Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire How "rare" are wolverines?

Always been enamored by them and trying to learn more. From what little has been shown on Animal Planet or Discovery, they are supposed to be very rare. They are supposed to need many miles of territory and roam non-stop.

I know there are a handful in the lower 48. Having just pulled into WA for my 2nd stop, I recall a lynx trap being filled by a wolverine in NC Washington a few years back. Also was reading in NatGeo at the Dr.s office of a collared wolverine in Glacier NP that did about 30 miles by 12 noon. Showed him going from the river bottom, up and along the ridge of a very tall mtn.

But I can't help but think that there are just 100 or so in the lower 48??

Wondering why they are not given more attention if they are such a barometer on habitat or ecology?

Conversly, I just searched them on eBay. There are 6 hides there right now. All command a premium price at $400-600. And I would guess rightfully so.

But if they are that rare, do they need to be continually hunted or trapped?

It would be more beneficial to stop building houses, roads and strip malls.

IIRC Montana has a trapping quota of 2.......i think the only reason they are uncommon is the fact they have pretty low population densities naturally.....a single male often has a territory of nearly 250 square miles and seem to tolerate overlapping ranges of the same sex a whole lot less than other carnivores.....

they are more common than an honest politician in the lower 48.

this accounts for their rarity.

Their range goes places range maps don't show. I've seen 3 in north eastern Nebraska. One near the Elkhorn river and two further north along Verdigris River. Several people I know have also reported seeing them along the Virdigris or Niobrara rivers.

I also saw one north of Gordon (western Ne) along the SD border. Nearly hit that one with the car as it loped across the road.

Few years ago I stopped at NE Game and Parks to buy deer tags and fur license and pick up the variety of literature they put out each year. I asked the gal behind the counter if the Commission was aware of wolverine presence in the state. She gave me kind of a funny look for a couple seconds, then responded affirmative. I was surprised by her response. At that time they were still denying the presence of mountain lions.

They aren't as "rare" as the lib tv shows would like you to beleive. We have them in WY. It might be rare to see one, but that is because of their habits and environment. We have lots of moutain lions but you don't see them every day either.

I have had a number of folks swear they saw wolverines on Kodiak Island. They assume they are there and the desire to see on eis great... Silver foxes are what they actually saw.

Living and spending lots of time in wolverine country where they are occasionally visible at great distance I have seen just a small handful.

A good friend claims the World record for the most wolverines ever trapped in one small area. I think it was in the high teens in the Kamishak Bay area. Pictures and the rest were published in the book ghost-written for Andy Nault "Staying Alive in Alaska's Wild".
art

If there were a lot of them, they'd rule the world...or at least try...if they could get organized.

I do know that trappers in Canada just dreaded having one show
up on their traplines as it meant they either got rid of the
wolverine or ended up in the poor house! The creature would
follow their line and tear up any thing in the trap, spring
traps and just generally raise "Hell" The first nation people
had some pretty colorful names for them as well. I speak
from trappers in the fifties from western Canada. YMMV
Cheers NC

The Native Peoples in Michigan called the early settlers Wolverines because it was the nastiest, stinkiest, greediest, most antisocial, rapacious animal they were familiar with.
(Source, MSU GEO333)

Politicians infiltrated Michigan several years later.

-Joe
(A Spartan)

Rare enough in my book. One animal you don't need to [bleep] with on any regular basis.

I've read about them. Mean little bastids. I've never seen one except for that football game in Michigan. Lots of them there.

I've seen a few here in Oregon. .22 won't slow them down much I've heard.

i know bird shot out of a 12 gauge just pisses off their lil cousin, the badger......would want to run into a wolverine the same way i usually run into badgers, pretty sure they are big enough to climb up into the back of the truck after me

Having had an encounter with one back in '93 here in Colorado, where there supposedly aren't any, I believe there are more things out there than we are aware of! I've also encountered Civet Cats (Ringtails) here. They are typically desert dwellers. Not supposed to be any Grizzlies left here either. Right!!!

North country is right. The native Indian called him Carcajou which the french trappers adopted the name. It means little mean devil in their language. Only thing that will chase 5 wolves off a kill and not only keep it but the wolves will never go near that kill again. How is this possible you may ask. Some of you old trappers and woodsman would know this. How does he do it?
I don't mean to hijack but I know something of these critters because I would run on the trapline with my grandad. He's one of them mad trapper types and he's French. Guess if you want and I'll tell you if you are right?

Saw a picture in a road side gas station in Cliff, NM of some Texan trying to feed a Badger and Oreo by hand. Wonder how that went???

Wolverines in NE Nebraska? I guess I learned something new.

And I concur with the similarities of Mt Lion sightings as well. I am sure there are many out there, but few are ever seen. However, I don't know how many dipschits claim "lion" tracks about everywhere. I hunted doves over a tank one time. Took a buddy back there 4 days later. He was claiming a lion was watering at that tank. But they were only the tracks of my 95 lb Chessie. He was adamant that they were lion tracks. I guess Tools are everywhere?

I knew MT had an open trapping season on them, but I was not sure how many were ever harvested or tagged(do they need to be?).

Had another guy (in NW MT) tell me he met up with a trapper near Eureka that trapped one. He said there were fleas jumping off of it and it was pretty nasty. I mentally called BS as it was March and I doubt that anything is flea infested at that time of the year..... Some people

here are the regs, i was off on the quota:

WOLVERINE �
Wolverine Management Unit (WMU) 1, 2 and 3 Season Dates: December
1 � February 15 of the following year. License must be purchased no later
than November 30. Season will close in 48 hours upon reaching the WMU
quota or on the season closure date, whichever occurs fi rst. Refer to Legal
Descriptions for WMU boundaries.
See WMU legal descriptions page 11.
WMU 1 (Northern Core) � Portions of Trapping Districts 1, 2, and 4.
WMU 2 (Central Core) � Portions of Trapping Districts 2, and 3.
WMU 3 (Southern Core) � Portions of Trapping Districts 3, and 5.
WMU 4 (Central Insular Mountains) � Portions of Trapping Districts
1, 2, 3, 4, and 5.
Special Wolverine Regulations in Trapping Districts 1 and 2 � To minimize
the incidental capture of lynx the following special wolverine regulations
apply in a portion of Trapping Districts 1 and 2. See legal description,
page 10.
Leaning Pole Sets � Pole diameter must be no larger than 4 inches for pole
sets with trap and bait 48 inches above the ground.
Limit � A person may take and possess one (1) wolverine per season.
Wolverine Quota �
WMU 1 has a quota of three (3) wolverine with a female subquota of 1.
WMU 2 has a quota of one (1) wolverine.
WMU 3 has a quota of one (1) wolverine.
WMU 4 has a quota of zero (0) wolverine.
Quotas � Current harvest quota information may be obtained by calling
1-800-711-8727, 24 hours a day or the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov. The
toll free line and website are updated by 1 p.m. (MST) every day.
Furbearer seasons will close in 48 hours when a species quota or subquota
is reached prior to the end of the regular season. The Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Commission has authorized the department to initiate a closure prior to
reaching a quota or subquota when conditions or circumstances indicate
the quota may be reached within the 48-hour closure notice period.
Reporting � Trappers are required to personally report their wolverine
harvest within 24 hours by calling the statewide Fish, Wildlife & Parks
reporting line at 1-877-FWP-WILD (1-877-397-9453) so that FWP can
monitor quota levels. Trappers are required to provide: name, telephone
number, ALS number, species, date of harvest, trapping district, county,
specifi c location (legal description), and sex when reporting a furbearer
harvest. When reporting a furbearer harvest, it is unlawful to subscribe to
or make any statement that is materially false.
Pelt Tagging � Trappers are required to personally present the pelts of
wolverine for tagging to a designated Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) employee
within ten (10) days after harvest. Trappers unable to comply with the pelt
tagging requirement due to special circumstances or the unavailability of
local FWP personnel must still register their pelts within ten (10) days after
harvest by contacting a regional offi ce to make arrangements for tagging
by FWP personnel. Pelts not presented or registered to FWP personnel
within ten (10) days of harvest are subject to confi scation.
Carcasses � It is mandatory that the entire and intact carcass of all
wolverine be turned into Fish, Wildlife & Parks in good condition, at the
time the pelt is presented for tagging. The skull will be retained by Fish,
Wildlife & Parks for processing and examination and then returned to the
owner if desired. Good condition is defi ned as fresh or frozen and securely
wrapped in such a manner as to have prevented decomposition in order
that all tissue samples are suitable for lab analysis. Any wolverine pelt
that is presented for tagging without the

On the news a few months ago one wildlife researcher got one on a trail cam photo. He was near Lake Tahoe, which was a big surprise to all concerned.

article with pics:

http://www.tahoebonanza.com/article/20080307/REGION/82428340

a follow up - he had apparently traveled a long way...

http://robertlindsay.wordpress.com/2009/10/04/tahoe-wolverine-is-not-from-california/

There is a small general store near Lake Wishon in the central Sierras, and they have a Wolverine pelt on the wall. The pelt is nice.

Amen.