Hunting Washington Forum

Big Game Hunting => Deer Hunting => Topic started by: SSG Brower on November 23, 2008, 10:04:35 AM

Title: wolves in washington
Post by: SSG Brower on November 23, 2008, 10:04:35 AM: i used to hunt out of War Creek camp ground and two years in a row saw the same black wolf with yellow eyes come down off the hill cross the twisp river road grab some chow left on the picnic tables and haul ass back across the road. the first year i saw him i thought maybe it was just someones dog from the camp ground but after seeing him personally upclose, like within 10ft, i knew it's a wolf. my friend called bull!@#$ on me and he went hunting with me the next year and two days into the hunt became a believer after we watched it go to the neighboring campsite raise it's leg, nose open the cooler. we were making noise to get it to go away but it crouched down and started belly crawling towards us. i grabbed my rifle and put a bead on it when my buddy nailed it in the forehead with a rock where it ran back across the twisp river rd, in front of some other hunters driving back who just about wrecked breaking their necks looking at it.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: Gobble on November 23, 2008, 10:31:12 AM: About 10 years ago my brother and I were staying (hunting) in the same campground when we heard what we thought was a wolf, at the time there were no reports of them officially in Wa. but I know what we heard.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: SSG Brower on November 23, 2008, 11:16:16 AM: it would of been about eight years ago when i hunted twisp, lime creek, slate creek
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: big_bucks on November 23, 2008, 09:30:22 PM: I hunt both those areas - nasty, tough country for sure. VERY low deer numbers in there, especially now.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: big_bucks on November 23, 2008, 09:32:40 PM: I've got a question - why do we have to vote to get rid of hounds but have no say in the introduction of wolves? or the management?
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: SSG Brower on November 24, 2008, 05:40:20 AM: that is a excellent question. at least with dogs you get and accurate count of wildlife taken as opposed to letting packs of wolves run around with out the slightest idea of animals it has taken down or which. WDFW should have the wolves apply for licenses as well and turn in catch reports. :sas:
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: farmin4u_98948 on November 24, 2008, 07:47:15 PM: Loggers in the Klickitat Meadows area of Ahtanum Forest say that they have been hearing howling at night this fall. That would now put the wolves in the south central part of the state.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: 270Shooter on November 24, 2008, 07:58:13 PM: Quote from: farmin4u_98948 on November 24, 2008, 07:47:15 PM
Loggers in the Klickitat Meadows area of Ahtanum Forest say that they have been hearing howling at night this fall. That would now put the wolves in the south central part of the state.
:o :o :o :yike: :yike: :yike: Not good.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: Schmalzfam on November 24, 2008, 08:00:22 PM: They actually have signs up now about the wolves in Twisp and how to tell them apart from Coyotes..they have found a pack...with cubs!!
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: bobcat on November 24, 2008, 08:03:05 PM: They had those same signs up about 20 years ago just north of Lake Wenatchee.

My brother and I saw the signs just after we saw, and almost shot at, three funny looking "coyotes." :o
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: docsven on November 24, 2008, 09:06:40 PM: I was talking to my dad last week who lives in Idaho. One of his crew is on a search and rescue team who went out above Ketchum to find a lost family who were out on quads. Anyway, the father had lost control of his and ended up dead, the mother and two boys lost control of theirs about half a mile back on the trail and were pinned under and lay there all night. Search and rescue found them, Dad had been chewed on by wolves (they decided from the tracks in the snow) the two kids made it and their mother died the next day from injuries. Lots of wolves spotted right off the highway over there, and no one is too excited about it there either. I'll post the pic if I can pull it from my e-mail.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: Rick on November 24, 2008, 09:19:40 PM: Quote from: farmin4u_98948 on November 24, 2008, 07:47:15 PM
Loggers in the Klickitat Meadows area of Ahtanum Forest say that they have been hearing howling at night this fall. That would now put the wolves in the south central part of the state.

My Dad and I saw a radio collared wolf in that area about 5-6 years ago. No mistaking what it was when it walked past us less than 50yds away. They've been in South central for awhile.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: docsven on November 24, 2008, 09:21:18 PM: Wolves in Ketchum, Idaho 4 weeks ago.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: hunt4 on November 24, 2008, 10:00:03 PM: lot of SSS
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: blacktail luv on November 24, 2008, 10:04:49 PM: Although I have never seen them myself I have heard of three sightings of wolves in the trout lake area by elk hunters in the last couple years. My best friends dad told me he saw a fresh set of wolf tracks in the snow while elk hunting this year in the Indian Heavens wilderness. he is no dumb ass guy either. he knows his *censored*, and said it wasn't no coyote or dog track, not up there. scary that they are coming down here, we definately don't need that *censored* around kinda pisses me off actually not enough elk around here to share if you ask me :(
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: MountainWalk on November 24, 2008, 10:24:22 PM: sss? who carries a shovel in their pack while hunting?
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: backyard bucks on November 24, 2008, 10:29:12 PM: 2 years ago up on a pack in hunt in the sawtooth we heard them howling up a storm not far from our tent at the base of the hill... we had plenty of snow that year up high and we found plenty of tracks.

just last weekend we were up by south navarre campground up on a snow covered ridge and found where it looked like 4 sets of tracks following the deer down the ridge line and into the timber.
they are here and i'm sure the sightings and the reports will get more and more common.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: Ray on November 24, 2008, 10:29:30 PM: Quote from: MountainWalk338 on November 24, 2008, 10:24:22 PM
sss? who carries a shovel in their pack while hunting?

I was thinking the same thing just the other day :chuckle: I guess maybe people would do it near their home.. Couldn't say I blame some people if they wanted to shoot at wolves pestering near their home though.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: fishunt247 on November 24, 2008, 10:32:43 PM: As was alluded to earlier, I think it is unfortunate that all of the other animals in Washington are managed to controlled numbers while I don't foresee this same thing happening with wolves. Pretty soon, after the wolves thrive, there may not be many game animals to manage. Sad.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: hunt4 on November 26, 2008, 05:10:35 PM: If you do not have a shovel just keep walking ;)

I do not think some of you get it :dunno: We pay allot of money to be part of the game management tool, and i surely do not see any room for another predator in this state. The state voted out bear bating ,hound hunting cougars (pretty much). The population of bears and cougars have sky rocketed and now you add wolf to the mix pretty soon they can faze out us as a game management tool all together. Hunting big game the way of the DO DO Bird :yike:
You look at the people they appointed to study the Wolf problem in this state, and you ask yourself when you find that list who do you think there looking out for?
Daryl Asmussen of Tonasket, cattle rancher
John Blankenship of Tenino, Wolf Haven International executive director
Duane Cocking of Newman Lake, sportsman
Jeff Dawson of Colville, cattle rancher
Paula J. DelGiudice of Seattle, sportswoman, National Wildlife Federation Western Natural Resource Center director
Gerry Ring Erickson of Shelton, former Defenders of Wildlife Washington state field representative
Jack Field of Ellensburg, Washington Cattlemen’s Association executive vice-president
George Halekas of Deer Park, retired Forest Service biologist
Kim Holt of Snohomish, Wolf Recovery Foundation secretary-treasurer
Derrick Knowles of Spokane, Conservation Northwest outreach coordinator
Colleen McShane of Seattle, consulting ecologist
Ken Oliver of Newport, Pend Oreille County Commissioner
Tommy Petrie, Jr. of Newport, Pend Oreille County Sportsmen’s Club president
John Stuhlmiller of Lacey, Washington Farm Bureau assistant director of government relations
Arthur Swannack of Lamont, Washington Sheep Producers president
Bob Tuck of Selah, consulting biologist, former Washington Fish and Wildlife Commissioner
Greta M. Wiegand of Seattle, retiree, outdoor recreationist
Georg Ziegltrum of Olympia, Washington Forest Protection Association wildlife biologist
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: NWTFhunter on November 26, 2008, 05:34:03 PM: Dont ask...... Dont tell.

They are here.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: 270Shooter on November 26, 2008, 05:36:48 PM: I don't get why all of these :tree1: want the wolves brought back, in my opinion they were exterminated for a reason :twocents:
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: hornhunter on November 26, 2008, 05:46:49 PM: Idaho wolves smoke a pack a day............aat least thats what the Game Warden told us :guns: :hunter: :hunter: :mgun: :mgun2: :hunt2: Ive seen or heard them for three years straight.........Its BS
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: MountainWalk on November 27, 2008, 02:35:45 AM: I have no vendetta against the critters. Critters, including wolves, are like guns, they are not good or bad. But I do believe they should be managed. I don't think tons would get shot, but enough to instill proper man fear, which many I have encountered in ID an MT lack.

Too mad Malloy messed it up. Instead of a hunter saying "I'll take my one tag and kill one wolf and feel like I did something and killed a really cool animal.", these folks will kill if they can, three four or more.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: KillDeer on December 02, 2008, 12:09:32 AM: My buddy and I were hunting elk during the early archery season around the Swift Creek area this year when we came across huge dog tracks that were clear as day in the dusty road. We were around 5 miles off any main road with vehicle access when we came across it. It was definately not a lion track and way way too big to be a coyote. It was just a single set of tracks that just trotted across the road into the brush. There were no tire tracks from a truck w/ someone letting their dog out. Im kicking myself in the ass for not taking a pic of it, but i swear it was a wolf.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: SHANE(WA) on December 02, 2008, 03:59:54 AM: There are wolves on Boyer Mt just north of spokane, I saw wolf tracks all over cable and mica peak about 10 years ago in march. There was a wolf hit by a car this past summer in tum tum.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: TeacherMan on December 02, 2008, 01:27:42 PM: There was one hit on 211 I heard this last summer, that is close to Boyer Mt.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: Yummy and Tasty Animal on December 02, 2008, 01:50:37 PM: Just look at what wolves did to the elk populations in Yellowstone. All of the hippy yippy tree huggers were so psyched about it and now half of the elk population is gone.

"Each wolf eats a biomass of at least 25 Elk per year, or 2500 elk per 100 wolves, not including "Sport Killing" or "Surplus Killing Reflex" Recent studies conducted in central Idaho by Horn Knockers Wildlife Institute, U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, University of Idaho, Idaho Bureau of Land Management and Idaho Department of Fish and Game, shows some very troubling numbers, 90 percent of all wolf kills are elk, 58 percent were calves, 31 percent were adult cows and 11 percent were bulls with deer comprising of the remainder. In 1997 one of northern Yellowstone's largest migrating elk herds it was estimated at 19,500 they have now been decimated to 9500 -10,000."

http://www.bitterroot.com/grizzly/elkgone.htm

My biology professor confirmed this a few weeks ago while giving one of his lectures. He said that many people who visit Yellowstone rarely see elk anymore, because the majority has left the park due to the wolves. The few elk that remain in Yellowstone stay close to the towns because the wolves usually don't venture that close to people, but the wolves will obviously start going closer to the towns to kill elk which will cause major problems between humans and wolves. I love it when an environmentalist plan gets flushed down the toilet! Now the environmentalists are going to have to pay hunters (who they hate) to bail them out by killing all or most of the wolves. This is PRICELESS!!!! I don't see what it is with environmentalists and top-of-the-food-chain predators. Do wolves, cougars, and bears turn them on or something?
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: GoldTip on December 02, 2008, 01:52:55 PM: I just saw a lone wolf track in the Huckleberry unit, off of the Springdale-Hunters road this past Saturday. Have pics of the track in the snow. I will post it up tomorrow hopefully.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: croix on December 02, 2008, 01:56:37 PM: We've seen them NE between Northport and Ione (closer to Ione). Pretty dogs, but an ominous presence. Would make a cool mount. ;)

Friend of mine in Montana says the wolves are out of control and Elk populations are suffering big time. They don't hear nearly as much bugling because the wolves have learned to zero in on that. Many hunters have bugled in wolves instead of elk. One guy who was out training his dogs had to beat off wolves with a stick. Not sure why he didn't have a firearm but he carries one now - EVERY time he is out with his dogs.

We could be facing a similar situation if a management plan isn't figured out.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: RustneckNW on December 02, 2008, 02:11:21 PM: Just imagine one of those buggers coming in to your predator call!
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: caseyv21 on December 02, 2008, 02:40:59 PM: wolves only eat 25% of what they kill, they are the only animal that i know of that kill for fun. as far as i'm concerned its shoot, shovel, and shut up. I refuse to let wolves kill off the washington elk herds as they have already done in montana and idaho
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: 7mmfan on December 02, 2008, 03:35:30 PM: I fish and hunt up the Skagit valley a lot and a few years ago we ran into these critters on the Sauk river. WAY to big to be coyotes, but don't look like pure breed wolves either. I got out of the boat to get a closer look at them and had two of the adults actually confront me while the pups boogied on up into the woods. I'd say they each weighed close to 100#.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: 7mmfan on December 02, 2008, 03:37:08 PM: Oh there were two adults in the pack that were jet black as well, didn't get any pictures of them though.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: bankwalker on December 02, 2008, 04:51:30 PM: Quote from: 7mmfan on December 02, 2008, 03:35:30 PM
I fish and hunt up the Skagit valley a lot and a few years ago we ran into these critters on the Sauk river. WAY to big to be coyotes, but don't look like pure breed wolves either. I got out of the boat to get a closer look at them and had two of the adults actually confront me while the pups boogied on up into the woods. I'd say they each weighed close to 100#.

they sure look like wolves to me. i wouldnt dout it at all either.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: norsepeak on December 02, 2008, 05:27:21 PM: I hunted the middle fork of the clearwater river about 8 years ago and had a whole pack of about 15 wolves come in to our cow calls. SSS for me.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: SHANE(WA) on December 03, 2008, 01:48:26 AM: This is a serious issue in NE Wa, the time it has taken to get the moose population and the elk herds to what they are now are going to be effected a ton if they dont get something in place soon to manage these things.Next we will begin to see our moose permits starting to drop, already hard enough to draw
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: ICEMAN on December 03, 2008, 04:47:26 AM: 7mmfan, incredible picture. What year? Crap, I do not like to see that...
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: highhunter on December 03, 2008, 07:59:15 AM: Now this is second hand info, but a rather credible source (who works for the tribe) told me that the Yakama's introduced wolves on the res. a few years ago, hence the wolves reported south of I-90. :bdid:
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: fc2038 on December 03, 2008, 08:11:51 AM: Man I do wish they were not here. I have seen what they are doing to the animal in the north part of the Frank in Idaho. Not a pretty sight >:(
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on December 03, 2008, 08:31:02 AM: Quote from: caseyv21 on December 02, 2008, 02:40:59 PM
wolves only eat 25% of what they kill, they are the only animal that i know of that kill for fun. as far as i'm concerned its shoot, shovel, and shut up. I refuse to let wolves kill off the washington elk herds as they have already done in montana and idaho

I'm not so sure about this info. There are other animals that hunt/kill for practice...coyotes, fox,...? Though I'm not sure how much this really happens. The "save the elk" crowd will tell you its common. I'm inclined to think that hunting/killing is dangerous enough and takes enough energy that wolves know its a waste, and it's dangerous.

Where did you get the 25% figure?
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: caseyv21 on December 03, 2008, 12:39:44 PM: a few years back in high school i did my senior project on wildlife biology and i got the chance to work with several biologist out of yakima, i'm not sure exactly which one of the guys gave me those numbers. yes i do understand that coyotes and other predators hunt for fun as well but they don't kill elk or moose. i do some hunting down around cottonwood idaho in the salmon river region and the rancher that owns the property there said that he's seen a pack of wolves suround a herd of elk and got them cornered in the bottom of a canyon and just wiped them out. now i don't know anymore details i'm just going off of what he told me.
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: fc2038 on December 03, 2008, 12:44:00 PM: Hey 7mm did you talk to WDFW about that photo? If so what did they say about it?
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: 7mmfan on December 03, 2008, 06:02:46 PM: That picture was taken back in 04' I think, and we did talk to WDFW about it, the guy we talked to was a Game Warden at Rockport and he was pretty tight lipped about it. Said that he had heard about them but didn't have any substantiated evidence that they were a pack that had migrated into the area. He tried to lead on that they were pet wolves of someones that had gone wild and bred with dogs in the area.
*NOTE* Within a year of that we found 2 dead ones, one solid black big male and one colored like the ones in the picture dead beside the river and haven't seen much sign of them since then. I think a few locals decided to SSS. ;)
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: 270Shooter on December 03, 2008, 06:23:54 PM: Lets get the "Natives" involved ;)
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: mossback91 on December 03, 2008, 07:10:18 PM: Quote from: 270Shooter on December 03, 2008, 06:23:54 PM
Lets get the "Natives" involved ;)
Wolves are sacred to their culture most likely so they wouldnt agree
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: 270Shooter on December 03, 2008, 08:47:03 PM: Yeah I know I was just messing around. :P
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: mossback91 on December 06, 2008, 09:55:23 PM: I know some natives that would shoot a wolf no question though really!
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: hornhunter on December 06, 2008, 10:35:58 PM: Since the Indians do nothing else by our rule book. Can they kill the wolves no problem also?
Title: Re: wolves in washington
Post by: bobcat on December 07, 2008, 04:19:25 PM: I don't know for sure but I'm thinking they probably could not kill wolves off reservation since they are considered an endangered species, but I would guess they could kill all the wolves they want on their reservations. Remember a while back some indians got in trouble for killing that whale.