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That's a matter of opinion, 49. I didn't think it was very credible at all. What did you think of WHERE THE RED FERN GROWS?

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I had to look that one up...lol.

Anyways, I like John Wayne and Natalie Wood in "The Searchers." I also liked "3:10 to Yuma." Then there is the old spaghetti western classic with Clint Eastwood, "The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly."
 

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Posted by Alaskan Yoter (Member # 169) on December 18, 2012, 10:54 PM:
 
I read that also Tundra, and wondered the same about the pistol. Most trappers I know have pistol mounted on the machine somewhere incase they run in to bear up late or up to early.

Interesting story none the less.
 

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Posted by knockemdown (Member # 3588) on December 19, 2012, 06:16 AM:
 
"The Grey" was the worst movie I've seen in recent memory. Easily, the most disappointing! Thought Liam Neeson would have been decent, coming off "Taken". And the trailer looked good. But the plot was so beyond ridiculous that I just couldn't swallow it. If I'da seen that in the theater, I'da walked out...

BTW, feed an attacking dog your weakside arm and stab that fawker with the EDC knife you carry on your strong side. Aim for throat/ribs, whichever angle is easier. Up into the throat, across into the neck/ribs. If something is hellbent on eatin' ya, give it something non vital to chew on while you pigstick it.

You guys do carry a little pocket blade, dontcha???

Back to the wolf deal. If I had to guess about a gun, that trapper mighta had a rimfire rifle tucked away somewhere under the cowling of this sled. At those low temps, keeping a gun handy (exposed) would be a surefire way to freeze that fucker solid, rendering it inoperable. Same for a pistol tucked away. So, I really can't fault the guy for not getting to a rifle/pistol quickly and getting some lead involved...

[ December 19, 2012, 06:21 AM: Message edited by: knockemdown ]
 

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Posted by TundraWookie (Member # 1044) on December 19, 2012, 08:05 AM:
 
Most of the trappers I know who run long lines away from the "grid" carry a small rimfire revolver and another larger (usually .44mag) revolver. The rimfire is for dispatching animals in traps and the .44 is for the incidental moose that gets caught in a wolf snare. The rimfires are typically readily accessible and the .44's are in the box on the back of the machine. I keep my rifle on my back on the machine and have not had any problems with it freezing up. Of course, I had to run a gallon of Brake-Kleen on the thing to get rid of any grease, but the thing fires in the cold. What is tough is making sure the guns don't freeze up when truck hunting. Going from at times -40ºF to a warm 80ºF truck tends to want to put the moisture to the steel of the guns. I've found that keeping a good seal of electrical tape on the end of the barrel and putting the rifle to the lowest spot in the truck floor really keeps the moisture problems from arising. Sorry, that was a bit off the topic, but basically my "lessons learned" pointers on keeping a gun shooting in the cold. It's those blasted machine guns that are tough in the cold. Too many nooks and crannies for that spindrift snow to pack into... I hate that...

Apparently the guy that was attacked by the wolf is a phenomenal wolf trapper.

A few years ago I was duck/moose/goose hunting and ran up a small river with the jetboat to an area to help celebrate an old timer's 80th birthday party. I started talking with him and he broke out some of his old trapping photos. Here's one that I took a digital of with a few wolves. As I spoke with him, I was amazed by the miles of trapline and number of wolves he had killed. He's one tough dude for sure.


 

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Posted by ursus21 (Member # 3556) on December 19, 2012, 08:56 AM:
 
I clean a lot of wolf skulls and I don't think most folks appreciate just how big and powerful they are. Their heads generally run bigger with bigger canines than most black bears. Black bear skulls aren't bigger until they hit around 19". Here are a couple comparison photographs to help you guys understand just how big these sucker's are. The smaller skull is from a very large mature male coyote. My point being if a mature wolf is dead set on killing you and you are unarmed I'm pretty sure the wolf will win.





[ December 19, 2012, 08:57 AM: Message edited by: ursus21 ]
 

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Posted by TundraWookie (Member # 1044) on December 19, 2012, 09:41 AM:
 
Awesome skull pictures Troy, thanks for posting those. It is amazing to me that wolves will crack a moose leg bone. That's some serious pressure! No doubt if they got a guys arm deep inside their jaw, they'd cause a potentially fatal wound in a hurry.
 

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Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on December 19, 2012, 10:04 AM:
 
I totally agree with what Ursus just said.

From time to time I have come across prints and wondered, Wow! maybe that's a wolf? Not often, but occasionally you come across a print that appears larger than usual.

That all changed on my two trips to Canada. When you see tracks of a large male wolf, they look unbelievably large, compared to a coyote. Then, there is the scat. Man size turds full of deer hair. Damn, we came close last time and I think about it often, did we do the right thing? Same with the first time, we made the decision to come back in the morning and there were tracks all over where we were standing the night before, locating.

It takes time and a little luck to bag a wolf. The last one we saw was black and by himself. He kinda pulled a sneak when we did an end around and we never saw him again. I'm sure as hell not a wolf expert, but in a hand to hand fight, with heavy winter clothes on, I think it would be hard for a wolf to actually win, maybe 8 out of ten times, it's going to be a draw, but the other 19 of twenty times, the wolf will not want anything to do with a human.

And, Albert has the teeshirt/pelt and skull. Damn, they are impressive! His is a natural coyote color which is what I would prefer, if I had a choice, but ursus is right, the skull is every bit as big as a bear. And, then some.

Good hunting. El Bee

[ December 19, 2012, 10:07 AM: Message edited by: Leonard ]
 

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Posted by knockemdown (Member # 3588) on December 19, 2012, 10:15 AM:
 
Impressive, indeed! I don't doubt one bit that a wolf could snap a moose bone, if allowed to knaw on it for some time.
But, look again at the damage that the trapper guy sustained. Wolves kill large prey by rippin' & tearin'. Rippin' & tearin', then subsequent blood loss. That guy's arm got torn at, not crushed. Bone crushing bite pressure is used only after the critter is long dead, to extract nutrients from the marrow. A wolf knows better than to use too much pressure on a crippling first bite. That's nature's way of taking care of it's meat gitters...

Point being, dogs in general, and wolves in particular, don't inflict bone crushing bites as their first assault. They just don't kill that way. Look at the guy's arm, that was a tearing bite. I'm sure it didn't feel good, but there just ain't enough pressure from that kinda bite to be breakin' bones...
 

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Posted by TundraWookie (Member # 1044) on December 19, 2012, 10:32 AM:
 
You are correct knockemdown, they tear and hamstring animals to take them out and then do the heavy crunching later on. I was just saying that if they did happen to get a mouthful on an arm and crunch down hard, it'd be a serious puncture that would likely get into life sustaining blood supply lines. By that time though the tearing and bleeding would already be done and they'd have you on the ground for a feast. I'll try to shoot any that get that close and watch my back when riding the machine.

I was curious in the amount of pressure generated by canines was and happened to find this:

http://dogfacts.wordpress.com/2008/02/03/national-geographics-dr-brady-barrs-bite-pressure-tests/

Watch out for those crocs, they got a nasty bite!
 

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Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on December 19, 2012, 10:41 AM:
 
Well, I'm not sure he was trying to say that, Fred. I agree with you, but on the other hand, if you shoved you wrist into a gaping mouth, I wonder? Still unlikely?

And, the guys wound appears to be slightly more than a scratch. A wolf, as far as I know attempts to pull the quarry down, by snapping at the hindquarters, or in this case, at an arm. I don't think it was an attempt to snap his arm, it was more likely what they do to immobilize prey, grab where ever they can get a hold, and an arm is a great place to do that.

I think that is great information, revolvers are the order of the day in the frozen north. I can see where it might be difficult to get at a firearm....which is why (personally) I would have a cross draw shoulder holster inside my parka instead of in a box behind me.

Good hunting. El Bee
 

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Posted by TundraWookie (Member # 1044) on December 19, 2012, 12:17 PM:
 
If you read the article and dissect what the guy said about the wolf.
"he was “putting along” on his Ski-Doo Tundra on Thursday afternoon, coming down a frozen creek, when he saw the wolf out of the corner of his eye."
“I turned in time to stick my arm up,” said Grangaard, who was trapping with his father, Danny, in a remote area off the Taylor Highway known as Ketchumstuk. “A single black wolf grabbed my arm and started jerking on me.”

Typically, if you're running a frozen creek, the banks of the creek would allow a wolf to come at you from a higher elevation. In this instance, the wolf came in from the front/side to make the attack, hence the guy was able to see the wolf. I'm surprised the wolf didn't come in from the rear to make the attack. Chances are the wolf just saw that guys upper body and Marten hat moving along, which really looks like a "prime", easy meal. I would really like to see a photo of the scene where this took place. If the wolf dropped down onto the creek and came in, the thing had a really good look at the snowmachine, which is even more surprising.
 

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Posted by TundraWookie (Member # 1044) on December 19, 2012, 12:24 PM:
 
Follow up to my last post. I spoke with the author of the article and he helped clear up the details of the creek. It's a really small creek with woods close to the banks. It's not a high, cut bank river, which is surprising. The wolf basically ran out of the treeline and made the attack. The thing saw the machine and driver and simply went for him. It's too bad they didn't get the wolf to test for rabies.
 

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Posted by knockemdown (Member # 3588) on December 19, 2012, 12:55 PM:
 
Well, I'm just glad the fella is OK!
And I know full well how easy it is for me to be "armchair QB-ing" a wild animal attack, LOL!

Heck, if that wolf got him pulled off the sled & to the canvas, it'd prolly be transitioning quickly from the arm, to his head/neck to make a killing bite. That's what them long canines are for, poking holes through windpipes, major blood vessels & neck vertabrae. All dogs kill critters the same way, and it don't take much bite power to incise the neck/throat.
And that's why its so important to keep your feet under ya during a dog attack! Once you hit the ground, you're in deep shit. Especially with a critter the size of a wolf! Again, glad that fella is OK, heckouva tale to share!!!

Tundra, there's a dude on YouTube, named "The WildNorth". He's a native of the NWT and shares some great home vids on trapping & stuff from up there. I really enjoy watching his vids of his subsistence lifestyle, waay back in the Taiga forest!
Anyhoo, that dude carries a .17HMR on his sled when running his trapline, which is how I surmised about keeping it protected under the cowling.
Interesting vids, if ya have the time...
 

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Posted by Kokopelli (Member # 633) on December 19, 2012, 01:16 PM:
 
Ok..........As long as we're discussing going toe to toe with a wolf and choking the thing to death; trappers often put coyotes down with the `nose knock/chest stomp`. Would that work on a wolf or are they built to stout???
 

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Posted by TundraWookie (Member # 1044) on December 19, 2012, 01:23 PM:
 
I've seen wolves in traps and there isn't any way I'm putting my boot close to that critters face or body. I'd be surprised if a guy could keep or get the thing down long enough to kill it. First off, they're usually standing up when you come upon them with a paw caught in the trap. Snared wolves are always dead when I've seen them. If somebody wants to try and get a wolf down and stomp it I'll stand back and video that one.
 

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Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on December 19, 2012, 02:10 PM:
 
I think koko is wanting to use his ninja talent, gangnam style?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYPvAMrMzwI

Good hunting. El Bee
 

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Posted by Prune Picker (Member # 4107) on December 19, 2012, 02:34 PM:
 
Speaking of the Wolf, "Alaska's Wolf Man", Is a MUST READ!, book by Jim Rearden. It's about Frank Glaser, a former govt. trapper who hunted all over Alaska from 1915 thru 1955. I will "lend" anyone here my copy to read, but i want it back.
 

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Posted by TundraWookie (Member # 1044) on December 19, 2012, 03:42 PM:
 
Prune Picker,
That is a super book, I've read it many times and it's good every time. The guy I took that photograph with was friends with Frank Glaser. The two of them disagreed on methods for taking wolves, but were two of the biggest wolf trappers for the state years ago. I think one season he said that he took over 140 wolves. He did however den them in the spring, so that helped up the numbers.
 

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Posted by Prune Picker (Member # 4107) on December 19, 2012, 03:59 PM:
 
When you posted that pic it made me think of the book. Somewhere in the book the author mentioned the other trappers. I was told some of the many stories about Alaska from a couple of the now long gone iron men. The last of the ones i knew passed in the mid 1980's. And i am still in awe of them.
p.s. I doubt i could ever have lifted their boots , much less put them on......
 

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Posted by TundraWookie (Member # 1044) on December 19, 2012, 04:13 PM:
 
Those old timers were some seriously tough guys. Don't take me wrong. I'll go out in the -40ºF temperatures and do some calling or zip around on the snowmachine for awhile. I'm not about to strap on the snowshoes and take off cross country for a hundred plus mile hike to get to one of my cabins. Those guys knew survival and what it took to survive in this brutal country. I just searched for the old timer that I got that photo from and am sad to hear he passed away this past summer. Here is some information about him though for those interested:
http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/newsminer/obituary.aspx?pid=158857739

I have Paul's oral interview from the Alaska Trapper's Association and it's well worth listening to.

http://www.alaskatrappers.org/bio_sketch_paul_kirsteatter.html
 

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Posted by jimanaz (Member # 3689) on December 19, 2012, 06:19 PM:
 

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Those old timers were some seriously tough guys.

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