And that is the departments best excuse to blow people off when they report wolves sighted...

[Bob33]

And that is the departments best excuse to blow people off when they report wolves sighted...

Given the number of wolves reported in Seattle, why wouldn't you be skeptical?

[Special T]

A report from Seattle? Sure... a report in Skagit county....    since people I know up here have been blown off... one whom posted the pics up here of a pack on the nooksack got blown off by the department... its pretty hard for me to think they are serious. I was blown off when i i formed some one about a wolf sighting at lake Cavanaugh... so I'll call them after I scrape it off the front of my truck.