I'm on my phone and its hard to make it out, but from the phone it only looks like a 3. I have no knowledge on what it takes to catch wolves, but from the little reading I did here id a thought you'd need a bigger trap.
I use 3's for yotes along with some 1.75s.
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." (Thomas Jefferson)
I trap coyotes for the live market and use 1 1/2 Victors with D-Ring baseplates welded on, #9 wire jaw laminations welded on, good swivels, and # 2 piano wire springs work great. Usually caught just over the toes. No foot damage and they aren't going anywhere. They will be waiting there looking foolish the next day. I've used # 2 and 3 offsets, most often damaged feet, and a higher initial cost. The only advantage to the bigger traps are a larger pan to step on. I would think any quality #3 would hold a wolf, but I would most likely opt for something pretty heavy duty. There are so few permits to be had here, I would not want to chance a big male tearing up my equipment and being gone. This would go also with chains, swivels, stakes/drags. I would not skimp on any equipment with regards to holding my wolf. From what I hear, they are not that hard to catch, but can wreck cheap equipment. I have some MB750's I use in the water for beaver. I would need to check if the jaw spread is legal width for land sets, but I can assure you they won't tear those up.
Yeah I went with some bigger traps to increase catch area. I love my Bridger 3's. Last year before trapping season I bought some MB650's offsets. That was my first time handling them--man are they powerful. I've been considering buying some MB 550's this year, but I already have a few dozen various makes and sizes 1.75's, 2's and 3's. I used Clint Locklear's dip he came out with a few years ago last year for the first time and loved it. Previously I dyed and hot waxed them every year. Man I love that dip.
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." (Thomas Jefferson)
The boys took a second wolf yesterday. This one was also black. Took him about 5 miles way the crow flies from the first one. I'll shrink the pic down and attach it.
I trap coyotes for the live market and use 1 1/2 Victors with D-Ring baseplates welded on, #9 wire jaw laminations welded on, good swivels, and # 2 piano wire springs work great. Usually caught just over the toes. No foot damage and they aren't going anywhere. They will be waiting there looking foolish the next day. I've used # 2 and 3 offsets, most often damaged feet, and a higher initial cost. The only advantage to the bigger traps are a larger pan to step on. I would think any quality #3 would hold a wolf, but I would most likely opt for something pretty heavy duty. There are so few permits to be had here, I would not want to chance a big male tearing up my equipment and being gone. This would go also with chains, swivels, stakes/drags. I would not skimp on any equipment with regards to holding my wolf. From what I hear, they are not that hard to catch, but can wreck cheap equipment. I have some MB750's I use in the water for beaver. I would need to check if the jaw spread is legal width for land sets, but I can assure you they won't tear those up.
Topstock, how does that live market stuff pay$. That's pretty cool. You don't have to give me exact dollars, but is it twice as much, three times as much, four times as much or am I not even close etc.?
The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure." (Thomas Jefferson)
That is a hard thing to pin down. At the time i did it in OK. a guy had contracted a price ahead of time. You need connections with persons owning training enclosures. These are mostly in the South. Some are very large in acreage. Then you must check with the State and see what is legal. Most states will not allow animals brought in from another state. Some will as long as a veterinary checks them and provides health certificates. I had a training enclosure for 22 years. It takes 3 different permits here to trap, hold and then release them into an enclosure. I no longer have any interest in going out of state to do it. If you do, make sure that everything is above board and legal. The Feds have ran some sting operations involving the live market. When they take someone down for dealing in wild animals across state lines, it isn't pretty. Huge fines at a minimum and possible prison sentences. Also always results in a longtime loss of hunting/trapping priveliges.