Preparing for Wolf Hunting in the Canadian Northwest

Each year in September, I look forward to making another trip up north to one of my favorite wilderness destinations in northwest Ontario. It is a secluded and pristine camp known as Bluffy Lake Lodge. I have hunted and fished there for several years now and always look forward to my return. Having taken several bears there with both bow and rifle, I decided this year to attempt to take a gray wolf. This elusive animal is becoming quite plentiful in the Ontario region. So much so that there is a fall season on them and carefully monitored by the Provincial Ministry.

I have seen occasional wolves while bear hunting or crossing a wilderness road or trail and I have to say that I was surprised at their size! The average wolf up north weighs in at 99 to 175 lbs. with smaller ones above 60 lbs. The adult male is larger. Here’s some facts I dug up about the beasts:

• Gray wolves, often called Timber Wolves (considered a sub species), have a sense of smell 100 times greater than a human – in my hunt, wind will be the number one factor.
•  It has been proven that a wolf can hear up to 6 miles away. It is said that they can hear movement like a mouse in the grass at 100 yards.
• Their hearing is 80KHZ compared to 20KHZ of a human.
• Their vision is equal to that of a human’s.
• Their diet consists of moose, elk, deer, occasional small bear, carrion, blueberries, and certain types of browse.

The Conservation Ministry of Canada has ruled that you cannot hunt with anything larger than a 22LR or bow during bear and moose season. You must possess a wolf stamp and a small game permit. If you possess a bear or moose tag, then you may use anything larger than the 22LR but must still have all necessary tags on you. I will be using a Mathews Drenalin, Gold Tip arrows and Muzzy 100gr broadheads.

With bear season going on most of the wolf hunting is done in a flat open area next to thick cover. Tree stand and ground blind placement is critical and all one can do is hope the primary wind does not change. Lots of scent cover and proper scent decontamination is critical. I will wear a Red Rock Woodland Ghillie Suit for concealment. A special forearm band on my left arm will keep the suit clear of my bowstring. The suit will be packed in pine needle scent in an air tight bag to keep it scent free.

I will be using a Commando predator call to get the wolves in. Three cameras will be used at different angles to capture the event if I am fortunate enough to have the opportunity to take one of these wary creatures. My hunting partner will be on a second location a considerable distance from me and he will be using a special wolf scent concoction and a predator call also. I will follow up with an overview story of what goes down! Watch Outdoor Hub the week of September 15 through the 25 for updates. This could get exciting!  With fall in the air, get out there and enjoy it!

Ed Johnson

Hunting, fishing, and the outdoors, is no stranger to Ed Johnson. Groomed in the outdoors by a grandfather and two uncles, since he was a small child, with a fly rod in one hand, and a bow in the other, Ed has 50 years of bow hunting experience behind him. He has record bow kills in the Safari Club International record books with a collection of some 60 mounts and has taken 17 species with bow in Africa. He has received awards for North America's Top Ten and Goats of the World and Wild Sheep of the World.

He is a member of Safari Club International, Professional Outdoor Media Association (POMA), North American Hunting Club, NWTF, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, ICAST, and retired co-founder and owner of the Bass Pro Crappie Masters All American Tour.  Ed still maintains his status as a professional photographer and is an avid freelance writer for numerous outdoor publications. He was featured in several hunting videos with Roger Raglin, and On The Water and In the Woods, with Cody and Cody.  He serves on the pro staff and pro staff review board for Commando Hunting Products and is senior adviser and consultant and Trusted Expert Pro Staffer for Trusted Outdoor Gear  and OutdoorHub.com

His love for the Ozark whitetail and old tom turkey is still his passion. Ed is quite active in promoting the outdoors and enjoys sharing hunts with others, especially first timers!  His mission in life is to expose people, young and old, to this great pastime of hunting and fishing. Each year he takes a group into Ontario for bear hunting and fishing. In a time when it is getting more difficult to get kids exposed to nature, Ed believes all outdoors men and women, can and will play an important role in helping to expose more children to the outdoors. The bottom line….our hunting industry future. Ed has coined the phrase "teach a child to hunt and fish and you will never have to hunt the child"!