What it sounds like when the Alpha Male is killed

[Mike_W]

Found a video that my dad took on a point and shoot camera about 5 min after I shot the Alpha male.

We were calling moose and a pure black male and grey female came running out of the bush into the middle of the cut block on a dead run. It didn't take me long to decide I wanted to take the black wolf and knocked him down at 80 yards. Never got a shot at the female and she was in the bush for about 2 min before she let out a very long mournful howl and then the rest of the pack picked up. It was only then that we realized 10 -12 wolves had the cutblock surrounded. The female stayed in the area stepping out of the bush twice the second time was her last and we were able to get her as well.

Might need to turn up your volume but I sure think it sounds cool!!

The Wolf!
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r23/Yukon_Jack/CampCoot2011155.jpg

The Video
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r23/Yukon_Jack/Hunting/th_Campcoot2011114_zpsfb643993.jpg (http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r23/Yukon_Jack/Hunting/Campcoot2011114_zpsfb643993.mp4)

[357xp]

Yep, I've heard it too. Pretty creepy when u r alone in an over grown cutblock.

[Seabass.270]

That's pretty awesome. As a kid I loved books on wolves. It saddened me to find out how they can actually be a pest. Nice wolf though! :happy0034:

[north american hunter]

:sSc_hiding:That would send shivers down my spine!

That's awesome!

[Matt L.]

That's cool! Congrats on the kills.

[TBark]

Nice,
Makes me think now about the shot I got off at a black one in our pack Sept 20, 2013 at sunset.
Pretty sure I missed, then the same howling for 10-15 min. Looked the next day or 2.
Watched for crows etc, and nothing. Hmmm.

TBark

[wasteland.soldier]

Nice. Any pics of the female? What did you do with the fur?

[Mike_W]

Got them both tanned. The female is at my parents hanging over a really cool old antique wood ladder and the all black male is laying over my black hi gloss cabelas safe!
Both skulls were also bleached and look super cool.

[pikeslayer22]

Awsome wolf Mike!

[H380]

THAT WAS COOL !! Thanx for sharing ..

[stemorholake]

Thanks for that man awesome

[Bassett]

That is awesome, sounded like it was straight from a horror movie. Would have been scary walking out at night lol.

Have any pics of the mounts and furs?

[Thinlizzy]

That was cool! Thanks for sharing.

[The Fisherman Guy]

This is one of the coolest posts in a long time on AO!

Thank you very much for posting, this is what this forum is all about!

[bessiedog]

Very very cool!

I've only heard that noise a couple of times over my lifetime.

Have yet to shoot one.


We need more posts like this!

Great job!

[Nikanit]

I was out deer hunting with the hubbie last year in the Weyerhauser, and I was quite well hidden underneath a couple of pine trees. So I'm sitting there, total full camo, very hard to spot, and still as a stone. In fact, some guys went past only 10 feet away, and could not see me at all, even though they were looking for deer. So anyhow I'm sitting there, and that's when I heard a wolf pack start up howling, and it was sounding closer and closer to where I was. We did know that a hunter had lost a buck earlier that day as we spotted the blood trail and his tracks following the buck (blood trail stopped and it looked like buddy turned back). I was getting a bit concerned because I didn't know whether to stay hidden or let my whereabouts be known to the pack in case they came too close for comfort. I didn't want to have to shoot a wolf unless there was no other choice. Thankfully they veered off and headed into the trees, still unaware that I was so close

[greywolf]

It is an eerie feeling for sure. 2 years ago my wife and I encountered the same experience while moose hunting. After shooting, within a couple of minutes we had realized we were surrounded by wolves. My wife nervously asked if we could move on to distance ourselves from the pack which we did. I'm glad she asked when she did, because I felt the same way. I still have not let her forget that it was because of her that we moved on. :lol:

[Prairiewolf]

Awesome wolf, and quite the cool experience.

Hope you didn't watch "The Grey" that night.

[yamaha 1]

Hey Mike how far was that from our camp? Last year Darren and I were calling the whole pack in, we lost light before they made it into our block. They were very close and sounded cool.

[Rockjockey]

I would have thought it would have sounded like this.

https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/89826631/Sounds%20of%20Nature.mp3

Nice job, Mike!

[Stinky Buffalo]

That's really cool. Thanks for posting that! And congrats on your wolves.

It sounds a fair bit different than the howling that I heard when I was leaving my stand one night... The wolves were on an old gutpile, and seemed to have been waiting for my partner and I to leave the area. We were about fifty yards away when they came out and started howling... But it was a happy howl!

....still made my skin crawl, though. :eek:

[Mike_W]

Hey Mike how far was that from our camp? Last year Darren and I were calling the whole pack in, we lost light before they made it into our block. They were very close and sounded cool.

Hey Neil that wolf was shot in 2011 and North west of the creek.
This past year dad shot a female (charcoal grey) that came out while calling and wouldn't leave just east of your old camp. That same day I was over in some of the new blocks in 32 and was calling in an open low draw tight up against some cat tails and slough that had formed over an old line after maybe 30 min of calling on the other side of the slough I seen something grey coming down the line, I looked through my binos that were covered in rain but thought it was a coyote wiped up my binos and looked again and couldn't see anything then I seen something black looked again and wolf! He was jogging down the line then veered into the bush about 150 yards up. After looking around for a couple mins I cow called again and he busted out of the bush straight towards me. I could have shot but I was soaking wet and didn't want to have to find my way around this slough that was between us (maybe 30 m across). Anyway I figured I would watch him and see if he comes around the slough and gives me a shot...... Nope the bugger must have known a high spot through the slough and cat tails and all I see is glimpses of black and the cat tails rustling and parting I back away from my edge of the cattails maybe five to ten feet and when the wolf broke through my side of the cat tails I could see nothing through my scope as he was way to close even for the lowest setting of my scope as soon as he seen me he was gone right back the way he came I didn't even have time to consider a shot "from the hip" he couldn't have been anymore than 10 ft away.
Later that trip Ken seen four wolves just north of our camp.
It was rough sledding out there this year in the last few years the wolves and bears have done a number on the moose out there and the few that are left don't call anymore as obviously as we found out three times this year that it is just like ringing the dinner bell.

[yamaha 1]

Yup, the first time we ever had to eat track soap. I have never been skunked in that area in 20 years. Yes, we did have some tough years were we had to go down to the last day before we shot a moose and had years were the moose never called because of the wolves. It will be interesting to see what happens in years to come. Good luck Mike

[Ice Fishing Maniac]

I remember hearing those 2 shots that morning, thinking you buggers got another bull :sign0080::sign0176::scared0018:as I had a bull grunting and coming into me and then heard the wolves howl and all was quiet.

That was a great video to hear the wolves. Congrats on the 2 wolves.

About 10 days after camp this year, I went back in for a day trip by myself and only stayed 1/2 day and there was NO sign of any moose what so ever.:confused: but yet wolf sign.....time to get some luck and thin some out. Plan was to go back in during the winter for some wolf huntinh but with 2 boys in hockey and busy work schedule, that never happened, let alone getting much ice fishing in either, BUT Neil & I had a bit of success on some perch in March.:sHa_shakeshout:

[Brandonkop]

Wow... that is a great story and video. Brings life to a story my Grandpa told... similar thing happended to him. He also shot a black wolf in similar situation. Wish I had that old picture to scan in. Thanks for the post.

[Mike_W]

Yup, the first time we ever had to eat track soap. I have never been skunked in that area in 20 years. Yes, we did have some tough years were we had to go down to the last day before we shot a moose and had years were the moose never called because of the wolves. It will be interesting to see what happens in years to come. Good luck Mike

Yeah tough sledding the last few years I will 999 my draw this year and probably stay local with archery to get my moose!
I am sure the hiway is or it will be completed to the T soon enough... Hate to say it but I think that spot will be pooched for some time.

Good luck boys!

[ndw]

Good job on the wolves

[Mike_W]

Nice. Any pics of the female? What did you do with the fur?

Not the best photos of the female but she was a pretty decent size too.

http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r23/Yukon_Jack/Campcoot2011128_zps0325bdf2.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r23/Yukon_Jack/Campcoot2011133_zpsd871324a.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r23/Yukon_Jack/IMG_0680_zpsf2f1f882.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r23/Yukon_Jack/IMG_0688.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r23/Yukon_Jack/IMG_0872.jpg
http://i140.photobucket.com/albums/r23/Yukon_Jack/IMG_0869.jpg

[KegRiver]

I've heard them up close a few times.
When I worked as a guide one pack would surround our camp a couple of times each fall, and howl till everyone was awake.
It was awesome. And I find it interesting that they sounded entirely different then what this video captured.

One time I happened to wind up in the middle of a hunt a pack set up on my trap line. Again, the howl was very different to what you recorded.

My dad was one of the local trappers recruited by the government to put out strychnine baits during the rabies plaque back in the early 1950s.

He used to tell about poisoning a whole pack, except the alpha female.
He claimed she hung around and howled for several days. The way he described her howl I think he was hearing the same howl you recorded.
Dad claimed she was morning the loss of her family.

I think he may have been right.

[Mike_W]

Keg I have no doubt this was the case I have heard wolves howl that have been active in a hunt or after a hunt they sound much more "active" this was a mournful howl like "the king is dead" type of howl.

[twytter]

Yea i shot 4 of them of about 12-15 wolves a cple years ago,the rest of the pack was howling like crazy,heart was pumping pretty good too and only had 2 bullets left on me and it was starting to get dark.Was a pretty good adrenaline rush that was.

[Pierre Tessier]

Way cool, thanks for sharing!

[.257Weatherby]

Never had the pleasure of drawing down on a Wolf , but was the kill site from some hunters a few days after.
All that was left was the head(antlers removed) and a sphincter...then i heard the wolves in the tree line 35 yrds away and what a sound that was.
Trouble was one gun and three rounds and the girlfriend was beside me.
Just a we bit unnerving and a very cool experience at the same time.
Thanks for sharing your video and pictures and story.
Rob

[Red Bullets]

The long howls on the video remind me of how I felt when I lost my mate.
Sounds like a heartfelt "where are you?" locating howl.

Thanks for sharing. It brings up a reminiscence moment for me. .

35 Years ago when I was a surveyers helper and cutting a cutline north of Goose Lake, AB... one night a pack of several wolves surrounded the tracked nodwell that the 2 of us were living in and commenced to serenade us with their best stereo rendition of a bush symphony in E minor. Sounded like they were 10 yards away on that moonless dark night. It was the best because they were around us, real close, and we were safe even with the windows down. Their enchanting arias are etched in my sound memory for ever. Their nearby howls were more upbeat and more of a gathering. And we were in the center. Heard the wolves almost every night of the 35 straight days we were surveying. It was like they were following us like a group of traveling mistrels. Only the one night that they so close though.
I would love to fall asleep to the sound of the wolves lullaby once more.

[Stinky Buffalo]

(Resurrecting an old thread, I know...)

The long howls on the video remind me of how I felt when I lost my mate.
Sounds like a heartfelt "where are you?" locating howl.

Thanks for sharing. It brings up a reminiscence moment for me. .

35 Years ago when I was a surveyers helper and cutting a cutline north of Goose Lake, AB... one night a pack of several wolves surrounded the tracked nodwell that the 2 of us were living in and commenced to serenade us with their best stereo rendition of a bush symphony in E minor. Sounded like they were 10 yards away on that moonless dark night. It was the best because they were around us, real close, and we were safe even with the windows down. Their enchanting arias are etched in my sound memory for ever. Their nearby howls were more upbeat and more of a gathering. And we were in the center. Heard the wolves almost every night of the 35 straight days we were surveying. It was like they were following us like a group of traveling mistrels. Only the one night that they so close though.
I would love to fall asleep to the sound of the wolves lullaby once more.

That is really well put, Red. I was in that area a few weeks ago and a pack of wolves ran out and started howling just between us and our truck (they sounded like they were closer, but we found their fresh tracks on the trail later), while we were dragging my son's deer out.

It was the first time that I could share that sound with my kids. It did put my boys on edge, and I just had to smile. I love telling them the stories of my encounters, and now they get to experience the same.

I have to say, I'm somewhat conflicted about shooting wolves and coyotes. I want to participate in controlling predators, and I am ready and willing to do it when the opportunity arises, but I guess I'm still a softie in some respects.

Even deer and grouse, I still feel a pang of sadness about it, but I love the hunt, I love the camaraderie, pitting my wits against the survival instincts of an game animal on its home turf... And I love how they taste. :)