The Alaskan Wolf

Certain sounds capture the soul of the wild: the honk of Canada geese winging on the wind; the bugle of a bull elk; the first gobble from a turkey roost at dawn; and the haunting howl of a pack of gray wolves beneath the northern lights. An Alaskan wolf is a big, powerful predator. While there may be larger wolves, the average Alaska male weighs 115 to 130 pounds, with bitches weighing 80 to 100 pounds. They run in packs, and every wolf is a wily, efficient killer.

Alaskans respect wolves as the smartest, wariest animal in the woods, but also hate them as direct competitors for the game that most villages depend on for survival. There’s been just one case of a human killed by wolves in Alaska. But an unarmed person would be no match for a pack that can pull down a 1,200-pound moose.

Alaska has two subspecies, with wolves in Southeast Alaska being darker and smaller than those in northern parts of the state. Alaska wolves range from black to nearly white, but gray or black are most common. Wolves range across 85 percent of Alaska’s 586,000 square miles, from the southeast rain forests to the arctic tundra on the North Slope. They’re social animals that run in packs of six or seven animals. Packs are very territorial and protect their terrain to the death.

Alaska Department of Fish and Game estimates a state population of up to 11,000 wolves, with an annual harvest of about 1,200 animals. Despite anti-hunting rhetoric to the contrary, Alaska wolves are abundant and have never been endangered. Alaska wolves will eat almost anything, but moose and caribou are their primary food, with Dall sheep, squirrels, snowshoe hares, beavers, and occasionally birds and fish as supplements. A pack may kill a deer or moose every few days during the winter, especially when deep snow slows their prey. Because wolves hunt aggressively for the same big animals that Alaskans rely on for food, conflicts are inevitable between humans and wolves.

Alaska has had an aggressive predator control program for wolves and bears for generations. This is in support of the Alaska constitutional mandate that wildlife be managed for the benefit of Alaskans—that is, to feed Alaska families. Alaska is the best place on Earth to hunt wolves. They are classified as big game in the hunting regulations and as furbearers in the trapping regulations. Wolves may be harvested with a hunting license or a trapping license. In most of the state, the bag limit on wolves is five per day and the season runs through fall and winter (August to April). The vast majority of the 1,200 wolves harvested in Alaska each year are caught in leghold traps or snares. Many wolves are taken in snares, the wire cable nooses.

By far, the most effective way for traditional hunters to find a wolf is by snow machine, covering hundreds of miles in winter when the predators are also most active. Predator calling, much like calling coyotes and bobcats in Texas, can work, if you’re in hearing distance of a wolf pack.

Aaron Bloomquist of Alaska Outfitters Unlimited guides moose, sheep and bear hunts in both the Brooks Range and Wrangell Moun-

Dave Magyar (left) with one of two Alaska wolves he shot from over a moose carcass while hunting in Alaska's Brooks Range.

tains of Alaska. “This season we killed four wolves—two in the Brooks Range and two in the Wrangell Mountains,” Aaron said. “But those are the first we’ve killed in 15 years. We see them every year, but when we do, we have got to make it count. Hunters think wolves are bigger and further than they are, so they miss shots all the time. Hunters are not used to shooting at long range, and you don’t ever get a chance unless they’re 500-600 yards, and they’re always moving, so it’s hard to get good clean shots. This year we got two out of the same pack twice. But it was a lucky year.”

Aaron is an advocate of wolf control to protect moose and caribou herds. “Wolves eat the crap out of everything,” he said. “They’d rather chase caribou than moose, but they’ll take moose or sheep when caribou aren’t available.”

Aaron cites one example of predator control success.

“The Southern Alaska caribou herd, about 15 years ago, spent most of its time on federal land,” he said, “but calved on state land and two packs were hammering them on the calving grounds. The state went in and took out both packs, and the calving survival went from about one calf to 200 cows, really an extinction rate, to 70 per 100 cows. That’s how fast it can happen. Controlling wolves is most important when a moose or caribou herd is in trouble,” he said.

“In abundant years of caribou, there are also more predators, too. Then when there’s a crash, those predators still eat and can take the herd lower than it should go. Some packs may range 1,000 miles, following caribou, while those less caribou-centric will have a smaller range,” he added.

Caleb Martin is the executive director of the Alaska Outdoor Council, which advocates for more hunting and fishing access to public lands. He spends more than half of each year in the wilds of Alaska, either guiding or hunting on his own. “I grew up on the Kenai and was used to seeing sheep and caribou in the mountains,” Caleb said. “Now you don’t see the caribou that you used to. But you see lots of wolves and wolf kills, and coyotes and bears.”

“There’s a lack of access for trappers, and no workable plan for trappers when the snow is deep enough for them to run a trapline. The predator population is exploding and putting more pressure on the ungulates, and there’s no way to make a dent in the population (of wolves) without carrying steel into the mountains. Because of access and time limitations on trappers, giving hunters more opportunity and incentive to shoot wolves could help control wolf numbers,” he said.

Caleb wants the state to expand wolf hunting to no closed season. “I think wolf hunting should be similar to black bears, as it is on the Kenai and a lot of the state—a three bear limit and no closed season,” he said. “So, when they see a wolf, they have the opportunity. It gives the hunter the choice. It’s a common error among preservationists to ascribe personality to animals like wolves and bears,” he reflected. “They try to see animals with human emotion. But Nature doesn’t care. For example, it’s common for a pack to wipe out a herd of caribou, not for food, but to teach their pups how to hunt.”

“If you don’t manage wolves, it’s like allowing domestic dogs to breed uncontrolled,” he added. “But wolves are bigger, faster, and very smart. And, they are very effective killing machines. There’s a perception by non-hunters that wolves are easy to kill, but the general public has no idea the amount of work it takes to kill a wolf. They are by far the smartest animal in Alaska.”

Alaska's gray wolf is the largest wild canine in North America and an aggressive predator of moose and caribou.

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Don Durbin shot this beautiful Alaska wolf while hunting with outfitter Luke Tyrell.

Texas Women Outdoors 2022

By Judy Jurek

Texas women outdoors is perhaps one of the fastest growing happenings taking place today in Texas. They’re everywhere from our extensive coastline to the Panhandle, and A from the Pineywoods to rugged West Texas. Today’s ladies of all ages are not just participating in hunting and fishing, but anything and everything having to do with the great outdoors.

Texas’ population has doubled in recent years and continues to increase. The coronavirus pandemic may be partially responsible for the current surge of women getting outdoors. However, I believe it’s also due to many more factors because ladies today are more independent, resourceful, and even a bit bolder and daring than the majority of our mothers and grandmothers.

Women in the outdoors like female things, and makers of almost every type of outdoor equipment has paid attention. Designing and manufacturing clothing specifically for women’s outdoor pursuits is just one great stride. Because females are built differently and lack the muscle strength of men, creating firearms, archery, and other equipment for ladies is another immense improvement.

Another important benefit for Texas women outdoors has been the formation of organizations, clubs, seminars, and other events catering to ladies desiring to learn more to enable them-

photos uthor selves and others. Hunting, fishing, camping, kayaking, hiking, birding, cycling and a host of other venues are but a few of many groups formed for females only.

Becoming an Outdoors Woman (BOW) began in 1993. It’s now in 38 states and six Canadian provinces. Texas Outdoors-Woman

This Texas woman outdoors landed a nice mess of channel catfish from a private pond. She promptly cleaned, cooked, and enjoyed dining on fresh fish.

Tristyn Owens is all smiles with all her bullet holes in the bull’s eye. Ashley Anderson proves her hunting skills by taking this fine axis buck.

Network (TOWN), an offset to BOW, hosts various events throughout the year. Their events fill to capacity within hours after getting posted. Chapters are in Texas’ biggest cities, but don’t let that prevent you from joining.

Every spring, the Chamber of Commerce in Junction, Texas, puts on Outdoor Women Gone Wild. All these aforementioned events teach a variety of skills from trailer backing, fire starting, hunting, fishing, animal/plant/insect identification to outdoor cooking, firearm instruction, map and compass reading, pitching a tent, and many other outdoor activities. New events are being created across the state for gals of all ages.

Texas is a unique state not only in its distinctive map shape recognized worldwide but in the vast outdoor opportunities it offers to everyone. Not only do we have over 350 miles of Gulf coastline, we also have many rivers and lakes. It’s not hard to find water if that’s what you desire.

From young girls to octogenarians, lady dove hunters go after this most popular species for many reasons. As one of the most social hunting activities, aiming for doves requires minimal equipment and it truly makes little difference if you’re a novice or champion shooter because it’s fun! Deer hunting, whether with archery or gun, is a close second choice of lady hunters.

Which brings around girls, guns, and bows—but not the bows in their hair. Again, today’s manufacturers are creating fire power for women outdoors. Lightweight, easy to handle, made for a female’s muscle and strength, a vast selection is available for every age and every type of shooter. In recent years, gun sales have seen a marked increase with many women buying them to enjoy shooting sports, putting wild game on their table, and for protection.

How do women get involved with the outdoors? Merely by stepping outside then finding something that interests them. Getting involved in one thing simply leads to another. Meeting new people opens doors to different adventures. Never be afraid to try something new because an entirely fresh world may open up.

Who knows? Firing a gun for the first time could possibly turn you into a competitive shooter. Sitting in a deer or duck blind may stir your hunting instincts. If you like water, there’s too many water-related sports to name. Just pick one and try it.

What do you have to lose? Absolutely nothing. You may discover fun and become interested in being outside with Mother Nature and all her glory. Become a part of Texas women outdoors.

WHITETAIL WARM-UP

Test yourself and your bow rig out West before deer season starts

By Brandon Ray

The author with his 2021, do-it-yourself New Mexico pronghorn.

Whitetail will always be king, but there’s more to explore. What about a trip out West? Game like elk, mule deer and pronghorn can be hunted in late summer and early fall. The best part? You won’t miss one day of whitetail hunting back home.

A trip out West takes planning. For the public land hunter, you need to apply for tags. Application deadlines vary depending on state and species. Wyoming’s draw opens in January. In 2021, the deadline for New Mexico was in March and Colorado’s deadline was in April. Non-resident tag costs must be considered. Deer and antelope tags can be had for $250-$500 in most states while elk tags can be as high as $600-$800. Most states also require extra fees for archery licenses, stamps, BLM fees or general hunting licenses. Even if you’re planning a guided hunt, the best outfits book up a year or more in advance.

An out-of-state adventure is a chance to test new equipment. Arrows and broadheads come to mind. A broadhead’s consistent accuracy on a target is good, but nothing boosts confidence like a pass through and a buck wearing your tag.

Last summer, I was unsuccessful in the draw for public land tags. The last time I drew a tag was back in 2017. My backup plan was to hunt pronghorns on private land in New Mexico by paying a trespass fee for a do-it-yourself hunt. It was a plan I’d used before, so I had some history with the ranch. The arid, rocky landscape of that New Mexico landscape leant itself well to a bowhunter guarding water. In fact, in 2018, 2019 and 2020, I hunted the same ranch and shot a fine antelope buck there each year. Hot and dry, and some patience to sit all day in the blind, made a good formula for success. However, the ranch was flat with little brush, so stalking was very difficult.

New Mexico’s archery-only antelope season opens early. Last year, August 4 was opening day. I didn’t even have corn feeders filled or trail cameras set back home for whitetails. The hunt would be a good chance to test a new bow rig.

The bow was a Prime Nexus 34. The rig was set at my 28 inch draw length and a modest 60.4 pounds. The 34-inch axle to axle length was more forgiving than a shorty axle rig if a long-range shot was needed, but not so long that it would be a burden in a ground blind. The bow was set up with a QAD HDX drop-away rest, Bee Stinger 10-inch stabilizer and a wrist sling. A simple HHA Optimizer Lite, single pin sight and a ¼-inch peep sight rounded out the setup. Arrows were Victory VAP Elite shafts in a 350-spine, fletched with AAE Max Hunter vanes and tipped with 55-grain Easton titanium half outs and 100-grain Slick Trick broadheads. Total arrow weight was 400 grains. Arrow speed was 271 fps. On the range, the bow shot impressive groups.

LONG WAIT FOR A PRONGHORN

I spent the day before the opener cruising the ranch in my truck, a big spotting scope clamped on the window. The ranch was greener than the year before. The rancher reported 8.5 inches of rain since the start of the year. Not a lot for most places, but this is the desert. The only open water I found in the

A mature pronghorn buck on the open prairie in New Mexico.

two large pastures on the east side of the ranch were the three water tanks maintained year-round for cattle. I counted 16 bucks through the lens of my spotting scope that afternoon. Most of those were in the larger, southernmost pasture.

By sunset I had a blind set at the far south water tank. In years past this was a good spot. I set a camera on the other two water tanks just to see what I was missing.

Opening day was overcast and the smell of rain was in the air. At 6:30 a.m., a slow patter of rain fell on the roof of my blind. The rain continued, getting heavier at times until it finally stopped at 11 a.m. The plastic rain gauge on a post near my blind showed more than half an inch had fallen, .6 to be exact. No doubt the puddles in the road and added moisture to the vegetation would slow the antelope’s need to visit a water tank. I sat 14 hours that day and not one antelope came to water.

Day two was forecast as dry with a high temperature of 90-plus degrees. On the drive to my blind at sunrise, I could see a few random puddles on rocks and in deep ruts in the road. By noon it was hot and the small puddle next to my blind had dried up to mud. I sat 14 hours that day, too, and not one antelope came for a drink. After dark, I checked the other cameras on the distant water tanks. Not a single antelope had gone to water. Day three was a real test of my endurance. I had history with this place and I knew with patience a nice buck would eventually come to water. It was hot, 95 degrees, and I sat another 14 hours in the same blind. I saw antelope in the distance, but nothing came to water. After dark I checked the other cameras and only black cows visited the water tanks. Day four, Aug. 7, called for dry conditions and a high temperature of 96 degrees. I decided to drive the first hour of daylight and look for a buck to stalk. I found two decent bucks, but a lack of cover and other nearby animals as spies meant getting within bow range was impossible. I retreated to my familiar blind with snacks for the day and a new book to read.

It was just after 1 p.m. when I spied black horns through the heat waves. The antelope buck was 200 yards away. His steady gait and line of travel looked like he was headed to my water tank. When he crossed the 100-yard mark, I set my binoculars down and got ready for a possible shot. I crouched on my knees on the soft fleece blanket I had laid on the floor of the blind. Yes, he was coming now with purpose. He paced around the water tank at 20 yards, then lowered his head to drink.

It was 1:17 p.m. when my arrow left the bow. The 400-grain missile hit the slightly-quartering buck behind the right shoulder, breaking the leg bone and passing completely through, exiting in front of the opposite side hip. The hard-hit buck trotted 40 yards and tipped over. It was 95 degrees when I exited the blind. The buck’s horns were both about 14 inches long with decent mass. On the fourth consecutive day of sitting in that blind, it was the only antelope that came to water! After some photos with a tripod and a self-timer, the buck was quartered and the meat was on ice.

I was beat by the time I got the blind taken down and my truck packed up. This early season hunt had tested my patience. My new bow performed perfectly and my confidence was running high. Now, I was ready for whitetails back home in Texas!

This is the waterhole setup where the author shot his 2021 New Mexico pronghorn.

The author spent hot summer months practicing with his new bow rig. Here’s a tight three arrow group with the Prime Nexus 34 bow.

Texas Brigades: A “Wild” Experience

By James Fagan

I’m excited to share my experiences at South Texas Buckskin Brigade. It sounds like some sort of military program, right? It’s not! It’s a camp for teens to learn about land stewardship and leadership, along with bunks, tight schedules, discipline, and marching.

I first heard about Texas Brigades at a hunt sponsored by Texas Youth Hunting Program. They said it was a summer camp where I can learn even more about wildlife. I had to submit an application and write a short essay about conservation. A few weeks later I learned that I got accepted. I was so excited!

There are different Brigade camps to choose from: North Texas Buckskin, South Texas Buckskin, Rolling Plains Bobwhite, South Texas Bobwhite, Coastal, Bass, Ranch, and now South Texas Ranch Brigade. My top choice of Brigades was South Texas Buckskin Brigade. This was my top choice because I like to hunt whitetail deer. The cost of the camp was $500. I asked the local Soil and Water Conservation District to sponsor my trip and they agreed. I also had another donor, Bee County WMA, pitch in. My camp was completely paid for!

I packed up my bags and we got in the car early for a fivehour drive. I ate too many sweets during the drive. As we got closer to the camp, I started to get nervous. I kind of wanted to go back home. When we arrived at G2 Ranch in Pearsall, I was amazed by how nice the place looked. I checked in and put my stuff in my cabin, hoping that I would get along with the other kids. There were three other kids in my cabin. We got along great! We were called a herd. We got to pick a herd name. Ours was “The Backstraps.”

Each day we would wake up at 6 a.m. and go to bed at

Cadets learning the finer points of marching. It builds discipline and unity. The author (left) prepares to examine the contents of a deer’s stomach to learn about its diet.

10 p.m. The camp had really good cooks, and the food was perfect. We played lots of icebreaker type games. Our first day we did a necropsy on a doe. I learned so much about deer anatomy, their stomachs and what they eat. I spent time identifying plants and seeing what type of plants these deer like to eat. We learned about their habitat and what it takes for deer to survive.

We learned about careers related to whitetails. My favorite part was learning about the game wardens. They spoke to us about hunting laws. They also talked to us about how they handle situations they encounter. We were able to do a scenario where we were the game wardens and they were the ones breaking some laws. We demonstrated how we would handle

Cadets role play as game wardens to help them learn about how game wardens perform their jobs. Cadets also learn how to score antlers.

the situation. They passed out rubber game warden bracelets. I still wear mine every day.

Like I said, the food was great. It was always good. They had propane camp grills that we used to make our own omelets. You went from station to station to build your own. That was my first time to make an omelet.

During the day, some of the volunteers would go around to inspect the cabin and take pictures of stuff that they saw. One of the kids in my herd had to leave camp to prepare to join the Navy. When he left, they crossed his name off the door and wrote, “Good luck in the Navy, buddy. Have fun!” They took a picture of it and put it in the slideshow.

The last night of the camp, we worked on educational posters. Mine was about deer stomachs. I go into detail about how they are ruminants. We go to practice presenting to the rest of the camp. I think I did pretty good because I’m in 4-H and I do a lot of presentations.

On the last day, we practiced marching and getting ready to see our parents at the awards ceremony. Our families got to eat lunch with us which included a special peach cobbler. The recipe was from a man who was at the camp when it was first established. He has passed away, but the recipe stayed!

I had such a good experience at South Texas Buckskin Brigade that I want to return as an assistant herd leader next year. I want to help next year’s cadets at camp. To apply for that special position, I have to do certain things throughout the year and put them in a book of accomplishments. These things include speaking at events, recruiting other cadets, doing research, and helping others with the information I have learned.

I will always be thankful for this experience. I’m thankful for the donors, the volunteers, and the hosts. I think every teenager should participate in a camp like this. Even if they do not enjoy hunting, they can really learn a lot and meet new people.

Texas Brigades is a conservation-based leadership organization which organizes wildlife and natural resource-based leadership camps for participants ranging in age from 13-17. Its mission is to educate and empower youths with leadership skills and knowledge in wildlife, fisheries, and land stewardship to become conservation ambassadors for a sustained natural resource legacy. There are multiple camps scheduled in the summers, focusing on different animal species while incorporating leadership development. Summer camps include Rolling Plains and South Texas Bobwhite Brigade, South and North Texas Buckskin Brigade, Bass Brigade, Waterfowl Brigade, Coastal Brigade, and Ranch Brigade. Visit texasbrigades.org or call 210-556-1391 for more information.