Idaho45guy
05-27-2021, 12:29 AM
Or, thought I did. It was a flash and then gone. It was only the third wolf I've seen in the wild in Idaho in 40 years of exploring the backcountry.
Today, I headed into the mountains with the goal of finding a giant ground squirrel colony I had stumbled upon while hiking with my dog years ago. I found it and had some fun thinning the population with my 10/22. It was a long hike up the mountain to a hidden valley clear cut years ago.
283545
283544
Hiked back to the rig and decided to see if the road over the mountain divide was open yet, so drove deeper into the wilderness. I had just come around a corner, and about 50 yards down the road to the next sharp corner, I saw a flash of fur leap into the trees. Looked like a wolf. I sped up in my SUV and stopped where I last saw, then jumped out to see if I could see it again. Nope.
I did find the tracks it left as it spun and leaped off the road. It had rained the day before, so the ground was damp and soft, so easy to see tracks. I placed my Glock G29 10mm next to the tracks for size comparison. It was a big wolf.
283546
I started surveying the area and found multiple fresh scat piles, so likely a pack was passing through and I just happen to see one.
283547
Cool to see my third wolf in the wild, but wish I could get a photo of one. They are as bad as cougars with being quick and elusive.
Today, I headed into the mountains with the goal of finding a giant ground squirrel colony I had stumbled upon while hiking with my dog years ago. I found it and had some fun thinning the population with my 10/22. It was a long hike up the mountain to a hidden valley clear cut years ago.
283545
283544
Hiked back to the rig and decided to see if the road over the mountain divide was open yet, so drove deeper into the wilderness. I had just come around a corner, and about 50 yards down the road to the next sharp corner, I saw a flash of fur leap into the trees. Looked like a wolf. I sped up in my SUV and stopped where I last saw, then jumped out to see if I could see it again. Nope.
I did find the tracks it left as it spun and leaped off the road. It had rained the day before, so the ground was damp and soft, so easy to see tracks. I placed my Glock G29 10mm next to the tracks for size comparison. It was a big wolf.
283546
I started surveying the area and found multiple fresh scat piles, so likely a pack was passing through and I just happen to see one.
283547
Cool to see my third wolf in the wild, but wish I could get a photo of one. They are as bad as cougars with being quick and elusive.