Author Topic: How do you tell a wolf kill?  (Read 1230 times)

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Offline ihookem

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How do you tell a wolf kill?
« on: March 21, 2010, 04:00:45 PM »
I was up in Price co. looking for sheds and came across where a deer had died or been killed. I think it was a wolf kill cause I never saw something quite like it. The hair was scattered about 8 ' wide and 20' long. I found no bones, no legs or even the head. I only found a piece of bone about 1/2" wide and 4" long. The marrow was even gone. I've seen lots of dead deer that were just piled up bones with a few bones scattered bu nothing like this. If you have seen a wolf kill does this seem similar?
  Second question, I also think I found a bear den but not sure. It is under a big tree that is half blown down. I can crawl right under the tree and under the roots. It seems the bear dug the dirt out some and made a small pit about 3x4'. There is no smell, but wouldn't a bear leave some black hair in the den? There is no poop neither. Do you think it's a bear den. No sheds but lots of droppings in the logged area.

Offline Graybeard

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Re: How do you tell a wolf kill?
« Reply #1 on: March 21, 2010, 06:26:43 PM »
Iffen it don't run off after you shot it and it's real still and not wiggling around I think it's safe to say ya killed it.  ;D


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Offline JeffG

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Re: How do you tell a wolf kill?
« Reply #2 on: March 30, 2010, 03:36:53 PM »
Quote
Iffen it don't run off after you shot it and it's real still and not wiggling around I think it's safe to say ya killed it.

Right out of my brain!! LOL
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Offline crash87

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Re: How do you tell a wolf kill?
« Reply #3 on: March 31, 2010, 05:01:33 AM »
Second question, I also think I found a bear den but not sure. It is under a big tree that is half blown down. I can crawl right under the tree and under the roots. It seems the bear dug the dirt out some and made a small pit about 3x4'. There is no smell, but wouldn't a bear leave some black hair in the den? There is no poop neither. Do you think it's a bear den. No sheds but lots of droppings in the logged area.
Wrong time of the year to tell if it actually, is a bear den. You will need to wait until next winter. Then grab a flashlight, go in and see.   ;D   Seriously, that is how it is done. CRASH87

Offline curteric

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Re: How do you tell a wolf kill?
« Reply #4 on: March 31, 2010, 09:24:10 AM »
CRASH87 is correct about bear dens. Thats how to do it.

As for wolf kills they usually don't spread things around very far. They will eat bones and hair as their digestive system has the ability to break them down and use the protein.

Offline saddlebum

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Re: How do you tell a wolf kill?
« Reply #5 on: March 31, 2010, 09:44:24 AM »
ALIENS!!!..........or poachers. Critters would scatter the hair and whats left. Look for tracks.
" FIREARMS STAND NEXT IN IMPORTANCE TO THE CONSTITUTION ITSELF. THEY ARE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE'S LIBERTY TEETH AND KEYSTONE UNDER INDEPENDENCE."       George Washington

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Offline 1sourdough

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Re: How do you tell a wolf kill?
« Reply #6 on: April 08, 2010, 01:53:35 AM »
 A couple of Winters ago in the U.P. we saw where a deer was being chewed on as it pulled itself through the snow. There was a drag path for about 50 yards with the snow plowed away while the coyotes worked on the deer. At the end there was more blood & some hair & I think a tail bone. They may of carried off some larger pieces but that was all that was left. This was a rather fresh kill months after deer season. I have also fished the northern U.P. in the early spring and seen deer carcasses, what was left, where I think they starved after a hard winter. In this area the bark of maple trees had been chewed on by the deer. If your kill is fresh it's easier to tell. With a bunch of old hair it could even be a deer wounded during hunting season.  That deer hair in all the wolf poop has to come from somewhere.

    With the deer numbers up North I bet sheds are hard to find.
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Offline ihookem

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Re: How do you tell a wolf kill?
« Reply #7 on: April 09, 2010, 04:46:42 PM »
Thanks Sourdough, it was an older kill. It could have been a wounded deer but don't think so. Anyway, I have not found a shed in Price Co. since 1993. I don't know why. I used to find one every year or so, sometimes I wasn't even looking.

Offline ihookem

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Re: How do you tell a wolf kill?
« Reply #8 on: April 18, 2010, 02:23:20 PM »
I found another deer kill 1/2 mile away from the first. Same thing as before, a bunch of hair and no bones anywhere, not even the spine. It has to be wolves. What else eats the bones?

Offline saddlebum

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Re: How do you tell a wolf kill?
« Reply #9 on: April 18, 2010, 06:28:50 PM »
I didn't see any mention of the hide. You just said hair. If there is hide laying around I'm still thinking poachers/hunters that skinned it out on the spot. They usually take all the bones, except maybe lower leg bones. Kinda sounds like critters and birds scattered the hair. Likewise critters would eat up anything edible..........And then of coarse there's ALIENS!
" FIREARMS STAND NEXT IN IMPORTANCE TO THE CONSTITUTION ITSELF. THEY ARE THE AMERICAN PEOPLE'S LIBERTY TEETH AND KEYSTONE UNDER INDEPENDENCE."       George Washington

“OUR CONSTITUTION WAS MADE ONLY FOR A MORAL AND RELIGIOUS PEOPLE. IT IS WHOLLY INADEQUATE TO THE GOVERNMENT OF ANY OTHER."           John Adams

Offline ihookem

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Re: How do you tell a wolf kill?
« Reply #10 on: April 19, 2010, 05:18:18 PM »
Nope, there was only hair. I couldn't find anything else but hair I should have taken a pic nut had no camera. There is no way there is poachers way back there. It's at least a mile from the nearest road. Poachers seem really lazy to me. I see poached deer and almost always 100 yds from the road.