Got this field report on Christmas day from my friend Brandon Schreiber, who lives in central Saskatchewan and operates Buck Country Outfitters, an outfit I will be hunting with this fall. Brandon wrote:
I had an epic day fulfilling one of my dreams, to harvest a wolf. Anyone who has pursued wolves knows how smart they are and what it takes to connect on these animals.
I wanted to know more, so I asked my friend to elaborate…
The only way to harvest wolves in Saskatchewan is to obtain a fur license and either trap them or shoot them. I have had my fur license since I was 12 years old, and my dad taught me a lot about trapping and ways to place your sets to be inconspicuous in the woods.
I have found the wolf to be by far the hardest animal to trap. I have been after them for years and these are the first 2 I have ever connected on.
I was able to trap in part of my deer hunting area, so I focused on a place where I knew wolves traveled through, as sometimes we see them on our cam trackers during deer season. I set some small pieces of beaver around the area where I had placed a few leg hold traps. When I returned after setting them I had both wolves caught in the set!
It was one of my most rewarding times in the wild, after spending countless hours, days, weeks and even years trying to catch a wolf, with many close calls and always enough sign to keep you interested.
The best part is knowing I have helped our deer (and moose) population by having taken out 2 of the predators. The male wolf was big and weighed about 150 pounds, the female about 100 pounds.
A great Christmas Day present and an amazing way to end my 2015 year.—Brandon
I have known Brandon for many years, since he was a kid just starting out in the outfitting business. This guy spends a lot of time out in the wild up there, hunting, shed hunting, trapping, 4-wheeling and just roaming around. Great to see him doing well in the hunting and fishing business.
Thanks buddy for this amazing story, see you in deer camp in November.
Trapping is controversial every time I post something about it, with both hunters and non hunters alike. Wolves especially. No one admires a wolf more than I do, to me it’s a symbol of the wild, but then I do not have to live with them here in VA. In regions where the predators are literally destroying deer and esp. elk herds, many people have come to hate wolves. In Brandon’s case up in Canada, he lives with them, they eat a lot of deer and moose, he trapped 2 of the predators. That seems sensible to me. Nature is a balance, and controlling wolves like every predator is important and necessary.
I have to agree with the last post. I’m not anti trapping unless its done irresponsibly. Not checking your traps for two days is ridiculous. Kill sets would be one thing but an animal being stuck in a leg hold trap for two days just gives fuel to the antis. As a trapper myself, I check my traps every 24 hours or less and if I didn’t I would get a ticket from the CO.
Wonder how the wolves being trapped, hungry and in pain for two days until you decided to go back in the woods. I hate trapping unless its for food.
Nice harvest! I haven’t tried wolf yet, and I don’t think I’ll be able to do so successfully now. Maybe after a few years. But it’s always great to read stories like this.
Can you get him to come to central and northern Wisconsin and clean house?
What a great life!
I deer hunt in Northern Sask as a non resident. I see wolves almost every year. I love to hear them howl late in the afternoon. Times when I’m in my blind I feel like the wolves are close by. This year I was cold and decider to go for a walk. I was on a reclaimed road nearly a mile from my blind. I crossed a small dip and there was a lone wolf standing me down at 25 ft. I put the crosshairs on his chest and talked to him saying ” you better turn around and leave or I will kill you.” He stood there not flinching. I lowered my rifle stared him in the eyes and told him to turn around and leave or I’ll shot you. He was like a statue. I raised my rifle again and said if you don’t go now I will kill you. I held for another 30 seconds then he turned and casually trotted down the road and back in the bush. I realized then I had an experience that very few people have ever had. I feel very blessed to have lived that special moment. I believe he was around 130 pounds or so.
What beautiful animals. Congrats to Brandon on success after all his hard work. The wolf has always been one of the most mysterious animals to me ever since my childhood. Love stories like this!