Anyone who has hunted the Centennials knows what steep is , been along them from Lakeview to Red Rock . I imagine that Wolverine thought he might slip fall and die up there so decided to jump into a trap instead . Should be up there just before Thanksgiving . Hope your goat hunt goes well.

This summer in Bozeman I spoke with a Trapper at the Gunshow there. He had on his table of wares a Wolverine hide. I wanted to buy it but forget the reason why I did not complete the purchase. The Trapper relayed how he had trapped the Wolverine and it had at one time been fixed with a radio tracking device. He contacted the F&G people and returned the device that indicated it had once been afixed with a radio tracking device. The device he returned had only been visible once it had been skinned. They inspected the Wolverine and let him keep the hide which he processed. Now the Wolverine (I am sure its the same animal!) has made the papers after his travels have been ascertained! I am familiar with all this area and what the articles author leaves out is the unbelievable ruggedness and impassability of much of this country! I mean the only way one can traverse some of that country without ropes and partners - is with a helicopter! This Wolverine either knew which passes were open and passable or he made a lot of dead end attempts and did some considerable backtracking! Just five days ago I stood at the base of the Centennial Mountains and thanked my lucky stars I did not have to cross them!

The article alludes to the Wolverine covering 500 miles! Well thats 500 map miles! In real life with the ups and downs of those mountains and slopes the Wolverine had to cover much more mileage than that just taking the shortest possible route! I am sure with his backtracking and wanderings he covered more like 1,000 miles!

By the way Wolverines are not classified in Montana as Varmints they are lsited as Furbearers and may not be shot - only trapped.

I am still in amazement of this feat by the Wolverine!

I will attempt to link the article for your reading pleasure.

Hold into the wind

VarmintGuy



Wolverine Wanders Nearly 500 Miles

Mon Oct 4, 9:28 PM ET Science - AP

BILLINGS, Mont. - A wolverine wearing a global positioning system collar wandered nearly 550 miles in seven weeks, including a trip from Pocatello, Idaho, to the northern reaches of Yellowstone National Park!

Scientists said it was one of the longest recorded treks by a wolverine.

The jaunt was tracked by scientists with the Wildlife Conservation Society and described in the latest issue of Northwest Science.

Researchers said they knew that wolverines could cover lots of ground but they didn't expect the elusive animal to travel through parts of three states, two national parks and eight mountain ranges.

"This guy kinda blew the doors open as far as what was known about long-distance travel," said Brent Brock, one of the authors of the scientific paper.

The study was led by biologists Bob and Kristine Inman of Bozeman.

Wolverines, the largest member of the weasel family, occur in low densities and are rarely observed. Scientists are trying to get a better idea about what areas wolverines use in the Yellowstone ecosystem.

Researchers trapped a young male in the Teton Range in January 2001. They tracked him briefly with radio signals before he disappeared for nearly a year.

In March 2002, he was recaptured in the Tetons and fitted with a GPS collar, which tracks the animals location and saves the information on a computer chip inside the collar. The information is retrieved when the collar falls off.

The scientists were able to get a vague idea about the wolverine's travels with radio signals, but it wasn't until they retrieved the GPS data that they knew exactly where he went and when.

"It was an absolute surprise," Brock said. "Nobody had any idea this guy would take off and travel the way he did."

In one 19-day stretch, the wolverine traveled south from Grand Teton National Park to a ridge top east of Pocatello and back to the Teton Range, a distance of about 256 miles. A few days later, the wolverine moved north to Mount Washburn in Yellowstone National Park and back to the Teton Range, a distance of 140 miles in seven days.

After the GPS collar dropped off in May 2002, radio signals indicated that the wolverine moved through the Gros Ventre, Wind River and Salt River ranges of Wyoming and the Centennial Range along the Idaho-Montana border.

The wolverine was legally killed in January 2004 by a trapper in the Montana portion of the Centennial Range.

Scientists estimate the wolverine's home range, at least during his wandering phase, may have been around 23,000 square miles. The wolverine spent much of his time in forested areas above 7,000 feet but occasionally wandered lower into more open areas and apparently was able to cross a few roads and major rivers.

Bob Inman said the information suggests wolverine populations may function over a huge geographic scale.

Some have pushed for protection of the wolverine under the Endangered Species Act and preserving of linkage areas where wildlife can move. Last year, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service denied a petition to list the wolverine as threatened, saying there was too little information about the animal's distribution, habitat requirements and threats.

CLL: We went TWO for TWO on Mt. Goats already this season and boy are the blisters on my feet glad that is over!
Good luck on your Elk (& Deer?) ventures this fall!
Next year I have decided to Hunt every day of the Archery season for Elk and I will only settle for a big old mature Bull! One for the wall so to speak!
When I was in the Centennial last week I saw several Coyotes and Moose along with really high numbers of Antelope!
I always wanted to go along with the part-time mailman who delivered mail to Lakeview via snowmobile during the dead of winter. Unfortunately he was killed a year and a half ago on a snowmobile while recreating. I do not know if they have replaced him as yet but if there was ever a mailman that should carry a Coyote Rifle on his route HE was the one!
Some other acquaintances of mine do Hunt Coyotes up that away with snowmobiles during their long winter. I MEAN they Hunt the Coyotes WITH THE SNOWMOBILES! They run them down with the snowmobiles and run them over and then go back and shoot them with 22 pistols! They got 27 Coyotes in one weekend last winter!
Thankfully they get after them so well - that is the only way the Antelope could possibly exist out there as some winters the snow gets so deep they are vulnerable if to many Coyotes are about.
Again good luck on the Elk Hunt!
Hold into the wind
VarmintGuy