Just spent a week down in the Alaska Range, again. Sunday after a long ride on the snowmachines, we went back to the cabin so my partner could rest. I went for a walk, back down to the river. Found fresh wolf tracks on top of our snowmachine tracks. The tracks were made within the last 30 to 45 minutes. I went back to the cabin, got my machine and followed the tracks. The tracks led down the river, following and old track I had made two weeks ago.
I followed for about 4 or 5 miles downriver. They were working along the East bank, they got on a Moose track and circled an Island in the middle of the river. I realised that they were headed back in the direction I had just came from. I speeded up and when I got back to the place where they hit my fresh track, I realised they had doubled back and were aware I was following them. I got out my binoculors and could see them about a mile ahead. There were six, possiably seven wolves in the group unable to tell for sure. I ran back up river as fast as the machine would go, about 45 or 50 miles per hour. When I got about six hundred yards from them they left the snowmachine track and following a Moose trail left the river and went into the black spruces. I quess they knew I could not follow them into the trees. If I could have gotten within 400 yards I would have tried a shot, but 600 is too far for a running target for me.
I'm going back again next week, maybe I'll have better luck then.
