Wolf Called In

[LDSILLS]

I drove to the ranch last Tuesday. The ultimate goal was to pick up my traps and trapping gear, getting older and I am downsizing from full time trapping using over 150 traps and snares per line to hoppy trapping where I will just set up to 25 or so. It was a time to ride in the new Jeep Rubicon and just relax. Was allot of fun as chores took a whole 1/2 to do. I even managed to learn to fix a real water pumping windmill on Thursday Morning.

However, I wanted to call in a few yotes and shoot em at real close range with my Henry .17hmr (pee shooter) using 20grain bullets. That rifle is my work gun for the trap line, used mostly when I wanted to shoot a rabbit or squirrel for bait or fur attractant. Max effective range is 80 yards in which I killed a sunning badger across a narrow canyon. So heck with yote prices being so low its hardy worth your time skinning one, why not try a head shot on called in yote. If I missed or the yote hung up at over 100 yards, my ranch friend would body shoot it with his .22-250.

First stand nothing, didn't even call in a muley which is so typical. Next stand I said its breeding season, males are off in lalal land winding females in estruss so lets spend a loneger time on the stand and after awhile Ill throw howls out then go to woodpecker cries. Nothing after 1/2hour. I said on the next stand I feel good about that rountine lets just sit for an hour and see whats happened. Temps were climbing to the low 50's so why not, it was relaxing in the sun for sure.

About the 50 minute mark I saw this black canine with a white spot on its chest walking fast, head level coming down a trail 600 yards out. Took me awhile to say anything I was stunned at what I was seeing. But I eventually said "to your right" About then the canine was 500 yards out and heading right to left to get downwind. I looked at the grass and thought crap by the time it gets to the bottom of the bowl we will be winded and there is nothing I could do and with my rancher friend to my left he sould never swing that far without moving. Sure enough at about 300 yards the black canine paused, lifted its head and went straight up the side of the sand hill to my immediate right.
exactly. We'll never know for sure as I have caught/seen a few all black yotes in my life. But this canine did not move like a yote, where yotes almost always approach with their heads up as their eyes are turned on. They will often bound/hop when in coming in at that distance. Again not this canine its head was level, it had a fast walk almost a trot and it covered ground pretty fast for just walking.

Well the local federal bioligist in the area is a friend. I spoke to him about it yesterday and he said that about 125 miles SE of our stand he is 95% certain he has a wolf on a trail cam. My friend the rancher said that more and more ranchers are seeing them with packs of up to 3-4. We told our story while having steaks and a beverage at the local gathering place. One rancher asked my rancher friend if he was there and saw it. He said yes, and since my rancher friend has lived in the area for nearly a lifetime and has great fortitude in his honesty and was once a well respected deputy sheriff. Our story was considered very true. In fact more ranchers piped in saying they had also see a few recently.

Well Ill take it it to the grave with me in believing I actually called in a wolf on the Sandhills of Nebraska. For me its a lifetime achievement and nearly as good as claiming it with a shot. BTW...we never seen nor heard one yote! But you can bet there are trail cams going up as i write this.

Larry

[Taidog1]

Nice story Larry. Worth reading. Wish I had been with you.
Be safe.
Cheers

[RSG223]

Cool!

Where I live we are to far south for cougars but I called one in years ago but it busted me and bolted. The local ministry of natural resources said it was likely an escape pet LOL!