Timber Wolves

[Lee Lane]

thanks leaddog ...I also believe that wolves dont push deer anywhere...from expierence ive seen wolves running deer in some of my most productive big buck areas and all I can say is that the deer are still there. I have an area where Ive found two huge boone and crockett class bucks obviously wolf killed one was a big 12 that would have went about in the mid 160s and another that i dont even know....it had kickers and burrs all over its bases and good mass but the beams were all chewed off,.....theres atleast 2 more great bucks in the area because I seen one in the road b4 halloween when they werent rutting so he wasnt on any road trip just heading from bed to feed and another that I seen twice while bowhunting and was the deer Im after If he survived the winter. after talking to other hunters in the area they were convinced the area had bad genetics and wolves were killing all the bucks b4 they could get big enough. Both of them deer were basically living right under their noses and I kept hunting the area because I personally knew they were there.

Had they not drove their 4 wheelers to their stands every morning andshot their guns every 15 minutes at I dont know what I believe one of them hunters may have had a crack at that one of them bucks. even with no scent control the wind would have almost always been right for them and hunting with a firearm would have sealed the deal. People expect that just because its the rut that a big mature buck is going to commit sucide or they lose their brains when the breeding starts ...NOT!!!! even during the rut every big wolf country buck Ive seen ever was cautious alert and and spent much time scanning for danger.What mature bucks do during the rut Is start moving more in pretty predictable places during daylight hours giving the smart hunter who scouts and puts his time in a chance, but thats still far from a guarantee. When people can figure out that their lack of big buck activity stems directly from their poor hunting habits, lack of knowledge , and just plain lazyness.... Not from timber wolves. If anything wolves make for better genetics because only the strong,smart,crafty, and lucky survive!!! You cant build a stand in an area that sees little deer activity in the first place throw down a bait pile and expect big toby to come walking up the first morning of your hunt. maybe theres bad karma for some of these people because they abuse the privledge by acting like they are soul owner of public land hunting areas because uncle john built a stand there 15 yrs ago!

[Leaddog]

Lee,

No doubt! Obviously you pay your dues in the deer woods and have the skill it takes to see big bucks. Like I said before I believe most hunters aren't even close to that skill level. You're far ahead of me and I know bow hunting has brought me much closer. I have too many other passions - pheasants, elk, turkeys, of course, Sleddogs to be that dedicated. But nothings better than splitting work, pulling on the camo, grabbing the bow, running across the pond to get the last 45 mins of light at home. Arrow some nice corn fed bucks that way. Got to run.

[Lee Lane]

lol ...my irritation stems from people that come from the twin cities and and are disrespectful of the people who live here if they were such deer hunters they would have known where i was hunting because they wwould have scouted the area and seen my portables in the trees in the areas I hunt. common city city slicker practice is to show up the night b4 gun season no clue where they are going to hunt in the morning so they just trample thru anywhere no respect for others AT ALL then 2 weeks later they head home leaving some deer carcass in the ditch and some litter and beer cans where they were camped out. and its a big surprise to them that Im outraged by this ...afterall they didnt even take the time to see if anyone else was there ,they just showed up with their 300 ultra mag and a 100 dollar box of partition gold shells then complained about bad genetics when they werent successful. I dont go down to the twin citys and act like I own the city so I get Irritated when they come up here and do. Either way Id rather deal with timber wolves than them. I guess I should say Its not everyone ...Ive met some good fishermen and hunters with reputable ethics practices from the silly apple. But in general..alot of these people I see shouldnt even be allowed to carry a firearm in the woods EVER! I sure wish that the conservation officers that checked me for my fishing liscense 3 days in a row and tried to flirt with my wife while laketrout fishing in Itasca county this winter would bump into more people like that and give them a hard time!

[Lee Lane]

I

[HeviShot]

Ha I gotta feeling you saw the same deer as me, by far the biggest buck ive ever seen. The body on it looked like a horse.

(easily has a 24" inside spread)

[HeviShot]

There is also a large pack of wolves off of hwy 49 by Trout Lake. Hear them all summer long. We found a 120" 8 pointer that they got in a swamp. Looked like the deer couldnt move quick enough through the deep mud where the wolf tracks were right on the top. Big feet with big pads definetly gave them the advantage.

[Leaddog]

Lee,

You're right, but they come from all over. Many of the locals here show a complete lack of ethics. A lot of hunters are really just shooters and we don't need them on our side. The wolves just do what comes naturally. But these guys are just out for the own shelfish reasons with NO regard for their effect on Hunter Perception by the non-hunting public or on other hunters for that matter. In all outdoor pursuits (hunting, mushing, etc)the perception of the non-particapant is the common factor that must be considered. By keeping in a positive light in our actions and words is the only way to ensure the longevity of our sports.

By the way, you seem to verify what several studies have concluded: Within a couple years of wolves moving into an area. Hunters report seeing more and bigger bucks! (Still doesn't mean they could shoot one if they did!)

[fishuhalik]

Hey hevishot, someone else is trying to claim your muskie as their own. It's in the ice fishing forum, under ice fishing pictures. I got a pretty good kick out of it!!

[HeviShot]

Thanks for TIP fishuhalik.

[Lee Lane]

that is a PIGLET!! wats the girth on that big girl?

[Lee Lane]

Hey hevishot....just fished thistledew lake and you wouldnt believe the sets of tracks that cross the lake from the correctional facility area to a new clearcut on the other side of the lake! some of the biggest prints ive ever seen a deer make....could be the same deer, could be a few different bucks that bachlored back up as there were many sets crossing back and fourth. poked around to see if we could find a shed but the snow was still pretty deep in most areas. JUST TOO BAD ITS ON A GAME REFUGE OR I WOULD HAVE BEEN ALSO LOOKING FOR A PLACE TO HANG A TREESTAND!

[Lee Lane]

and also...I agree leaddog....lookit canada it has more wolves than minnesota and I dont think anyone can argue the caliber of bucks taken in ontairo, manitoba, sask, and alberta. I think the part that makes the hunter more successful Is the buck to doe ratio hands down, its the law of supply and demand...when theres not many does to go around a buck will be on its feet with its nose to the ground cruising from one bedding area to the next.for me its pretty easy to capitolize on...hunt bedding areas in the morning and feeding areas like clearcuts in the afternoon....its kept me in the game more often than not while other hunters are complaining the ruts over...at the beginning of november???NO WAY!!

[HeviShot]

27 1/2"

[Lee Lane]

by 50 some inches nice......must not be one of them skinny leech lake fish

[HeviShot]

Fish was actually only 48" long, just a thick one

[Lee Lane]

dang......that thing looks like a 55 incher!! lol

[HeviShot]

haha thanks. We did a super fast measure on it so we could get her back, and we have been second guessing ourselves ever since...

[Lee Lane]

I dunno Ive caught plenty of 50 inch plus fish in my day and nun of em looked any shorter than that. I guess who cares how long ....its a trophy! Maybe I just have bad photo people taking pictures ..lol

[HeviShot]

I also have several 50's, and none of them look like that eathier.

[pike2eye]

Nice Job, All I seen during rifle deer season were bucks but couldn't get a clear shot on them. First buck I saw was on opening morning. I setup my blind and all of a sudden when it cleared up there was it was staring at me. A few a hours later I went to walk around there were fresh tracks around a tree were it was bedding. So funny that it didn't hear me pull up.

[Lee Lane]

I think most of the time a buck will just stay bedded up unless its kicked up.

[pike2eye]

I was also driving a four wheeler to get where i was hunting. Then I saw a buck chasing a doe i was on the four wheeler to help someone track a deer. I think after that i'm gonna start walking

[Lee Lane]

alot of people dont even see that when the ruts full blown. walking can be a double edged sword though... back in my younger less patient days I tracked a huge buck for most of the day till I tracked it right by someones treestand, I know the guy from hibbing who shot it 167 boone and crockett 12pointer...breaks my heart to this day!

[pike2eye]

The biggest one that i seen had to be a 12 point it was beautiful