To catch wolves, traps of five different models and systems are used. Among them, so-called frame traps are most efficient. However, during recent times, smaller traps are extensively used for catching wolves.

The wolf is considerably more cautious than the fox. Therefore, treatment and setting of traps for wolves should be done more thoroughly.

Traps should be stored in a dry, well-ventilated place, such as the attic or barn without unusual smells, such as smoke, shoes, tar, etc.

To prevent rusting of traps, they should be inspected after the winter season, treated with boiled butter, placed in clean sacks made of flax cloth and stored hanging.

Prior to the hunting season in the fall, all traps should be inspected by checking springs, triggers, etc. After the inspection, traps should be cleaned with sand paper. Special attention should be given to rusty spots, and, unusual smells, including the smell of the iron itself, should be eliminated. To eliminate smells, traps should be boiled in water with fresh twigs of spruce or fir. Then, the traps should be removed from the water and dried by hanging on a stick.

Before setting traps, they should be rubbed with coniferous leaves of those trees that are growing in the trapping area.

The following well-tested method has proven to work well. Prior to setting traps when the air temperature is below freezing, each trap should be submerged one time in water so it would becomes coated with a thin film of ice that does not allow any unusual smell to escape.

Trapper's kit.

Traps should be carried in a container without any unusual odors. To carry a few traps, a small back-packing sack sown out of flax canvas is used. The sack should be made with a double layer of cloth on the side that touches the hunter's back when carried. In Mary El Republic, a case made out of birch bark (tues) is used.

Some hunters place twigs of spruce or fir etc. between the traps during shipping.

To handle traps, one needs clean mittens made of flax cloth. The mittens should be stored in one sack with traps. They must be used only for handling traps. For other purposes, the hunter must have another pair of mittens.

A trapper can not do without a small spade made from the wood of a quaking aspen tree. It is light weight and does not smell like spades made of wood of coniferous trees. The most common size of such a spade is as follows: length of the flat part part (almost always cut out of curving wood and therefore, bent at the middle) is 30-35 cm and width about 20 cm. The handle should be at least 1.8 - 2 m.

To restore the snow surface damaged during setting the trap a specially made hair brush attached to a stick is very handy. On the other end of such a brush, a wolf paw is attached that always allows to restore the wolf foot prints on the snow.

Setting a wolf trap

On the snow, traps are placed right on the track or under the track. When the snow cover is deep enough, traps should be placed only under the track.

A hunter familiar with common paths of animals, uses skis to get to certain habitats with his traps where wolf tracks are most likely to be found. Traps should be set up only if the hunter is sure that the wolves will remain in the area and during the next two-three days will walk there again.

In order to detract wolves from their usual old winter paths, the trapper usually places some bait just as he would for hunting at a stand.

If wolves find an animal corps, they usually stay in the area for a few days; obviously, the trapper should use this opportunity to set up his traps.

When the hunter is setting a trap on the passing wolf track, he should select a certain point on it and approach it on skis moving from some cover, such as a bush or a spruce. Then, he will set up the trap by using his spade at such a "narrow place" where wolves walk most often. The hunter removes snow from under the track and then, carefully cuts out piece of snow with the wolf's foot print. Using the spade he places the trap in the trench made in the snow. Springs of the trap should be converging towards the hunter so they do not take much space. This will not diminish the efficiency of the trap. The ceiling of such a trench should be at least 5-6 cm thick.

Placing a trap in the trench dug under the wolf's own foot print trench is even better. The trap is put in place by using the spade.

When setting up the trap, one should watch so the center of the trap plate is positioned exactly under the wolf's foot print.

Some hunters place a sheet of white paper above the trap so it will not be seen through the snow and the mechanism of the trap remains safe from accidental obstruction by debris.

A weight attached to the trap with a piece of wire or chain is placed in a pit. The trench made in the snow is covered with a block of snow and all traces of work are carefully removed with the spade and the brush.

If the track of the wolf is damaged, it should be restored by using the wolf foot.

If the trap is set up without using skis, the hunter walks back stepping in his own foot prints. The hunter hides his foot prints by removing snow behind himself.

Some hunters, approaching the wolf track before making the first step, remove a block of snow with the spade and carefully place it aside. When walking back after the trap has been set up, the hunter restores the disturbed snow surface and then, using the spade and the brush hides his foot prints completely. A snow fall, flurry or freezing fog at night may help to hide the hunter's work completely.

"Blind" setting of the wolf trap.

Sometimes setting a wolf trap by a blind method is most beneficial. As soon as the wolf touches the string, the trap grabs his foot.

With this method, it is not necessary to place the trap exactly under the wolf's foot print, but it is important to be placed on the wolf path.

A thin and strong string is tightened across the wolf's path. When touching the string, the wolf releases the trap's trigger and gets in it with one of his feet.