Wolf & Snow Problems

I was back to work on Monday; left home at 5 am and got to Pincher Creek before 8 am. It started snowing just after I arrived and didn't stop until that night around 8 or 9 pm, then at about 3 am it started to blow!

My partner Perry had to pull our student's work truck out of a drift in the compound.

A wolf that was shot by a local rancher who lost a 500 pound heifer to one on Christmas Day.

Same wolf; it was a young male that weighed 97 pounds. We had another kill we investigated not far from where this one was shot, another rancher said he seen a pack of about 5 yesterday in the same area, so our problems are just beginning!


I was going to stay out in Coleman at the forestry bunkhouse on Monday night but with the snow and wind it was too treacherous to drive to the Pass, so I turned around and came back to Pincher Creek. I set up my cot and bedroll in my office and did like George Castanza! Tuesday night I spent with a fellow officer in Hillcrest, when I woke up the next morning it was snowing again.


We went for a mountain patrol on the East Slopes on Wednesday.

It was hard to see anything with the falling and blowing snow, we would hit a snow squall like this and everything would disappear, you couldn't see anything but white, in some case I would have to creep along and when I felt the truck sliding off the road have to steer it in the opposite direction just to stay on the road.

Our mission this day was to find some Bighorn Sheep, instead we found a couple of ice fisherman on a remote mountain lake, they were catching Brookie's, the snow on the lake bank was up to my crotch!

We all got sent home early because of the stormy weather. When I left Pincher you couldn't see the mountains for the blowing snow.

The farther east I drove the clearer it got. You can see the edge of the storm!

Highway #3 was nasty, it started out like this - blowing snow, then turned to a sheet of ice and closer to home it was snow packed from the wind drifting it across.

In places it was like a curling rink! Funny thing was that as I crept along in four wheel drive idiots were still passing me like the roads were fine, so it was just a matter of time before I started to see vehicles in the ditches. My usual two and a half hour trip home took me an extra hour to make!

Blair Snowboarding!

Winter Fun!

Christmas Day turned out to be an awesome day, the wind died down and the temperature went up to -6, which was a nice break from the sub-arctic weather we have been having over the last few weeks.


We left the Wii and headed out to the nearby coulee for some winter fun.


As you can see the snow was up to Carolyn's knees, that's the most I've ever seen on the prairie!


The hill took some work to get the foot of powdery snow packed down enough that the kids could get some speed going down the hill.

Dad worked the best for packing the snow down!!!

The girls taking a break to eat some snow.

Erinn heading down.

Blair trying out his new snowboard.

On Boxing Day we went into Dunmore to skate on the outdoor rink.

You can tell by Blair's cheeks that the temperature was a little colder on this day; it was -18 in the sunshine!

Erinn got into the game too. Kirby spectated from the snow shredder.

Blair & dad facing off.

Enough skating; the girls decided to play in the snow.

Santa Arrived!

This year we decided to stay home for Christmas. It was our first Christmas at home with the kids; ever! We went to church on Christmas Eve, then when we got home the kids set out milk & cookies for Santa Claus and went to bed with little argument.

On Christmas morning the kids were up early, not much earlier than usual though. Here they are waiting patiently to open their gifts.

Erinn with some of her gifts.

Blair with the one & only thing he asked Santa for this year, other than the family being together.

Kirby with her "toe socks"!

Even mom & dad got a gift, this one from the kids!

Last year the kids asked Santa for a Wii, but they asked too late and he ran out, so this year they asked early and got their wish.

"OK, dad, hurry up and set up the Wii!"

Setting up the controllers. One for everyone but mom.... someone had to take the pictures.

Erinn bowling, she's the strike queen!

Blair showing off his bowling technique. (Don't ask about the Calgary Flames pyjamas, his mom makes him wear them!)

Kirby throwing another gutter ball!

Dad boring the kids!

A White Christmas!

Its not too often that winter arrives to southern Alberta and actually stays, especially the snow, most of the time it only last for a few days and than either melts with a Chinook or blows away with a west wind, however this year its more like a northern Saskatchewan winter; cold (-30) and lots of snow!


A view across the road, I've never seen this much snow on the prairie. Blair and I have been hunting coyotes down the road and in some spots its drifted to past my knees!

If it looks cold that's because it is, -31!

Looking west down the road. All those tracks in the front yard are from the white-tail deer that frequent our yard every night. So far I've seen one big 5x5 buck and a smaller 6x6.

It looks like someone hit the ditch!

You can see where the deer have been digging up the snow to get at my grass.

I've been trying to keep a track open through the backyard just in case I have to use the back driveway but my last time through I almost got stuck with the truck. There's gotta be a good 2 feet of snow in some spots!

The deer spend most of their time on the mound, the grass came in the best here, last year I put an alfalfa bale out for them but they didn't even touch it.

First Week at Work!

I started work in Pincher Creek on the 15th; it was quite the week! First off I moved into my office where nothing is set up, no computer, no phone, nothing on my truck works and no place to sleep! When the week came to an end I had computer access but no computer, my cell phone working but no charge cord and had slept at 3 different places in everything from a plush hotel bed to a camp cot in the warehouse furnace room to a pile of mattresses in an old forestry bunkhouse in Coleman.


Sitting in my new office; I have a view of the mountains!


Out on patrol in the back country. I managed to check some hunters on my first day out too.


We ventured into Waterton National Park and came across a herd of about 300 elk.

All in all the week went by pretty fast. I made a trip to Cardston and seen one of my fellow recruits that was posted there, spent some time patrolling the back country with my supervisor, we couldn't see much due to the snow but it was beautiful country. I attended a meeting in Twin Butte along with our biologist to discuss bear issues with some of the local ranchers. While touring around I seen all those elk, a couple of mule deer bucks fighting, a herd of about 30 mule deer along one of the roads and a flock of several hundred Canada geese on the Oldman River. While in the office I registered a cougar that had electrocuted itself climbing a power pole, a wolverine that had been trapped as well as a couple of wolves. I think I'm going to love this job!

Getting Ready for Christmas!

The kids are getting excited for Christmas. We've decided that this year we will spend it at home and start our own family traditions, enough of the travelling!

The kids decorating the tree.

All decorated!

Grandpa & Grandma came for a visit.

A traditional picture with 'ol St. Nick.

The Party!

The party after the WCLEA Grad was well deserved!


Room 204, the Saskatchewan Embassy was in fine form.


Some special guests were invited to the Embassy!


Chuck Worst made an appearance.

My new best friend, Tim Blair, kept his cool!