Yukon Mike
Well-known member
Dani's pictures from Churchill inspired me to make a trip to look for bears I've been talking about for years. Rumor has it that there are a couple of places were big grizzlies come to get late run salmon in November. I have a tag and the season is still on so I decided to go with the intent to take pictures and if a bruiser showed himself I'd consider shooting him. Here's few pics.
On the way out of town I was scouting for bison and elk for another day and saw two wolves moving along the edge of the trees, so I shot the bigger one of the two. Since my dog is 85lbs, I estimate this guy to be 100lbs, which is not the biggest wolf ever, but a real interesting color for sure. Residents are allowed to shoot 7 each per year, and especially in the elk herd core hunters are encouraged to shoot wolves. I've seen a few over the years but never shot one before. Not sure what I'm going to do with this hide.
I stopped in a friend's place for the night and we skinned it out right away.
View attachment DSCF9675.jpg
The next day I was up before dawn and headed down the Haines Highway. I must have been the first vehicle down that section as the grouse were plentiful where the highways guys had sanded.
View attachment DSCF9682.jpg
There is a culvert under the road that is a good spot to see spawning salmon in the summer so I stopped and saw bear tracks right away. Bear tracks are really easy to follow in snow. I followed them for a while to the Native fish camp. The people were long gone.
View attachment DSCF9689.jpg
This is a rubbing tree. Bears mark territory in a couple of ways. Some trees get clawed and bit, others get rubbed on. There were three different bears in the area according to the tracks, and all converged on this one tree to mark it. That's the bears trail leading to the lake.
View attachment DSCF9697.jpg
Close up.
View attachment DSCF9698.jpg
On the way out of town I was scouting for bison and elk for another day and saw two wolves moving along the edge of the trees, so I shot the bigger one of the two. Since my dog is 85lbs, I estimate this guy to be 100lbs, which is not the biggest wolf ever, but a real interesting color for sure. Residents are allowed to shoot 7 each per year, and especially in the elk herd core hunters are encouraged to shoot wolves. I've seen a few over the years but never shot one before. Not sure what I'm going to do with this hide.
I stopped in a friend's place for the night and we skinned it out right away.
View attachment DSCF9675.jpg
The next day I was up before dawn and headed down the Haines Highway. I must have been the first vehicle down that section as the grouse were plentiful where the highways guys had sanded.
View attachment DSCF9682.jpg
There is a culvert under the road that is a good spot to see spawning salmon in the summer so I stopped and saw bear tracks right away. Bear tracks are really easy to follow in snow. I followed them for a while to the Native fish camp. The people were long gone.
View attachment DSCF9689.jpg
This is a rubbing tree. Bears mark territory in a couple of ways. Some trees get clawed and bit, others get rubbed on. There were three different bears in the area according to the tracks, and all converged on this one tree to mark it. That's the bears trail leading to the lake.
View attachment DSCF9697.jpg
Close up.
View attachment DSCF9698.jpg