Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Canada Wolf Hunting Recommendations for Outfitter & Bullet Weight/Caliber

I have not been Wolf hunting in quite sometime now. Last time I shot a huge Alpha male that I did a life size mount on casters. I would like to go again and prefer to go to Ontario, since I can drive there from NY, but I am open to other locations if it is worthwhile.

Also, this time I am looking to use a .30-06 with factory ammo. I could use some recommendations on that too.
Basically, 125 gr. vs. 150 gr.

Any other helpful tips for clothing or equipment are appreciated as well.

Cold Zero

Only wolf I've killed (stalking, with pack, dog and me) , the .260/ 140 worked fine. a .22rf would work, in range, so whatever... They are not hard to kill. They are hard to target... unless you are the target. That makes it easier.

The 125 should be flatter shooting, if accurate, if range is a consideration . Never shot anything under 150 gr. in 30-06 myself, tho.

Dress warm- you can take it off easier if you have it than add on if you don't have it.

If I were looking to maximize my chances, I'd head to Alberta and hunt with Byron Wolf.
He works his butt off to make sure folks are on active baits.

You'll need to find him on Facebook (don't think he has a website).

https://www.facebook.com/wolfhuntinadventures/

Send me a PM if you'd like his phone number.

some very nice pictures,thanks for posting,Pete53

What shooting distances are typical when on guided Wolf Hunts? Them puppies are hard to pin down!

Mornin, I'm not sure but I believe you will have to have a guide or outfitter. The big ones in Ontario are at least 3hrs or more above the severn river & id be looking at 5 to 8 hrs more. From NY I'm about 10 hrs north so your looking at a long drive. There are some guides in northern ont but I'm not familiar with any. I'll google & see what I can find & get back to you. GWPGUY. 🐾👣🇨🇦 The wolves in the Killarney area are getting thicker & that's only 3hrs above me so 13 hr drive

SKane;
Top of the morning to you my cyber friend, I hope wherever this finds you today you're keeping warm.

We've warmed up all the way to -16°C so far today, but it was -27°C yesterday morning with wind machines running up and down the valley trying to keep some of the grape vines alive.

We'll see what the damage is in spring, but a similar cold snap last year took out up to a third of some varieties.

Anyways, while I'd love to recommend somebody on our side of the big hills for a wolf hunt, I honestly don't know any outfitters personally down here that do any.

We were going to head out to try calling some of the local wolves this past week but decided nobody felt like being that cold for that long and we'll wait for a wee bit warmer weather.

The fellow you've recommended looks to be based out of Manning, AB and having family south of there and some who used to live north in High Level, there'd be no shortage of wolves from all reports.

To the OP, if you've not hunted up here for awhile, there is a thread on visiting hunters up at the top which might give some useful tips and ideas.

All the best to you all in the year to come SKane and again I hope you're keeping warm.

Dwayne

GWPGUY again. Two outfitters with a quick google search. Gatewaynorthoutfitters. Near Off Lake. I have no idea we're that is? Second one Wabigoon lake outfitters. hunting wolves from feb to march. Maybe Wabigoon can tell us how long a drive it is?? I'm thinking 1-1/2 days above me & I'm 10hrs from NY, not a Sunday drive. Hope this helps some. I think new to 99s lives way up in north western Ontario maybe he'll see this & offer more information. Again good luck. GWPGUY. 🐾👣🇨🇦

Dwayne, my friend, all is well here and I hope the same for you. Cold and a lot snow here but not nearly as cold as you folks to the NW.

The gentleman I mentioned is indeed in Manning. I shot a wolf there a couple years ago. It takes a lot of baits and a lot of monitoring of them as well as a lot of traveling, and, he’s outstanding at it.

Some of the outfits I looked into in Ontario didn’t go that extra mile and as you know, that’s a fickle and unpredictable creature. If going through the time and expense, tis best to stack the odds in one’s favor.

Stay warm amigo and hope you can get after the wolves soon.

SKane;
Good afternoon sir, thanks for the reply.

Well put on the "fickle and unpredictable creature" comment - and then some.

They are, as I know you know, real travelers to say the least so unless the outfitter has, as again you've so well stated, "gone the extra mile", a visiting or resident hunter is going to rolling the cosmic dice trying to meet up with one.

While we've had wolves here in serious to problematic numbers for about 15 odd years, this season was the first time I got one to howl back at me and come into the timber to check us out. We didn't see it, but as it circled us out of sight in the timber it howled a few more times at me.

As noted, we've been cutting their tracks for years and from the beginning have been trying to pattern them and of course call them in as well.

This fall, just a wee bit north of where I'm sitting, we cut the tracks of a pack of 3 first, then either 6 or 7.



The folding boning knife is 8½" for scale.



Not for lack of trying, but I don't personally know anyone who has shot more than two so far.

We've got a very generous season and a 3 wolf per year limit, with no separate tags so it's on our BC Hunting License.

Anyways my friend, we do try and will be again for sure.

All the best.

Dwayne

I too only killed one Wolf. I am starting to think it may be time to kill another. I took the Alpha male huge, at least 180 lbs. He now lives in a life size movable mount in my house.

The .260 with a 140 gr bullet is close to ideal, which may be a 6.5 PRC with a 140 gr bullet, but I don’t want to buy a dedicated Wolf gun that will see little if any use. So I want to use my .30-06. I heard the 125 grain is not good so I am leaning towards the 150 gr.

Thanks for the tip on Byron. I want to shoot another huge Wolf, so I wont rule it out, but I do prefer to stay driving distance from NY, if possible.

I will take a look at his Facebook.

I shot mine at less than 20 yards on a Guided Wolf hunt that was driven to me. I was amazed how accurately the Outfitter told me how things would play out. I was highly skeptical, but he knew what he was talking about.

If I missed, I think he would have torn me apart. I would say typical is 150-300 yards, with 200 yard running shots being common. That’s why a medium caliber light weight rifle is ideal for running shots and carrying all day. The last time I went I used a 17 lb heavy barrels .308, it knocked the hell out of the Wolf with a 175 gr. Gameking bullet, but what a pain to carry in the field.

Cold Zero;
Good afternoon, I hope the day behaved for you and that if you're in this latest mobile deepfreeze that you're keeping warm.

Going off of what the local guides tell me about visiting hunters, they're the most happy to see someone show up with a rifle that is familiar to them. That's because there's a better chance of the hunter being able to place a shot in a timely manner under pressure with a gun they know, rather than a new one they do not.

It would seem prudent to me to find an outfitter who checks the boxes for you and then ask them what rifle cartridge combinations they'd prefer you to use.

As always there's many roads that'll get you there.

Most wolves shot here in our part of south central BC are shot with whatever hunting rifle is in the hunter's hands at the time, that is to say the elk, deer, moose, bear or sheep rifle they're carrying when they actually lay eyes on a wolf.

A friend of mine said the big one he got didn't stop a .284" 140gr Barnes - I believe it was a TTSX, but can't recall that detail now, sorry.

Good luck whichever outfitter and rifle you choose, my personal wish would be every hunter visiting BC would go home with a black bear under each arm, dragging at least two and better yet 3 wolves.

Dwayne

I am looking for someone who has experience with the Outfitter or knows of their record for taking large Wolves.

When I went for my Wolf to N. Ontario it was a 980 mile drive. The road was closed going North for 24 hours due to a jack knifed tractor trailer. I almost gave up. I got a Motel room and waited it out. That is a lot fo driving for one driver, but it is what it is.

I thank everyone for their input.

Dwayne, the Outfitter I went with years ago told me that .22-250 was a poor choice for Wolf, to me they were just large dogs, once I took one then I could see what he was talking about. He recommended any Deer caliber, as they will carry lead if not hit in the boiler room.

What twist is your 30-06?

I don’t know the twist.

It is a Winchester .30-06 from the 1990s with pre 64 style bolt action Classic Stainless. I am the original owner.

If you've already got a 175lb wolf you have struck gold and are highly unlikely to find another that size. It would be like getting 2 190" whitetail bucks back to back. 175 lb wolves are extremely rare, about as rare as 7' humans

The Outfitter said it one one of the biggest ones he ever took. But, it was a fun hunt and I would like to try again. I can’t mount the next one, but I would like to try again and need an Outfitter who has an area with large Wolves. I will try to post a picture of the mount when I get home, but the mount is far smaller than it was in real life, the head and feet and very big.