Are wolves afraid of red flags? Interesting ways to hunt a wolf: with flags and waba
For centuries, people have thought different ways hunting. There is an opinion that wolves are afraid of red flags and therefore become prey in a hopeless situation. Let's see if this is really true and what role the mentioned color plays in this story.
Researchers of Russian hunting traditions believe that the flag method was known in medieval Novgorod and Pskov. Today it is popular in a number of northern regions of the country. The peculiarity of this species is that hunters conduct collective actions aimed at the extraction of several individuals. Usually they go at once to the whole flock.
Their tactics are as follows: surround the animals with a cord stretched over tree trunks with red flags attached. At the same time, people leave a small gap - a free area that is used for an ambush. This is where the wolves run to save lives. And here they find their death.
This principle of hunting is based on understanding the instincts of this animal. Wolves are smart, cunning and cautious. If they come across a stronger opponent, then they move away from open confrontation. It is the innate caution of the beast that plays into the hands of man. For a wolf, a cord with red flags is an unknown object that arouses suspicion. Therefore, during a panic, the animal will rush to a safer place, which will turn out to be a deadly ambush.
There are times when a cornered wolf jumped over the cord and went into the forest. In this case, he gained invaluable experience and no longer fell into a similar trap, leading his flock with him.
For a long time, instead of flags, hunters used pieces of fur and dried skin, sometimes - spruce bushes, which were exhibited around the perimeter. The task for a person remained the same: to create an unusual environment for the victim, leaving a loophole for escape.
It is believed that wolves are afraid of red flags, but in reality the color does not matter. Wolves are colorblind. Red is more needed by the hunters themselves in order to clearly see the location of the flags in the twilight or against the backdrop of white snow.
What scares the animal away is the smell of the flags - they are reeking of a person. Today, special fabrics with a similar smell are produced to instill fear in animals.
Experts emphasize that the zone into which hunters drive wolves should have the shape of an ellipse without sharp corners. The animal should not get into a dead end, but as if running in a circle in search of a way out. If the animal stumbles on a corner and feels driven, it can break through the fence.
By the way, according to experts in the field of hunting, large forest animals (wild boars, elk, deer) are not afraid of flags and can easily break the cord, giving the wolves a chance to escape.
When hunting for a wolf, hunters use a rather interesting method. They find the habitat of predators, and enclose it with red flags. Despite the fact that the wolf is a strong and fearless animal, able to survive in any, even the most severe conditions, he cannot leave the fenced area, and therefore becomes vulnerable.
So, we came to the conclusion that during the winter hunting for a wolf, hunters fence the territory of their habitat with red flags. Why red? There is no single answer to this question. As for the wolf, he does not have color vision, and therefore he does not care what color the flag is. For a predator, it is not the color that is more important, but the smell that comes from this object. It is he, in all likelihood, that scares away the wolf, preventing him from approaching such a mysterious fence. Well, the red color is important not for the animal, but for the hunters. Such flags are perfectly visible among the trees, and it is impossible not to notice them.
There is another opinion, which boils down to the fact that predators take red flags for fire. But now we know that this is not so, because wolves do not have color vision. It turns out that the smell is to blame for everything, and the fact that the flags in the forest are an alien object, and therefore act intimidatingly on the wolves. After all, these predators are very careful, and will never voluntarily take risks.
Now let's try to figure out what is really happening in the area fenced with red flags. Hunting is based on understanding the wolf instincts, and the behavior of predators in certain conditions. Hunters are well aware of the cunning of this animal, and that it will never make contact with a stronger opponent. The wolf will definitely try to avoid such a collision.
The innate caution takes over, which, in the wild, allows the wolf to survive. It is this caution that gives a person an additional bonus. If you protect the territory where the wolf pack is located with a cord and mark it with red flags, then seeing alien objects, predators will try to bypass them. As soon as the hunters cause panic in a pack of wolves, they will immediately rush to a place where there are no such flags and, as a result, they will fall directly into an ambush.
Instead of flags, pieces of leather, pine and spruce branches are sometimes used. All this works great. Only a cornered and hopeless predator can take the risk, jump over the fence, and hide in the forest. But this rarely happens. Basically, he becomes a victim of hunters. But a wolf escaping from the fence is called hardened. More, in a similar trap, he is unlikely to fall.
One of the most ferocious and large predatory animals, which can be found in almost the entire territory of our country, is the wolf. These animals know how to feel comfortable even in the most severe conditions. natural conditions due to qualities such as mental readiness and strong jaws.
People count millions of rubles, which are the damage caused by wolves. How is this possible? The fact is that this beast quite often attacks domestic animals, for the breeding of which people spend a lot of money and effort. Wolves can not only exterminate them, but also infect them with rabies.
One of the famous and funny hunts for wolves in winter is hunting with flags. Having found out the location of the predators, the hunters place red flags, the size of which is 15 by 25 cm, around the entire diameter at a distance of 40-70 cm from each other. Animals surrounded by red flags cannot leave this circle. Why are wolves afraid of red flags?
The opinion that wolves see fire instead of red flags is erroneous. Wolves are not able to distinguish shades, this is not typical for them.
But the sense of charm of these predators is very strong. The fabric from which the flags are made will smell like a man, the smell alien to the expanses of the forest will scare away the wolves and will not allow them to approach.
As for the bears, they are not so careful and will leave the outlined place without problems. Therefore, this hunt is not suitable for them.
What do we know about wolves, and how interesting are these animals? Many zoologists have long been saying that it is impossible to divide wildlife, and in particular - wild animals into bad and good, useful and useless. In the 20th century, such a science as cognitive ethology even appeared - it studies the mind of animals and their intellect.
Biologist from Harvard University Stephen Wise wrote that animals cannot solve mathematical problems, compose music, write books, but they, just like people, can love, think, be offended, regret and suffer. It turns out that not only people have a certain morality, norms of behavior, and a sense of beauty.
How much do we know about wolves? From childhood, we were taught that the wolf is a wild, vicious and cruel beast that attacks humans and livestock. And is it really so? Why are wolves so afraid of red flags? Are wolves afraid of humans? Do you know that if hunters shoot a she-wolf, and another wolf finds orphaned wolf cubs, he will raise them: he will feed, water, teach how to live? Let's try to answer some of these questions.
In nature, everything is interconnected, for the entire time of the existence of plants and animals there is a natural balance. Modern destruction of animals, birds, uncontrolled fishing can easily upset the natural balance, and then, following the destroyed animals, others will die, plants, insects, and so on will disappear.
For a wolf, his lair is important - he thinks over several places in advance for a quiet arrangement of his home. If the wolf was driven from one place - he never returns there - he makes another hole for himself. If the she-wolf was disturbed by people in her hole, she should immediately move the cubs to another, safe place.
Moreover, she transfers them in several stages: she takes the wolf cubs one by one and drags them halfway along the road, leaves them under a bush, and follows the next one. And in the same way he carries the wolf cubs to a new lair, that is, in several steps. He chooses the most deaf place - he digs his hole among the roots of the tree, since the roots will hold the ground above the lair, and there will be no collapse. Water is very important for wolves, they drink a lot. If there is no hole nearby, they are able to go to the watering place even to the village, to the village pond.
The wolf family is awesome
People imagine the structure of the wolf family too primitive. In fact, everything here is quite complicated. Wolves have not just a family, but “ big family”, with its own laws and regulations. Young wolves 2-3 years old choose their own spouse (usually this happens for the rest of their lives).
This happens in the spring, at the same time these newly-made pairs leave the flock together. The so-called “weaklings” remain in the pack, that is, weaker wolves, which later settle down as “nannies” with stronger relatives. Marriage "does not shine" for weak wolves. Strong individuals allow the weak to live near their lair (about 1-2 km). This is considered very kind by the strong wolves.
Relationships of young people - love and respect
It turns out that wolves take a whole year to court their “bride”! Only after such a long courtship (people should learn!) Do wolves mate. What about during courtship? And at this time - games, jumps, smiles, squeals, scratching each other by the scruff of the neck - in a word, all the joy of relationships. In a pack, it is not customary to divide relatives into “strong” and “weak” sex.
That is, the pleasure of communication should be the same, without any: “I try, and you only accept courtship”! Everything is “equal” here. If a “triangle” occurs in a couple, then this often leads to tragedy: wolves rarely fight, but the “law of the strong” works here. In nature, there is a law of natural selection.
After the birth of the wolf cubs, after a few weeks, the she-wolf crawls out of her hole. Meanwhile, her relatives bring what they can to her lair. The “family” does not leave her at such a difficult moment, because the she-wolf cannot go far from the lair. A little later, when the cubs get stronger, she herself begins to go hunting. And here just “relatives” help to raise wolf cubs. Not only do they play with them, work with them, feed them, and protect them. Father is not far away either, unless he has gone hunting with the she-wolf. And with the onset of autumn, the family: wolves and cubs - begin to go hunting together, and the wise teach young animals everything they know themselves.
Wolves are special animals: in the foreground they have responsibility, power, and love. These are smart animals, they understand, if not words, then intonations - for sure. If the wolf sees how the man moves the bolt, then he can do the same. Wolves summarize the actions of people: if one did him bad, then all people are like that, and the wolf expects evil from all people.
Are wolves afraid of people? Yes, definitely! Wolves attack humans only in rare cases, usually rabies.
The famous writer Vasily Peskov wrote in his book that a wolf attacks people in rare cases, for example, it can attack a shepherd guarding a flock. A she-wolf, who has many cubs, can also attack, and she cannot feed them.
Wolves are good friends. They are generous, they are touched by the grief of their relatives. For example: the young wolf did not return to the lair, it would seem that his sister should rejoice: less mouths, more food, but no! She will cry and howl, saying goodbye to him.
It turns out that wolves can smile! And the smile is different, it is remembered by those who saw wolves up close.
Oddities of wolves
Man has long known the strange behavior of wolves. For example, why, when people attack the lair, the she-wolf does not protect the cubs, but runs away from the lair without touching the dogs and people? After all, usually all animals and birds stand up for their offspring, for example, even a chicken rushes into battle for her chickens. Another oddity: when dogs are chasing a wolf or she-wolf, the animal runs without turning around, although it could turn around at any moment and grab a fight with the dogs, and it is still unknown who would win. No, the wolf runs until he is driven under the gunshots.
Why are wolves afraid of red flags? After all, the wolf is a brave beast, and only flags can stop him. The wolf will rush along the stretched flags, but is afraid to jump over it. Maybe they are afraid of red? No, wolves are color blind, they are colorblind. Most likely, animals smell the smell of humans. The wolf, most likely, is simply afraid of an unfamiliar smell.
The wolf is the orderly of the forest, tundra, and steppe
Did you know that when all the wolves were shot in the Nerchinsk Reserve, which is located in Alaska, the herds of deer, having destroyed all the lichen, began to die out at lightning speed. It was decided to release the wolf into the reserve again so that the fragile natural balance would not be disturbed.
Wolves destroy sick, weak animals. It also feeds on rodents - pests of crops and gardens. Sometimes, when food is scarce, the wolf may feed on berries and insects. Very unpretentious and not too picky animal. You can write a lot more about wolves, they are so interesting and smart. Maybe we'll continue interesting story about them.
On the video: the story of wolves and the salvation of man.
Not every hunter can boast of having hunted a wolf. It is very difficult to catch such an animal. He is incredibly smart, cunning and cunning. That is why he can easily circle anyone around his finger.
wolf behavior
Wolves roam constantly in winter. The area of their habitat, when compared with the summer, increases significantly. Animals have to constantly look for food. To do this, they travel tens of kilometers overnight. They can appear in one place of land, then completely in another. In this case, a certain feature of the behavior of wolves helps: they stay for a day in one place. If you take this into account, you will be able to determine where they are.
In the middle of winter, the snow cover is already deep enough. Animals move less. Often they stay for days at the most unusual places. It can be a plot next to a road or clearing. When the sun begins to warm well, the wolves lie down in clearings, clearings, swamps with sparse vegetation.
Why are wolves afraid of flags?
There are many ways to hunt wolves. A popular option is to surround the area where the wolves were herded at night with red flags. The wolves try to escape from the circle by any means, but they shy away from pieces of fabric and start walking along to find a way out. Hunters can only wait and shoot these scouts.
Strange enough? Flags for hunting a wolf outwardly pose no danger at all. These are ordinary twigs with rags. But the wolves are afraid of them and seek to escape. Why is this happening?
Some are sure that this is due to the fact that the flags on the wolf are red, so the animals take them for fire. Actually this is not true. These animals see everything in gray as they have black and white vision. Therefore, flags can be absolutely any color. They are red only to make it convenient for hunters.
These pieces of cloth smell like a hunter. Wolves know that man can destroy them. Even if the animal is unfamiliar with such a smell, in any case, it is initially dangerous.
Hunting with flags has been invented for a long time. Previously, twigs and other items were used. Gradually, the technique improved. As a result, flags of a given size and shape appeared. Now you know why wolves are afraid of red flags.
This method is not always effective. The most desperate of wolves run the risk of breaking out of the circle. They jump over the line marked with red flags. Such animals cannot be stopped even by two rows of flags.
Flags: how to make and hang
You can make wolf hunting flags yourself. To do this, you need to take a rope. It is best if it is made of natural material.
It is in this case that it perfectly absorbs the smell of a person and a house. This smell will scare away the wolves, and they will be afraid to approach them. Rectangular pieces of red fabric are tied to the rope.
Ideally, the width of the material should be at least 15 cm, while the length should be 20 cm, the fabric is fixed on a rope. The distance between the flags is 50 cm, and the cord is pulled at a height of 25 cm above the ground. We told you how to make rope flags.
Another option is twigs with nylon fabric. They are stuck into the ground at a distance of 80 cm from each other.
Privada
Daylight hours in winter are quite short. It is often difficult to find animals and set flags. The bait will allow to detain the wolves.
It is extremely difficult to hunt a constantly moving animal. Not always hunters can use bait. For a successful salary, it is necessary to make trial rounds in order to catch the wolves on vacation during the day.
A bait is used to increase the efficiency of hunting. Usually carcasses of animals are taken for her.
Predators will visit it only if it is laid out according to certain rules:
- When choosing a place, avoid dense forests, buildings and other shelters. The thing is that wolves are very cautious animals. They may not approach such a bait. The best option is a large clearing, the outskirts of a field, a swamp or clearing.
- When taking food to the place that is chosen, you should definitely leave an odorous trail on a forest or country road.
- It is important to leave a minimum of traces at the place of unloading the carcass.
- There should be no housing nearby. Otherwise, all the dogs will be taken away.
- When you check the bait, approach it at least 200 meters.
Even very hungry predators do not approach the bait immediately. They visit it only when magpies and crows are already actively feeding on it.
As soon as you notice that the wolves have begun to visit the bait, you can start preparing for the hunt.
Hunting tactics
Hunting for wolves with flags begins with the fact that the hunter gets on the trail of the wolf and follows it to the place where the animals are supposed to lie. It is important that the payer's gun is loaded with buckshot. Encounter with wolves, especially in bad weather, is not excluded.
When the site of land where the animals stopped for a day is scheduled, it is worth finding out if they are there. To do this, go around the proposed site in a circle. In this case, you need to use roads and clearings. When it turns out that the predators are in salary, you can hang flags.
You can not smoke and talk!
If the circle is too large, when unwinding, you can partially cut off sections of the forest, using roads or clearings.
In those places where the beast can go out of salary, numbers are placed (part of the hunters). In fear, wolves can jump over hanging flags. You also need to understand that predators prefer to leave, hiding in the folds of the relief or dense vegetation. open spaces animals usually avoid
The rest of the hunters line up. Some of the flags are removed and shooters are placed at a distance of 70 cm in these places.
Then the race begins. Beaters start it from a line opposite to the line of shooters. Wolves are afraid to go with the wind. But it’s not worth driving them against the wind, as they can feel the shooters. It is best to drive them "in half the wind."
Beaters must be careful. Excessive noise will encourage the wolves to leave through the flags. It is worth shooting at animals with buckshot at a distance of 50 meters. It is worth aiming at the area under the shoulder blade.
Wabu hunting
The best kind of wolf hunting in summer is waba hunting. Another name for howling. This method requires 3 people.
Before the hunt, they find a den of predators with wolf cubs, which are already leaving the hole themselves. Then they look for paths and manholes of animals. The object of hunting for waba is wolf cubs.
They come out only when the wolves go hunting. The cub is left alone. This is usually early in the morning or late in the evening. Hunters approach the lair at 300 meters and are located next to the wabber. Then he begins to howl, calling the cubs. You need to try to shoot all the predators that came out to the voice.
The wolves may not come out. They may feel the change. That's why it's worth using the decoy on the wolf. Another explanation: they do not want to leave the hole. In this case, you need to change the place of hunting and try to lure them again.
Wabu hunting is also possible for males. It is necessary to approach the lair from the leeward side at a distance of 300 meters. After that, you should howl, imitating the voice of the male. The wolf will come out to protect his own domain. After that, you need to get closer to the lair and wait for the wolf to appear. On such a hunt, you can not make noise and make a lot of movements. Otherwise, you will scare the wolf. When the beast appears, you should shoot, smoothly raising the gun.
For any wolf hunt, you need to prepare in advance. It is labor intensive and complex. The best teachers- hunters with experience, who are well acquainted with the habits of animals, their daytime places and possible movements.
Video
Several Yet useful tips on hunting with flags you will find in our video.
