Hunting Washington Forum

Community => Advocacy, Agencies, Access => Topic started by: Astonb86 on September 18, 2016, 01:38:26 PM

Title: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Astonb86 on September 18, 2016, 01:38:26 PM: So I've been hunting exclusively around the SE side of the mountain and have talked with many hunters in the area. One of which told me a wolf was spotted a couple days prior. When he first told me this I assumed he was full of it or possibly mistaken a coyote for a wolf but anyways took it at face value. I was unaware of wolves this side of WA. The following day I was hunting about a mile from Blue lake when I heard and later say a group of wolves in a washout. :yike: Needless to say I left that spot quickly and later found further evidence suggesting they are in the area. So just a heads up to anyone else hunting the area.
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: elkhunter00 on September 18, 2016, 08:58:53 PM: I hunt the SE side as well and pretty sure I saw one 2 years ago.
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Griiz on September 18, 2016, 09:08:52 PM: I heard one howling near the observatory 3 years right at dark. It was no coyote.
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: 257wbymagkiller on September 18, 2016, 09:26:59 PM: A few years back me and my older brother were walking down an old logging road and here comes a doe running for her life carelessly down the side of the ridge and about 50 yards behind her was a big wolf chasing her. He stopped when he saw us and stood there for a few seconds and than went back the way he came. I've also ran across some wolf tracks on the south side of packwood last year.
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Casey on September 18, 2016, 09:30:05 PM: I've talked to workers and hunters in toutle and they say there are wolves in there
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Astonb86 on September 18, 2016, 09:37:55 PM: There definitely signs all over the place, Ive found tons of predator droppings that are 90% elk hair. One spot I found a dog collar, bones, and hair everywhere along with the same kind of droppings.
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Astonb86 on September 18, 2016, 09:39:03 PM: Kind of a bad pic but the collar and bones are shown in this picture.
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Spuddieselwwu on September 18, 2016, 10:25:30 PM: I saw two (one black, one grey) together two years ago off a landing in the toutle - off the 4250.
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Reidus on September 18, 2016, 11:55:54 PM: Impossible......wdfw says they dont exist there.
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: pianoman9701 on September 19, 2016, 05:53:30 AM: I saw one at about 20 yards 4 years ago. Please report any sightings.
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Taco280AI on September 19, 2016, 06:05:26 AM: Quote from: Reidus on September 18, 2016, 11:55:54 PM
Impossible......wdfw says they dont exist there.

If WDFW says they don't exist there, then the must be coyotes and fair game
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: jackmaster on September 19, 2016, 06:31:31 AM: Blue lake up out of cyspus?
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Astonb86 on September 19, 2016, 06:59:28 AM: Quote from: pianoman9701 on September 19, 2016, 05:53:30 AM
I saw one at about 20 yards 4 years ago. Please report any sightings.
I was curious about this. Where exactly do you report a sighting?
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Astonb86 on September 19, 2016, 07:00:56 AM: Quote from: Taco280AI on September 19, 2016, 06:05:26 AM
Quote from: Reidus on September 18, 2016, 11:55:54 PM
Impossible......wdfw says they dont exist there.

If WDFW says they don't exist there, then the must be coyotes and fair game
Hey Im game, Im going to bring something other than my bow hahaha
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: OltHunter on September 19, 2016, 07:23:08 AM: Quote from: Astonb86 on September 19, 2016, 06:59:28 AM
Quote from: pianoman9701 on September 19, 2016, 05:53:30 AM
I saw one at about 20 yards 4 years ago. Please report any sightings.
I was curious about this. Where exactly do you report a sighting?

http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/#

Report Wolf Sighting button below the wolf picture on the right side.

There is also a number to call:

Depredation Reporting Hotline
1-877-933-9847
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: PolarBear on September 19, 2016, 07:39:24 AM: About 18 years ago my buddy and I were hunting Mt Adams when we ran into. Government trapper. It took some prodding but he finally told us that he was trapping wolves. We all hiked out together and when we got to his rig he showed us pictures of 6 wolves that he had trapped on the West side of Adams. He said that his trapping was coming to an end.
2 years ago while hunting my daughters Boistfort elk tag we saw eolf tracks and scat. I have heard from some loggers that the wolves are as far West as Pe Ell.
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: fireweed on September 19, 2016, 07:50:42 AM: Personally, with all the time spent at Mt St. Helens, have never seen sign of wolf--yet.

On a side note, heard that a hunter claims he saw a grizzly bear in Hoffstadt Crk. a few days ago, and at the local football game a few folks were circulating video and photos of a Mountain Goat just across from the race track. Saw the video--definitely a Mt. Goat that somehow wandered all the way down from the volcano to just outside of town. We are being invaded!
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: fireweed on September 19, 2016, 07:56:26 AM: The whole issue of wolves got at MSH got muddled because some hybrids that a guy had in Kid Valley supposedly "escaped"
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Astonb86 on September 19, 2016, 08:48:21 AM: Quote from: OltHunter on September 19, 2016, 07:23:08 AM
Quote from: Astonb86 on September 19, 2016, 06:59:28 AM
Quote from: pianoman9701 on September 19, 2016, 05:53:30 AM
I saw one at about 20 yards 4 years ago. Please report any sightings.
I was curious about this. Where exactly do you report a sighting?

http://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/gray_wolf/#

Report Wolf Sighting button below the wolf picture on the right side.

There is also a number to call:

Depredation Reporting Hotline
1-877-933-9847
Hey thanks, sighting submitted.
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Astonb86 on September 19, 2016, 08:53:39 AM: A google search comes up with a lot of conspiracy type stuff but nothing legitimate. I grew up in Goldendale and am very familiar with coyotes and these definitely werent coyotes. Seen a lot of scat, multiple times. Also my family came up to visit me while hunting, decided to camp out at Merril Lake. That afternoon I went out before last light, when I returned around 8 pm my wife and kids were houlded up in the tent without a fire. I asked her why and she said there were wolves out side howling at them when my youngest, 10 months, started crying. Naturally I didnt believe her at first until the following morning I too heard the howls and then later that day actually ran into them.
We camp around the area all the time for the past couple years and havent ever ran into nor seen any signs prior.
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Boss .300 winmag on September 19, 2016, 06:55:14 PM: HHHMMMMMMMMM
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: brew on September 19, 2016, 07:25:47 PM: in 1994 i was modern rifle elk hunting between sunrise and jumbo peak south of cispus and came across a grey wolf in about a foot of snow...dam sure weren't not yote...was about 60 yards away from me moving through the timber
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: 257 Wby Mag on September 19, 2016, 07:43:13 PM: Herd about wolves on the west side since about 1980 or so.... Heard Agnew planted some in his tree farm to kill deer and elk around the same time.. Done allota prowling around in the last 41 years, never seen one... Yet.... If/when I do, it'll get shot in the guts....
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: bbarnes on September 22, 2016, 04:28:22 AM: With all the game cams in the area why ? Hasn't anyone posted a photo ?
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: trophyhunt on September 22, 2016, 06:03:01 AM: Quote from: 257 Wby Mag on September 19, 2016, 07:43:13 PM
Herd about wolves on the west side since about 1980 or so.... Heard Agnew planted some in his tree farm to kill deer and elk around the same time.. Done allota prowling around in the last 41 years, never seen one... Yet.... If/when I do, it'll get shot in the guts....
exactly, I sure hope with all these sightings some of these guys put a bullet in their guts and are just not saying anything! I really hope some guys are reading this thread with a smile on their face and thinking, no comment! 👍🏻
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: WAcoyotehunter on September 22, 2016, 06:13:33 AM: Wolves are not good at hiding. If they are there you will hear them and see tracks pretty regularly. If you're hearing them you should report it to Wdfw and get a collar in the pack
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: bhawley76 on September 22, 2016, 07:33:43 AM: SSS
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Gopher on October 09, 2016, 07:13:04 PM: The question I would ask is why leave quickly? "Needless to say I left that spot quickly" Other than the reason being that any kind of game in the area had left because of the presence of wolves and there wouldn't be much left to hunt. I believe attacks on humans are extremely rare and not much of a concern?
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Bunny Thumper on October 09, 2016, 08:38:29 PM: Quote from: bbarnes on September 22, 2016, 04:28:22 AM
With all the game cams in the area why ? Hasn't anyone posted a photo ?
[/quote

Obviously the wolves are running with the local big foot population, they are never caught on game cameras either. ;)
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: hogslayer on October 09, 2016, 08:58:18 PM: That's what I am saying! I heard one howling just north of Adams during archery season. I won't be shy to say it. If I was alone in the woods hunting and saw a wolf....."no comment" is correct.
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Booman2 on October 10, 2016, 08:14:45 PM: Interesting that wolves were reintroduced in Montana in about 1990. This year, they have a 5 month long elk hunt because -by state law- the elk herd is much too large.
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: JimmyHoffa on October 10, 2016, 08:21:43 PM: wolves were released in Yellowstone in 1995 when the elk population was something like 22,000. Now the elk population is like 4,500. :dunno:
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: Booman2 on October 16, 2016, 05:49:39 PM: Jimmy, my information was directed to Montana, not YNP. According to Montana FWP (Montana Outdoors, September-October 2016) "the elk population has grown from about 65,000 in the 1990's to roughly 165,000 today."
And, "in some hunting districts, elk numbers are five to even ten times greater than what landowners will tolerate."
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: kentrek on October 16, 2016, 07:01:51 PM: Quote from: WAcoyotehunter on September 22, 2016, 06:13:33 AM
Wolves are not good at hiding. If they are there you will hear them and see tracks pretty regularly. If you're hearing them you should report it to Wdfw and get a collar in the pack

:yeah: I did find a track just west of adams but hard telling... wolves howl....leave tracks.....eat elk...lots of elk.....you'll know when there here Cuz the elk won't be

Im not saying there's not a random wolf scoping out the area but there's definitely not a resident pack
Title: Re: Wolves at Mt St Helens
Post by: yakimarcher on October 16, 2016, 08:18:11 PM: Quote from: trophyhunt on September 22, 2016, 06:03:01 AM
Quote from: 257 Wby Mag on September 19, 2016, 07:43:13 PM
Herd about wolves on the west side since about 1980 or so.... Heard Agnew planted some in his tree farm to kill deer and elk around the same time.. Done allota prowling around in the last 41 years, never seen one... Yet.... If/when I do, it'll get shot in the guts....
exactly, I sure hope with all these sightings some of these guys put a bullet in their guts and are just not saying anything! I really hope some guys are reading this thread with a smile on their face and thinking, no comment! 👍🏻

Yep