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Vancouver, BC
Canada
15 Posts |
Posted - 04/23/2012 : 9:48 PM
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Were out on Saturday for the last ‘slackcountry’ day up Whistler Mtn, out over the Bumps, up and over Cowboy and on towards Whirlwind. Tons of folks out, we counted at least 20 heading up the steep bootpack on Fissile to sample Banana Chute or more.
Two more ppl were ahead of us skinning their way up to the Fissile-Whirlwind col. Then up towards those two something caught my eye – sliding down the fall line. The object slid to a stop in the skin track. First though one of them dropped their pack or something. Bummer!
Then the object got up and started to move on all fours down the skin track. OMG it`s a critter. I thought maybe their dog, but pretty full sized one. But who would have a dog with them up there?
A small bear perhaps – a yearling? Didn`t really look like a bear. Plus it's movement was unusual. Sort of slinking along like a pine marten or weasel. It stopped frequently to look around. It had some light colouring along the body, but was mostly dark. I thought for a second, that has got to be a wolverine. Rare, but they are 'round these parts.
It obviously spotted us by this point, veering off the skin track, now angling up and around towards Fissile. I tried to get a pix and a video but insteac only a fuzzy small blob. Too bad, no photo evidence.
Have never seen a wolverine before in the wild. Actually never seen one period. Have only seen tracks. Am told they are very solitary creatures. John Clarke told about wolverines sometimes raiding remote food drops. Now we have seen one only a few km's from the W-B ski lifts. Maybe it knew this was the last day for Whistler Mtn and it was going to scout out the left-overs.
Soon it was high above on Fissile and blended into the rocks. I thought if it kept going it would bag the summit and possibly bump into the people up there on the ridge. Boy that would be exciting.
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Terrace, BC
957 Posts |
Posted - 04/23/2012 : 10:20 PM
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| Awesome . . .I've heard that wolverines go high in the winter to sniff out hibernating marmots. I had a similar experience up here but only saw tracks. |
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Vancouver, BC
Canada
277 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2012 : 06:44 AM
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| That is unbelievably cool. (But I believe you!). What a privilege! |
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Smurf Village, BC
Canada
1496 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2012 : 07:37 AM
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| Wow! Lucky to see one! So cool. |
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521 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2012 : 08:07 AM
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| That is awesome! The only wolverine I recall seeing was back in the early 90's in the area of Devastator Creek (near Meager Creek). At the time I thought it was a badger, but realized after that the supposed range of the badger doesn't extend into the Coast Mountains, NW of the Fraser. Correct me if I'm wrong? |
Edited by - path finder on 04/24/2012 08:09 AM |
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 | Dru
Mountain Grammar Police
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 Sardonic sandbagging scoundrel, Cascade Climbers lobotomized spraymeister, space blanket flyer, new millennium vulgarian betaboy and friend to all squids
Climbing, a mountain
Canada
∞ Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2012 : 09:59 AM
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They are definitely around. There was a mama wolverine denning on Needle Peak about 10 yrs ago. I have even seen tracks on Mt McGuire in the late fall.
Someone reported a wolverine was coming around and scavenging dog food at the back end of Hatzic Valley a week or two ago but I'm not sure if that was a tall tale, a misidentification, or what. Normally they like to avoid people and civilization. |
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Happy go lucky, plaid wearin, postholin, safeway gaitor sportin, old-school film shootin, giver of many regards
Abbotsford, B.C.
Canada
13453 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2012 : 1:00 PM
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Cool. A great highlight to your day.
K |
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Night owl posting,Subie driving, backpacking Dad who is perpetually trying to catch up to his kids on the trail.
Vancouver, BC
Canada
3054 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2012 : 9:54 PM
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| Although it was at a distance, I'm pretty sure my daughter and I saw a wolverine on Tenquille about 5 years ago. |
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Raincouver, British Columbia
Canada
712 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2012 : 10:10 PM
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| A group of us saw a wolverine near Brimful Lake (Stein Provincial Park) in the summer of 2010. It was high on a slope above us and running. We saw it from a distance but it was cool to see. |
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God fearin' music packin' animal BBQin' funny trip reportin'.... cheese lovin' MH lover who skinny dips in Ling secret lakes
Somewhere between pomp & circumstance, British Columbia
Canada
1401 Posts |
Posted - 04/24/2012 : 11:25 PM
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Very cool! I saw one about 10+ years ago on the way up to the Tusk. At first I thought it was a marmot, but it was more like a really big mink. Checked the wildlife book when I got home and yup, wolverine!
I think I might go watch "Red Dawn" now....
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521 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2012 : 08:00 AM
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| I've seen fishers out there as well. They are members of the same family as the wolverine (weasel family) and adult males can go to about 9 kg's, which is heavier than most marmots. Something else to consider when attempting to make an identification. |
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Trail blazin', backcountry bushwackin', pine huntin', photo takin', long winded story teller
3838 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2012 : 10:01 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Dru
I have even seen tracks on Mt McGuire in the late fall.
Where about did you see these tracks on McGuire?
Some years back when you could drive most of the way up there my car could only get up to just before that last bridge where most people with 2w drive would park and hike the last 1 to 2 km. to the upper parking spot.
That was the year Karl took that picture of the brown black bear and wanted to know if it was a grizzly.
Anyway I was hiking up that first part of road from where I parked the car and there was a tree growing up from the steep bank on the left side of the road.
There were alot of branches on it which made it hard to see anything close to the trunk.
As I was hiking all of the sudden all this hissing started and when I looked left beside me at the tree all I could see was this dark animal going down the tree very fast.
I rushed to that edge of the road but the branches were against the bank and I could not see the bottom of the tree trunk and the ground.
I rushed up the road to get a better angle but could see nothing.
Then I thought it must be a baby black bear and mama must be close so then I really rushed up the road.
When the road turned left I sat down and studied everything down in that valley.
I thought if a black bear cub and mama were in it I would eventually see them at some point.
I stayed watched for a good half hour and nothing.
Then I thought if that was a black bear cub it was sure small for this time of year which was in the late fall. Also I thought if the mama was near I think it would have come investigating what scared her cub. Also there was alot of vegitation in that small creek valley but I should have seen something moving in it if a black was there.
Then I thought wolverine but I have only seen tracks and dead ones up north and never this far south and never heard of one climbing trees even though this was not to high up the tree.
So that has puzzled me other the years but that is just one of many things I have come across in the bush that has me scratching my head wondering what the heck just happened.
Oh yes, I came across that brown black bear Karl took that picture of on Spencer's Ridge between Mount Spencer and McGuire and the color was like a Grizzly bear but it was a black bear and it took off right away when it saw me and it was much larger then what was in the tree.
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| Dru
Mountain Grammar Police
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Sardonic sandbagging scoundrel, Cascade Climbers lobotomized spraymeister, space blanket flyer, new millennium vulgarian betaboy and friend to all squids
Climbing, a mountain
Canada
∞ Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2012 : 10:56 AM
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saw the tracks in snow near the old parking area at the road end by the cave.
had them ID'ed by a provincial wildlife biologist.
In the biologist's opinion the wolverine was passing through looking for marmots. Single wolverines can have home ranges covering 1000 square km or more so he thought this was probably a trans-border one that also roms as far south as the Baker highway. |
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Trail blazin', backcountry bushwackin', pine huntin', photo takin', long winded story teller
3838 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2012 : 11:28 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Dru
saw the tracks in snow near the old parking area at the road end by the cave.
had them ID'ed by a provincial wildlife biologist.
In the biologist's opinion the wolverine was passing through looking for marmots. Single wolverines can have home ranges covering 1000 square km or more so he thought this was probably a trans-border one that also roms as far south as the Baker highway.
Wow, that was just farther up the road from where I had this close encounter and that probably was a wolerine that was hissing at me.
So can I say I finally seen a wolverine even though it was a dark object rushing down a tree?
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Whistler, BC
Canada
631 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2012 : 1:24 PM
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| I can't say I'm surprised. Fissile is only 10k W of Carcajou Peak... |
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| LeeL
Advanced Member
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Extreme ski tourin, mountain bikin addict who hikes at least once a year
2506 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2012 : 1:55 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Andrew Strain
I can't say I'm surprised. Fissile is only 10k W of Carcajou Peak...
Nice! Hardly anyone picks up on that name! |
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521 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2012 : 6:22 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by Wildman
quote:
Originally posted by Dru
saw the tracks in snow near the old parking area at the road end by the cave.
had them ID'ed by a provincial wildlife biologist.
In the biologist's opinion the wolverine was passing through looking for marmots. Single wolverines can have home ranges covering 1000 square km or more so he thought this was probably a trans-border one that also roms as far south as the Baker highway.
Wow, that was just farther up the road from where I had this close encounter and that probably was a wolerine that was hissing at me.
So can I say I finally seen a wolverine even though it was a dark object rushing down a tree?
It could have been a marten or fisher possibly? |
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Trail blazin', backcountry bushwackin', pine huntin', photo takin', long winded story teller
3838 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2012 : 10:08 PM
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quote:
Originally posted by path finder
quote:
Originally posted by Wildman
quote:
Originally posted by Dru
saw the tracks in snow near the old parking area at the road end by the cave.
had them ID'ed by a provincial wildlife biologist.
In the biologist's opinion the wolverine was passing through looking for marmots. Single wolverines can have home ranges covering 1000 square km or more so he thought this was probably a trans-border one that also roms as far south as the Baker highway.
Wow, that was just farther up the road from where I had this close encounter and that probably was a wolerine that was hissing at me.
So can I say I finally seen a wolverine even though it was a dark object rushing down a tree?
It could have been a marten or fisher possibly?
It was to big for any of them. I know my animals having trapped some up north.
I was also thinking perhaps a raccoon but this thing moved to fast for a raccoon although I have seen raccoons move very fast on the ground and a raccoon most likely would have gone up the tree instead of down. |
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Terrace, BC
957 Posts |
Posted - 04/25/2012 : 10:18 PM
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A black hissing weasel? - - my guess is a Fisher, they like the woods and are way more comfy in trees . I ran into one North of Ft. St James when I was a forester...did not like us around at all.
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521 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2012 : 07:18 AM
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It was to big for any of them. I know my animals having trapped some up north.
Male fishers can weigh in over 9 kg's, about the weight of a small wolverine.
I ran into a large fisher on the hike into the Tzchaikazan. I first spotted it zig zagging along the road ahead of me searching for prey. About 10 minutes later a snowshoe hare came running towards me and stopped, positioning itself at right angles in front of me. The hare let out a growl and then darted around me. Moments later came the panting fisher, and was clearly out of breath. Must of been an older one and no match for the speed of this hare. |
Edited by - path finder on 04/26/2012 07:24 AM |
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North Vancouver, BC
Canada
182 Posts |
Posted - 04/26/2012 : 1:06 PM
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| I saw a wolverine 5 or 6 years ago on the far end of the Kingdom Lake FSR, coming back from a trip to Taillefer. It's definitely the funny gait that makes you realize it's something different than the wildlife you typically see. |
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Fissile-Whirlwind - Wolverine!
