WRITTEN BY JOSH FISCHER
WOLF SNARING TIPS Alaska trapper Josh Fischer has learned a lot about wolf trapping over the years. Here he shares some tips and tricks he’s picked up along the way. Catching a wolf is one of the pinnacles of trapping in Alaska. North America’s largest canines are beautiful, smart, tough beyond imagine, and can be quite difficult to trap. I have been fortunate to catch a few dozen in the past ten years. I’ve used various methods including large bait stations, setting natural kills, pee posts, and blind sets. My preferred and most successful method has been blind snare sets. Wolves, like most wild animals, are creatures of habit. They run circuits in their territories, usually on a pretty consistent timeline. They stop to investigate droppings/urine they come across just like other canines. They will use close to, if not the same trail each time they come through an area. Whether it be where they cross a road, come onto a snowmachine trail, or come to investigate a bait pile or previous kill, a wolf will reuse an old trail unless something deters them. For the trapper who spends considerable time on their line these habits present a great opportunity to successfully catch wolves.
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