I am starting this because I am interested in everything and anything that you guys could share about wolf trapping. What traps you use and why, what snares you use, how you make your snares if you make them, different sets, successful sets.

Rueben, you are asking for an awful lot of information. If you can narrow down your question I'm sure you'd get the help you need. The Alaska Trappers Association will be releasing a new wolf trapping manual and video within a month, hopefully. Good luck

so maybe just what type of snare's?

I just hoped that this would end up like the marten thread. People just add information that is useful when they can. I can't because I have not trapped wolves.

I bought a bunch of 1/8 7x7 Alaskan Wolf Snares from snare shop. I haven't set them as we don't have a very large concentration of wolves in our area that we trap.

I know a lot of guys use the #9 Alaskan footholds as they are large and can come up through a ridiculous amount of snow. They are also very expensive, so some of the guys on here opt for buying CDR and MB 750's.

Here are some sets that I have heard of, but have never tried. I know wolves will follow snowmachine tracks, so some guys will plant a foothold right on top of a previous wolf track in hopes they will return and step into the same print.

I also know of some guys that will make bait stations for those uneducated wolves. They will then put snares all over and maybe even a few footholds. Naturally, if you can find a dead moose or caribou, this would make a an awesome set. What I've been told is if you can catch one, the rest will scatter and hopefully run into the MANY snares you have set for them.

One more set is to find a piss post and plant a foothold there. They will come back and mark their territory.

Takotna, Dusty, Wayne Hall.....those are the guys with the skills. Maybe they will chime in.

I want to get a hold of that DVD as soon as it comes out.

there are some #9's on craigs list for sale...

Rueben : Alaska trappers.org ( go to links of interest - Ak trappers forum ) has a video advertisement at the top of the page. It shows some snare building basics and you can order a video. Others may offer some insight on this thread as they have time. Many are trapping right now.

I make all my wolf snares out of 5 feet of #9 wire crimped to 5 feet of 1/8 1X19 with no swivel. I like setting them on kills that I find along the line and also make some big bait piles with beaver and other carcasses and set my snares back from them in a big circle. I know I am personally guilty of probably not setting enough snares at both of these types of locations.
For footholds I have a couple of scent post that I set I use both the CDR and the #9 I save the #9s for places I know the snow drifts more and use the CDRs where it tends to blow away. I have been very impressed with the hold the CDR gets but if you have wolverines they have alot of space between the jaws and the frame that allows for chewing and others who have experince with both speicies tend to prefer the MB750 as an alternative.
I have very small hands and working with any of these big traps tends to put my fingers in bad places and the MB and its trigger system was the worst of all for that so I traded mine away with no regrets.

I didn't mean to leave otterman out and anybody else for that matter.

Wheres that at??

I have a few Alaskan footholds but most of mine are 7 in. X 7 in. made here in BC traps. They both work well but I like my BC made traps because they have laminated jaws. I have heard from other wolf trappers that the Bridger is a good trap and cheaper.
I am a renagade when it comes to wolf snaring. I use a 1/16 or 5/64 aircraft cable 12 ft. long. I caught my first wolf in a 1/16 lynx snare about 20 years ago. Since then, I experimented and now only use the smaller size cables.
Many of the trappers here use 3/32 but nobody uses 1/8 th anymore. Some of us take about 20 wolves a year.

I use 10' 7x7 snares from the snare shop some #9 and a few mb750. I like big baits guarded by about 20 snares, been not enough snow to make them follow their tracks and the last 3 of a pack are being dificult with snares so now come the traps this weekend for some piss sets. It's good to mix up snare/trap sets,(even though I don't follow my own advice) snares are so much easier for me to keep working and I mostly stick with them till they wise up, they catch on quick when a set takes a member or two, keep an open mind and don't stick with one or two sets. I try to make all my sets when it's snowing or going to snow to cover up everything.

Takotna I think it was white17 who told me he used the mb750 wolf and liked it real well. You like it? I use a lot of standard mb750s on my beaver line. Last batch I ordered I got one with the wolf springs just out of curiosity. Kinda of suprised me, easily as strong as my CDR's.

The few I have I really like, I've only caught a few with them but were caught real good, I love the #9 but the price/weight of them I'll be buying MB750 if I need them.

All,

Help is on the way. You should soon be able to purchase the new ATA Wolf Trapping DVD and Wolf Trapping Manual. I would look for both within the next few weeks. Just in time for late season wolf trapping.

I have it on good authority that a there is detailed info on how to build the best wolf snares in that manual. With detailed drawings as well.

(I know this because I worked on editing the manual for the past year and a half.....!)

Pete

Pete, I can't wait for that to come out. Is there a way to pay a head of time and get one of the first copies?

I am not aware of any advance sale program. But the finished products will be available soon.

Both the manual and the DVD turned out REALLY nicely. I think even the most critical among us are going to be impressed! Literally thousands of hours of work went into production of these.

Hopefully they will make ATA some money too!

Pete

Pete, how will we know when they are available? Will they advertise in The Trapper, Trapper's World, etc? Good to hear you're still kicking, by the way.

Rick,

We will be advertising in a bunch of places, including Trapper/Predator Caller, American Trapper, etc.

And I will make it a point to blab about it on here too!

Pete

will lures made for coyotes work on wolf also?

What type of snare locks do you prefer for wolf?

Sometimes wolves will respond to coyote lures. Usually it is just curious young wolves.

I try not to use ANY lure. I always hark back to what a really good wolf trapper told me: "If you want to catch wolfs, put your trap where the wolfs are going to step....."

It sounds silly until you think it through. You will catch a lot more wolves by learning their behavior and being pretty sure where they will go, than you will by putting in a trap and then trying to "lure" the wolf over to someplace he wasn't meaning to go. Think about it.

I prefer the Thompson locks with the hacksaw cut that makes it a breakaway that will almost always release a moose.

Pete