We were about halfway through checking our wolf trapline when we pulled up to a set location that I check with binoculars . When I looked to where the trap was I could definitely see some disturbance at the set but I couldn ’ t make out a wolf , I told Alexis to wait at the truck and I was going to walk over for a closer look . When I was about halfway to the trap I suddenly could see two ears moving from behind a tree and they were attached to a wolfs head ! Once again I hollered at Alexis , we got a wolf , get your gun . We sized the male wolf up , Alexis dispatched him and we remade the set , after loading the wolf in the truck , we checked the remaining traps then headed for home on what perhaps was the best Christmas Day I can remember .
The next day Alexis and Maria headed over the hill and through the dale to grandma ' s house in Washington , I elected to stay back and check traps , it ' s a tough job but I chose to do it , besides somebody had to stay home and keep the fire going , right ? A couple checks later I had a banner day and caught two wolves , a male and a female , both gray in color . If you think catching one wolf is intoxicating , try two in one day , I think my wolf hangover lasted for several days ! I jokingly reminded Alexis when I texted her the news of my dos lobos day , you better hurry up and get back from Grandma ' s , I ' m now two wolves ahead of you ! These were the 15th and 16th wolf I had caught and I had yet to catch a black wolf , I was starting to think I was cursed .
MONTANA DAN TRAPPING CONTINUED
I know several trappers that had caught and shot black wolves but yet black wolves continued to elude me . I made the remark to one trapper , “ I think black wolves are like Sports Illustrated swimsuit models , I know they exist but I surely ain ’ t hooking up with them !” After Alexis got back from Washington the Game Warden stopped by to tag our latest batch of wolves , I was asking Troy about the numbers of wolves trapped so far this winter and he informed me to the best of his knowledge the Helterlines had turned in 6 out of the 7 wolves reportedly trapped in Sanders County . Even if I hadn ’ t caught a black one yet that made me feel pretty darn good and there is still plenty of trapping season and winter left , maybe eventually the curse of the black wolf will be broken !
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Kyle Wengerd with a dandy buck from last season . Congrats Kyle . Dan is working on the wolves so that we all can kill bucks like this in the future ! Picture by Caleb Wengerd