Trapping Alaska: First Wolf of the Season

Well, in the last post where I was getting my wolf traps set in preparation for a pack that has been using my trail, I said I would keep you updated. I just didn’t realize things would happen this quickly.

As I rode my snowmachine up my trapline last week, I was very excited when I saw the narrow band of wolf tracks, a telltale sign of a pack walking single file. As I closed the next half-mile to where my traps were set, my stomach churned and mind raced.

By the time I actually got close to my traps, my heart was pounding but my excitement turned to sickness as I saw a wolf had stepped on the jaw of one of my blind sets, one inch from hitting the pan.

Strike one.

I rode another 20 yards, only to find that the blind set I made in the video had caught a red fox: strike two. I then looked up and saw a black wolf standing another 15 yards down the trail. I can’t even describe the overwhelming wave of excitement. Wolves are one of the toughest animals to trap and one of the smartest animals in the woods. They are a truly worthy adversary.

I’ve had some pretty exciting moments in the bush, but I have to say this was up there with the best of them. Trapping wolves is so much work and weeks normally pass without even seeing a track, but when you connect, it makes it all worth it!