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.

The Gear

There are a few commercial options for wolf snares, but I prefer to build my own. I use 5-6 feet of #9 wire with a built in swivel, 60” of 1x19 3/32” or 1/8” cable, and a cam lock. The #9 wire acts as the anchor and allows the snare to be self supporting. I find 60” of cable to make a good sized loop. I have tried other lengths but have settled on this. It’s all personal preference. The same is true for the lock. I have also used Berkshire and Thompson locks with success.

Some of my snares have built-in breakaways for moose. A wolf is a powerful animal and I have lost a few to breakaways, but I’ve avoided numerous accidental moose catches with them as well. As another precaution to avoid catching moose I try to avoid setting in areas of high moose densities or set in very dense brush that moose typically won’t travel through.

The Sets

When I blind set a trail wolves have been using I look for additional paths they would detour to if I make a catch. It really helps to look from the eye level of a wolf. Every hole in the brush could be an escape route. I tend to gang set, hanging as many as twenty snares, as multiple catches are always a possibility. I set the bottom of my snare loop knee high and pick locations that funnel right to my snares. I use a tree 3”- 6” in diameter to anchor the snare. I’ve found that anything larger doesn’t have enough flex and can allow the wolf to get a solid lunge and break the cable or #9 wire. I anchor high to help prevent solid lunges and account for large snowfalls burying my anchor location.

Large bait piles are my second most effective set locations. I prefer to use tainted meat scraps from hunting season. I will put 30 or more pounds of meat at the set. I wait for the bait to get hit before I hang snares. I try to keep snares at least 50 feet back from the bait. I use the same original trail to replenish the bait when it gets low. I walk a circle around the bait while setting snares crossing wolf trails at right angles. I set all my snares bare handed. I’m sure many wolfers would disagree with this, but it has worked fine for me. I typically put a wolverine cubby guarded by a 330 nearby too. It’s always a nice bonus to catch another bucket list furbearer!

The Alaska wolf trapping manual is a great resource. It covers various methods and set designs and is a great place to start. I would encourage anyone interested in wolf trapping not to wait. It’s an amazing feeling seeing fresh tracks going into your set and finding your first wolf catch.

Josh is the owner of Fischer Furs. He’ll make hats, mitts and other items with his fur or yours. For more information, contact him at fishin_fool@hotmail.com.