Of coyotes and wolves

February 2016: After I pulled everything from the registered trapline, I took a few days off to recoup from a poor season. But after a few days of sitting at home, I was going stir-crazy, so I took off to the ranch I trap for to see what was going on out there. After touring around for a bit, I decided there was enough coyote activity to warrant a few snares being put up. I didn't want to put too many up though, as the weather still isn't cooperating and it is still way too warm. In warm weather like this, you almost have to check your sets daily because if you leave them for too long and you've caught something, it won't properly cool down and it will go green, which leads to a host of problems.

I hauled in a couple of old beaver carcasses I'd been saving, some of my leftover duck carcasses, and one of three lynx carcasses from the trapline. I piled them up where I'd had the bait station the previous year and hung 13 snares up around the bait at various locations that looked like they'd make for good trails. Once finished there, I found another 8 trails that coyotes were using and hung snares up on each of them as well. I also hung 3 more snares at an old moose kill I'd found that appeared to still have some activity.

So, with only 24 snares up, I made my first check in balmy weather only to discover the coyotes weren't cooperating here either. In fact, there was a lot less sign than when I'd first set my snares up and I was also running out of snow. And to top things off, only the ravens and magpies had been feasting at my bait station. I almost took everything down that first check but decided to give it another couple of days. Two days later in still too warm of weather, I made my second check and picked up a coyote at the old moose kill. However, my bait station was still a dud.

A decent sized male coyote caught at an old moose kill site.

I've caught much better coyotes than this guy but he wasn't too bad. However, only a single coyote wasn't what I was hoping for. I replaced the snare and packed the coyote out to my snowmobile still wondering if I was crazy for trapping in such warm weather.

When I returned again two days later, I was hoping for better. Unfortunately, that wasn't happening. In fact, every snare I checked was empty and I couldn't find a single coyote track anywhere. However, wolf tracks were suddenly appearing to the west of my bait station, most likely the reason the coyotes had vacated the area, as wolves will kill and eat coyotes if they get the chance. I added some more duck carcasses to my bait station and two more lynx carcasses and hoped for the best. The weather was changing slightly and it was at least going down to -5 Celsius at night instead of hovering right around zero. I wouldn't be back for three days this time because of work commitments.

Over the three days I was gone, it had snowed about four inches so traveling on the snowmobile was better, but it was warm once again and the snow was getting wet and heavy. The first three snares I check before the bait station held nothing and I still wasn't seeing any coyote sign. Then, I picked up a trail of what I figured was about five wolves heading towards my bait station. Unfortunately, their tracks went straight past the trail that leads into it, so what elation I had suddenly turned to disappointment.

It's about a 50 to 75-yard walk into the bait station and I had the coyote carcass with me to add to it, so I slung it over my shoulder and started walking in. I always start checking my snares in a clockwise fashion, this way I can make sure I count each of them without missing one. So, by empty snare number 10, I was feeling poor about my chances. Eleven and 12 were also empty but there in lucky number 13, much to my surprise, lay a great big wolf! I let out a whoop and a holler, dropped the coyote I'd been lugging around, and went to check on my prize catch!

The big male wolf barely struggled before the snare did its job.

Packing him out to my snowmobile was no easy task - he weighs well over 100 pounds.

Looking down the wide cutline the wolves traveled.

One heck of a big wolf! Looks like he could take my head off with one bite.

After examining the site, I determined the wolves had veered back to the bait station after they'd passed it, probably because the wind was blowing in their direction and that's when they picked up the scent. Their tracks confirmed this once I got out on the trail again. When the big male was caught, the other wolves panicked and took off before getting into the bait station, missing the rest of my snares or I might have caught more than one of them. This wolf has turned my dismal season into a much better one. Removing a wolf of this size will surely mean there will be more moose and deer around the ranch and less chance of livestock depredation.

I will be back again in a few days to check on my sets. The wolves won't come back to the bait station again, as they are far too smart for that. But I'm hoping they vacate the area for a while and the coyotes come back. Coyote season ends at the end of the month so I'm running out of time and I'd like to catch a few more yet.

Until next time.

Catch Count:
Beaver - 2
Weasel - 28
Squirrel - 12
Marten - 5
Lynx - 3
Coyote - 1
Wolf - 1