School Days: Alaskan Wolf Surprise

4 School Days

Sable Scotton, 8, Galena, Alaska

Family finds a bigger canine than expected in a fox set

I live in Galena, Alaska, on the Yukon River. One day, my family — Mom, Dad and my little brother Hawken — went to check the family trapline. We make sets for foxes, lynx and marten. Our trapline begins in our backyard and goes about three miles north.

We travel by snowgo (snowmobile) and pull an old dog-mushing sled to bring animals home in, and to make room on the snowgo. Usually, I ride on the runners.

It was Monday, Nov. 26, 2012. Dad came home early from work, so we could check the family trapline in daylight, because it gets dark earlier and earlier in December.

We checked two lynx sets before we came upon a fox pee post set. It looked like branches were broken and it looked like a disaster. There was a gray wolf! It had its whole foot in a coilspring. I was terrified because the trap was tied to a 1½-inch-diameter birch tree!

Dad zoomed home because we did not bring the .22 Magnum. Mom, Hawken and I walked down the trail while we waited for Dad.

Dad zoomed back and Hawken and drove ahead. Dad and Hawken shot the female wolf. We loaded it up into the sled and finished checking the family trapline.

Later that night, I helped Dad skin the wolf. I love checking the family trapline.

“School Days” is sponsored by Duke Traps and the Wisconsin Trappers Association. Winners receive six traps, a Wisconsin Cooperative Trapper Education video, an NTA handbook and a membership to their state’s trappers association. To be considered, send a 300- to 500-word story and photo of the trapper or hunter with a catch, kill, fur or trap to School Days, The Trapper & Predator Caller, 700 E. State St., Iola, WI 54990; or email the story and photo to jared.blohm@fwmedia.com.

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