Does any one hunt wolves much that posts on here ... What rifles do you use ,?What load??? Does a bullet hole destroy the price of the hide???? Thanks...

Well, here in New Mexico most wolves are shot with whatever is handy (Oops, I hope the Feds aren't monitoring this).

For me wolves are more of a "target of opportunity" rather than something I specifically go after so it's usually whatever rifle is in hand. I do know of people using .223's, .257's, etc. on them.

I hunted moose with a friend from work who has shot a few wolves. He spends a lot of time out trapping. His favorite rifle is a 22 mag.

He says that when the wolves take off running
they always look back as they run. He waits for them to look back and pops them in the head.

He said all you have to do is make a hit and they will drop right there.

I might be going on a wolf hunt next year and the outfitter recommended nothing smaller than a 270 with a 150 grain bullet.

He stated that they've lost quite a few wolves to 6mm/243 and a few 25s.

The 243 with 70-100gr bullet are great on wolves. The 222-223 class rifle will work well at moderate range also. 22-250 with 50-55gr bullets work quite well also. Shot placement is important as with anything else.

quote:

Originally posted by Doc:
I might be going on a wolf hunt next year and the outfitter recommended nothing smaller than a 270 with a 150 grain bullet.

He stated that they've lost quite a few wolves to 6mm/243 and a few 25s.

that is helpful info. i too am going wolf hunting next fall, down on the peninsula.

i plan on using a .308 with 175 gr. and a 3.5-15x due to the high winds.

otherwise i would have used a R700 in .22-250 with a 8-25x or an AR15 with 77 gr B.H. G.K..

while hunting over carcasses, at what distances do most guys take thier wolves?

Cold Z, this guy I spoke with has baits, but also does some gentle pushes through the timber. He stated that most shots are 150 and under and it's when the wolves are pushed into the open, where they'll tend to stand and survey the land before moving.

He said that standard bait hunting is far less successful. So, I think I'll book with him next fall. He runs 70%. They kill about 30 wolves/season.

doc;

would you drop me a p.m. with the name and # for the outfitter and another when you get back with the box score?

at 150 yds., i would probably use an AR15 with 75 gr. hornady and try to take more than one at a time.

As an expireanced Alaskan hunter I'd like to say that I have taken alot of wolves but I haven't.
I do have a lot of exposure with wolf hunters having spent a several year stint as a fur buyer. Most of the guy's I dealt with used .223 and .222's and I never heard any complaints of being under powered.
They mostly used mini 14's or AR's in order to take as many out of a pack as possible.

Cold Zero, PM sent

doc;

back at you, p.m..

I also view wolves as a target of opportunity, in over 14 years of hunting Alaska I have seen maybe 15 wolves but have never taken one. They are super wary where I have hunted and run as soons as they see you. If I were targeting wolves specifically I would probably use the wifes Kimber 7mm-08 shooting 140 NP's. As for hunting over baits, I don't know if thats legal or not but a quick check in the regs would clear that up.

Doc,
It was either ignorant or dishonest for your outfitter to tell you that wolves are lost with .243's, .25's, and the like. Profesional or very experienced wolf hunters use a .223.
These are just 100# dogs we're shooting at.

quote:

As an expireanced Alaskan hunter I'd like to say that I have taken alot of wolves but I haven't.

I hear you there. when 4 wolves alone can take out a moose every 5 days I still would not be anxious about what to say or when I have done it.

I have used my Marlin 22 mag. or up to a 300 winmag, them being either in a trap or on the run. Anyone tell you that a .243 is not enough gun for a wolf does not know what he is talking about- it is one damn good caliber.

I was hopeing it would be something exciteing like a 6.8 SPC or AR10 300 SRUM. But what about hide damage and how much does a guy get docked.? Thanks

A good R700 in .22-250 would put the smack down on them even better and at longer ranges than a .223/556. m.h.o.

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:
Doc,
It was either ignorant or dishonest for your outfitter to tell you that wolves are lost with .243's, .25's, and the like. Profesional or very experienced wolf hunters use a .223.
These are just 100# dogs we're shooting at.

I use .223 for wolf , any .222 or 22-250 will do the job but if you use a 500NE and shoot in the tail your wolf is gone

Having traped,snared, and shot a few wolves I'm currently carrying a mod70 222 w/50gr horn spts on my trapline.

NULA .30-06 worked for me

i used a mini14

quote:

Originally posted by Doc:
I might be going on a wolf hunt next year and the outfitter recommended nothing smaller than a 270 with a 150 grain bullet.

He stated that they've lost quite a few wolves to 6mm/243 and a few 25s.

Poor shot placement possibly!! My 6mm rem workd perfect for the neighbors moose chaseing German Shepard & Labs(2)

a wolf is a thin skinned small boned animal. my R700 .22-250 with winchester ballistic tip 50 gr. will put them down hard within 300 yds.

Hi folks, Thought I'd chime in as I'm going wolf hunting next month and I believe I'm hunting with the same outfitter DOC is talking about, if it's in northern Ontario then I'm sure of it. I've never hunted wolves before so I asked the outfitter what rifle to bring, I told him I was going to hunt Alberta last year over bait and my 223 with Nosler Partitions would do fine if I picked my shots, he said he likes 150 grain bullets because you might not have an opportunity to pick your shot. He said the only shot you might have is a wolf running away from you and you'd need to drive a bullet thru it's butt up into the heart/lung area. Sounds reasonable to me.
Anyhow, I'm loading up some 150gr Hornadys and feel pretty comfortable with the choice. I figured since I'm shelling out some money for this and I probably won't get too many chances to hunt wolves I better do what my outfiiter tells me to do. If I was in a situation where I could hunt wolves on a regular basis I think I would wait and pick my shots, but since that's not the case I'll do what the expert tells me to do.
I'll let you know how the hunt goes, it sounds like it's going to be quite an adventure! Good hunting, Joe

goosejoe;

i would like to read the hunt report when you get back.

if they are running, is bringing an AR15 permissable over the border?

quote:

Originally posted by Scott King:
Doc,
It was either ignorant or dishonest for your outfitter to tell you that wolves are lost with .243's, .25's, and the like. Profesional or very experienced wolf hunters use a .223.
These are just 100# dogs we're shooting at.

Well, you know, I listen to what people say, then take what I can from it. You and I both know a good 220 Swift, or smaller will ruin a wolf's day. But, since he is the outfitter, and I did ask about caliber, his response was this, and I quote:

"I PREFER you bring something like a 270 or bigger using at least a 150 grain bullet. Over the years, we've had a few wolves lost to the various 6mm, 243 caliber rifles, and the hits were good. We had good blood and tracked the animals for long distances till the blood just ran out, then it's hard to determine which tracks belonged to the hit animal. Tracking after another 200-300 yards was standard, but we just didn't find them."

I think he knows any good 22 cal will kill the wolf, but I think he's just looking out for his client's best interest.

Doesn't matter anyway, I don't own any 22 cal rifles anymore. My smallest is a 270, and I shoot all 3 very well.

I'll either take that or the good ol .06. It is one of my lightest rifles, and I shoot it well too.

quote:

Originally posted by goosejoe:
Hi folks, Thought I'd chime in as I'm going wolf hunting next month and I believe I'm hunting with the same outfitter DOC is talking about, if it's in northern Ontario then I'm sure of it. I've never hunted wolves before so I asked the outfitter what rifle to bring, I told him I was going to hunt Alberta last year over bait and my 223 with Nosler Partitions would do fine if I picked my shots, he said he likes 150 grain bullets because you might not have an opportunity to pick your shot. He said the only shot you might have is a wolf running away from you and you'd need to drive a bullet thru it's butt up into the heart/lung area. Sounds reasonable to me.
Anyhow, I'm loading up some 150gr Hornadys and feel pretty comfortable with the choice. I figured since I'm shelling out some money for this and I probably won't get too many chances to hunt wolves I better do what my outfiiter tells me to do. If I was in a situation where I could hunt wolves on a regular basis I think I would wait and pick my shots, but since that's not the case I'll do what the expert tells me to do.
I'll let you know how the hunt goes, it sounds like it's going to be quite an adventure! Good hunting, Joe

Joe, yes, I'm sure we're talking about the same guy. He's in northern Ontario. I see you are in Ohio. Me too.

You driving or flying? I still haven't decided 100% yet, but a wolf hunt is also the kind of hunt I'd decide to do last minute if my work schedule permitted.

I usually plan hunts at least 1-3 years in advance like most guys, but this guy said he could just about always accomodate 1 hunter on short notice.

I also like that you can hunt wolves during the downtime from other game. The only other animal I can think of off the top of my head is cougar...Feb, March, and sometimes into April.

Who knows, I may call him and book for a month from now but again, that is work dependent. Otherwise, it will be this fall or early 2008.

Joe, when are you going? If soon, please oblige Cold Zero and I with a report! Thanks!

well i wont argue most wolves are 100 lb. dogs, but if you have been around the Ketchikan, Misty Fiords area and have seen the size of the tracks, or the size of one I shot years ago and considering most are seen on beaches or tide flats, you probably wouldnt pick a gun that couldnt make a clean kill at 400 yds. and I am implying that some are much bigger than 100 lbs. when they leave tracks the size of coffee cans in firm mud

Doc,
I don't see a thing wrong with your logic. I used a .338 on a wolf just because that was the only thing I had when he popped out of the brush. Using the rifle that you own, like, and want to use certainly isn't for me to criticize.
However, I'm having a hard time swallowing the idea of someone loosing a wolf with almost any small caliber rifle when the "...hits were good."
If it was a calm day, I wouldn't think twice about using my .17 Rem on a wolf out to 300 yards or so. (Ok, that is if I was prone, he was standing still, and I had a half hour or so to squeeze one off.)
In my neck of the woods it's common for serious wolf hunters to take more or less that 10 per year. The .223 is almost exclusively used. In many cases it's in a mini 14, but occasionally an ar15 or a bolt rifle. Push feed no less.
If you end up going on the hunt, best of luck to you! If you are lucky, and do make a clean shot on a wolf, I'd expect a "Bang-flop," no matter what caliber you take.

ya know Elmer Kieth recomended the 270 win as a good coyote rifle!!! A number of years ago a friend and I got into a pack of wolves down in the Ratz Harbor area .I counted 16 wolves. They were feeding...My friend had his 06 and I had a peep sighted 416 rem mag...He shot a female in the chest at about 80 yrds and it was a bong flop...,,,,,,,,We were hunting Black Bear......My friend {Curly} wandered accross the estuary and I went down it ........after glassing for about an hour he came back real excited .. He had spotted the pack ,so off we went.........Curly said,,,indicateing a place that later turned out to be a quarter mile away from the nearest wolf....... you stay here and I,ll go around and we,ll get em in a cross fire[He really said that } So I,m laying there hopeing some bear doesn,t smell me laying there and start a problem..But since Black bears are prey species for wolves I didn,t have any worries...I had found a nice rectangle rock ,probably from some ancient Tlingit fish trap , that fit just perfact under the foreend of my custom 17 Remington Enfield,s MPI stock..Irolled up my rain bird slicker and had it between the rock and the fore end. just right ..So I,m glassing these wolves waiting for Curly to get into position...There was a great big brown one that for some reason walked towards me .He was on the other side of the slew and must have eaten his temporary fill, as he wasn,t fishing.. I would look at him in the glasses and sight at him with the rifle.....I thot it looked like he was a long ways away,, but I figured that it is always best to deduct 100 from however many yards you think it is ..At long range estimation.so I figured 300 ...Doable !! Now Curly had made me Promise I would let him take the first shot...But where was he .. this big brown male had my name on his hide..He was bigger than a deer ,, He was big and arrogant and paying to close attention to our side of the slew.......Then a small flock of red head ducks took off , bout a dozen....He almost bolted ........I almost shot.. OK , I,ll wait some more .....boy I wish he would hurry up , he,s got to be close enough to those over there to wack a couple of them before they get away......It s getting dark I won,t be able to see that one,, boy there sure are alot of wolves over there ,, wish I had a scope sighted M1A .. I can get that one...300 yrds .no prob . 300 yrds ..It ,s only 300 yards .. I wish he would start shooting 300 ..I had held the fore sight about 16 " over its back . The furrow the 400 gr Swift A Frame plowed threw mud on him..It was perfactly in line with his shoulder.. He levitated straight up and somehow he switched ends while in the air........I rember hearing a bad word from over by the timber and the 06 joined the fun .. The big dog was running to my right which was just as well because the recoil was jacking me around to the right ..My 416 held 6 total , Curleys Veorae 06 held 7 he was shooting 165 gr seirra boat tails ....Bang ,from over by the timber . karoar ,reset the rock, bang ,karoar, reset the rock. bang ,karoar,re set the rock. bang ,karoar. bang , karoar..bang. then it was quite for a time ...like the eye of a storm ...YOU MOTHER _______________ I knelt up and peeked thru the 3' tall beach grass and couldn,t figure why he had started a fire...that 4350 he loaded was like burning oil blue.. I figured I should head to the road before he could reload and catch me.....There wern,t any dead wolves on the beach!......YOU _____________ I OUGHT TO SHOOT YOU..Well I better reload and go take it like a man.... I was pretty nervous he would shoot me .. Curly is a pretty good shot most of the time,, wonder why he missed ......When I got over to the smoke patch he was really mad.. He,s a fair amount littler than me which probably saved me a wopin ... You flushed those ducks ..I said,,......I saw that big brown __________ and I thot ,no my buddy gumboot wouldn,t cork me like that.he said....there were quite a few lively explenatives flying around at this point,,,When the wolves start to howl .. They had taken off in the direction of their noses and were seperated by about a mile in the timber ,, its getting kind of dusky,,you can howl can,t you I asked.....I,ll try...So he puts his hands up to his mouth and howls ....As he is howling we can hear the wolves coming together..then one directly answers Curly..Hey , he and I look at each other ,then he howls again, it howls again ..there it is , . Curly has the kind of vision that is like supernatural , least to me .I,ve seen him tell me a buck standing at the top of a growing back clearcut was a 3 point not a forked horn. I couldn,t even see it with binoculars ,he set up the spotting scope ... yup its a 3 point..over 2000feet away ......................Can you hit him? Just Don,t Move he said thru clenched teeth, wanna use my rifle as a rest ,, shut up ..how far away is it ,300 ,bang wack yelp and the wolf took off at top speed to the left.....gee I thot it,d knock him over...He made it into the timber.....so off we went...Killing a wolf is the prise .. If we get to skin it so much the better... it took us about 10 minutes to find it oce we got over to where we had seen it last..He had run about 250 yards...Curly had hit it just behind the shoulders......It stank like a wolf that had been rolling in rotten fish guts.......Right on we got 2 .....This story is True.. our names ,I changed in case he still gets mad about it..I think he still does...He couldn,t skin them out the next day after work ,, he kept pukeing ..They really stank ....I skun them out for him......

Well since hide damage was mentioned a good constructed hunting bullet in a bigger caliber will do less pelt damage then a smaller faster cal like the 22-250 or 220 swift using explosive bullets. I have never shot a wolf but I shoot yotes which are smaller of course and here is what I found the works pretty well in a few different cals. If you go with something around a 223 I would look at a 50gr Hornady SX bullet. They will enter the animal and explode and will not exit on something as big as a yote or wolf. If you go with a hotter 22 like a 22-250 or 220 swift I would look at the 52gr Sierra matchking. It will put about a quarter size hole in and out at close range and at longer distances will do less damage but still get the job done on yotes anyway. Now if you ask me my favorite cal for yotes it is a 300win mag with 200 Sierra matchkings. I like this setup because I can take real long shots if needed. I have shot yotes with this combo at close range and it just makes a nickle size hole going in and out. This bullet acts like a good constructed hunting bullet with a thicker jacket and does not blow up like a normal soft point bullet would. You could use this bullet in just about any 30cal and it should work well. Good luck on what ever you choose.

Scott King, thanks for the kind words.

Just to get everyone up to par on this topic, I called this outfitter again last night to re-request references. I had sent him an email but he had just read it yesterday.

Anway, I brought up to him this whole "appropriate caliber" issue. Here is what he had to say:

quote:

The reason I tell hunters to bring something on the medium side is that you may have a shot up the wolf's ass, so you'll need a decent weight bullet to drive up to his heart/lungs. A wolf has a heavy hide on it, it's not so thin like a lot of hunters think. And their hair is pretty dense too. So if you use a 22 cal 50 grain bullet and it doesn't quite get to the vitals, you just lost a wolf. Hunters are better served with a bigger bullet and a heavier caliber, like I told you, roughly a 270 or bigger is my preference. Anyone that tells you different doesn't know what the hell they're talking about. It's not that these smaller calibers won't do it, they will, but shot placement has to be perfect, and in the wolf hunting world, your chances of a perfect shot are just like anthing else, it's always chance.

Then, because it was brought up here, I asked about the AR15. Here's what he said about that:

quote:

I do not know for sure if you can bring one of those up or not. The only problem I can think of with a weapon like that is you are relying on all those moving parts to function 100% of the time in very unfavorable conditions. I'd be afraid that the action might get gummy or you may have a misfire. I don't think you can beat a good bolt action that you shoot well.

So, as I mentioned before, I do not even own anything smaller than my 270s, so that is a mute point for me. And, if I did, I'd still take what the outfitter recommends because I have no experience on wolves, and well, he does. If I own a rifle cal that they recommend, and it's ready to shoot, plenty of rounds, then, why not?

I do not have the experience on wolves like many of you, so I am not in a position to say what does and what does not work on wolves and at what distances.

But, I think we are all comfortable realizing that any good varmint round will do the job.

If I decide to go though, my wolf rifle will either be a 270 or my .06. Oh, this outfitter is also a huge fan of the TSX bullets. He likes how they work/penetrate.

The AR15 rifle has been the military has been the official rifle of the u.s. military for over 40 years now and has proven to be reliable in extreme conditions like desert or arctic conditions. For extreme cold you would use synthetic lubricant which will not freeze. i think that covers both issues.

i think this choice, if legal, would permit multiple shots on a pack of wolves and is a common choice for alaskan wolf hunters.

i could see penetration issues becoming a problem past 300 yds. on an end on, or texas heart shot angle though. who said a 50 gr. bullet is the only choice? other options for the .223/.556 would be the F.B.I. load the 60 gr. nosler partition or the blackhills 77 s.m.k./g.k. or the hornady 75 gr. t.a.p., all provide substantially greater penetration than a 50 gr. bullet. m.h.o.

CZ, I agree on the AR15. I do not know just how much the outfitter knows about this service rifle. He didn't say the 50 grain bullet was the only 22 cal choice, it was just the example he used.

Regardless, I see no problem in using any of the above mentioned rounds.

If you plan to hunt in Canada, leave the ar-15 at home they are a restricted firearm up here and are treated the same as handguns. They require a special permit and can only be used at a Gov approved range. you can use a mini 14
( I know it does'nt make sense) but you are restricted to five round mags.

Gumboot458, that was a great story! Thanks for sharing. I'm hunting 3rd week of Feb, 13 hour drive from my home in Eastern Ohio. It sounds like quite an adventure, lots of snowmobiling and 4x4 truck driving thru the snow. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to brings snowshoes or not but I'd like to try hunting in them. Here in Ohio we barely get enough snow to write your name anymore!!!
Here's another thing I was told about these timber wolves. They have really thick skin, he told me it's almost as thick as a moose's hide! Personally I find that hard to believe but this guy has skinned a lot more wolves than me, well actually I've never skinned a wolf but I sure hope I do next month! Anyhow, if I do get blessed by the almighty hunting gods, I plan on checking out how thick these hides really are. I'll let you know.
Now back to the rifles, no semi-autos allowed for hunting. I checked the border patrol website and my understanding is you can take them with you if you fill out the paperwork first and are going to use them for rifle matches, but you are not allowed to use them for hunting. Except!! There's always an except! Except for 22's, you are allowed to use a semi-auto 22 for hunting. Pretty sure that's what it said.
Like I said before, I feel pretty comfortable using my 30-06, it shoots great, it's easy to carry, and with the 150gr Hornadys I don't think I'm ridiculously overgunned. Heck I show a black backed jackal in Africa with my 375 H&H, outfitter thought I would have blown it apart, but the Northfork 300gr SP just punched a half-inch hole right thru it! Did exactly the same thing on a 42 pound duiker! Hope I have a great hunting report for you folks in a month and a half! Seeya Joe

I really appreciate everyones responses,and stories............It is comforting to know that everyone isn,t perfact but that they truley enjoy hunting...And getting out....

I just thought I'd share with you all what I heard from a few of the references that have hunted with this guy up in Ontario.

First, I got quite a number of them, the funny thing is that 2 of them left EARLY to go up and wolf hunt. So, I didn't get to talk with them.

Apparently this is a good set up for wolf hunting as every single reference I got is a multiple repeat hunter. Of course, there are some that went once and didn't go back, but the good sign is that MANY are going back.

One guy is there now, he left the day I called. This is his 10th year to go and sometimes he's gone twice in a year. But I did speak with his wife. She didn't know anything about the rifles her husband takes but she said they had several wolves mounted and before last year, you could kill however many you wanted under one wolf license, so her husband was killing 2-3 per trip. They have a silver one mounted, a couple of blacks, and a typical grey. All full body mounts. Then she said they have quite a few shoulder mounted.

#2 guy is a dairy farmer. He's been 3 times and is leaving tomorrow, Monday for his 4th trip. He's killed 4.

#3 guy has killed 3. He and his buddy have gone 6 times together and he has had shots each time or has seen wolves but he didn't connect each time. He said, sadly, that the biggest wolf he's ever seen was 60 yards out on a power line getting ready to cross the clearing which was about 100 yards long. He said the way it was facing it would quarter to him so he let it come, but in the white snow, he didn't see dip in front of him so when the wolf committed to the crossing, it was only about 50 yards out but all he could see was the top of its head and ears. His buddy has not killed one in the 6 times but he had opportunity on 4 trips. He didn't go into detail but from the tone, I picked up that his friend sucks at shooting.

There are more, but every single one goes back and has been going every year for a long time....one guy did skip a year but he became a father that year.

I realize these are probably the outfitters best references, but with so many being repeat hunters....well, that's good enough for me to at least try.

doc;

that sounds good. how many ref' for unsuccessful hunters did he provide? or did not not request those?

Well, I haven't been in touch with all of those on my list yet. I've left messages, but several have not returned my call or are OOT.

I'm certain it's like anything else, he probably has quite a few past hunters that would say: It was too cold, it sucked, I didn't see any damn wolves, etc.

The problem is the last couple of winters have been mild until Feb. Mild meaning only inches of snow and not feet.

It still sounds like something I'll try and do.

One guy did say it is a ton of fun, but it got very cold 3 days in a row: -35, -38, and -22. He was on stand with the actual outfitter while the tracker was pushing a 3 square mile woodlot and they all just got on the radio (3 other hunters) and all agreed that it was just too cold after 3 hours.

I think you'll find many clients that go up unprepared for something like that, thus, they won't have fun and won't go back.

On a side note, apparantly, there is also another guy who goes up a month at a time to help out with the hunts. When there are no hunters in camp, he hunts himself.

His advice to a few of the loyal clients was "hunt early regardless of weather....you'll see more wolves even though they are harder to track."

The hunter that has been going for roughly 10 years is there now....this "help guy" stated: You need to be here the week before [hunter] shows up...he always books the first week if his schedule permits, but this year was different. He and his group always see a ton of wolves and usually get a bunch.

So, I may go for an early December hunt. Haven't decided yet.