PREDATOR HUNTS - WOLVES & COYOTES

Alberta can boast some of the largest and most handsome of all wolves, They are mostly confined to the Rocky Mountains, foothills, and boreal forest regions. Present-day wolves are estimated to number around 4,000 in Alberta.

In Alberta, wolves were afforded some protection in 1964, when they made the leap from vermin to being classified as fur-bearing carnivores. This designation brings the wolf under provincial trapping and hunting regulations. Currently it may be taken by registered trappers during the winter and hunted as a trophy animal during the full hunting season from September until the end of May. On private lands, it can be killed at any time. It is also subject to periodic culls by provincial biologists when AEP deems it necessary.

The gray wolf or grey wolf (Canis lupus), also known as the timber wolf or western wolf, is a canid native to the wilderness and remote areas of Eurasia and North America. It is the largest extant member of its family, with males averaging 43–45 kg (95–99 lb), and females 36–38.5 kg (79–85 lb). Like the red wolf, it is distinguished from other Canisspecies by its larger size and less pointed features, particularly on the ears and muzzle. Its winter fur is long and bushy, and predominantly a mottled gray in color, although nearly pure white, red, or brown to black also occur. 

Wolves are a social animal, travelling in a mated pair, accompanied by the pair's adult offspring. The gray wolf is typically an predator throughout its range, with only humans posing a serious threat to it. It feeds primarily on deer, elk and moose though it also eats smaller animals, livestock, carrion, and garbage.