Wolverine

Scientific name: Gulo gulo

How weight is recorded: Whole weight

Field notes

Appearance

Stocky, powerfully built mustelid with dark brown-to-black fur and distinctive pale shoulder and hip patches. Males are noticeably larger and heavier than females; head is broad with small rounded ears.

Size and weight

Males: 10–16 kg, females: 7–11 kg. Body length: 65–107 cm; sexual dimorphism pronounced, with males 25–30% heavier.

Habitat

Wolverines inhabit boreal forests, tundra, and alpine terrain across the far north, typically from sea level to 3,500 m elevation. They require vast, sparsely populated ranges with rocky outcrops, dense forest cover, and minimal human disturbance.

Distribution

Circumpolar across boreal North America, Scandinavia, Russia, and Siberia. Prefers remote wilderness with low human density; declining populations in southern portions of former range.

Diet

Primarily scavenger and opportunistic predator, feeding on carrion (moose, caribou, deer), small mammals (hares, rodents), birds, and berries; caches food and travels widely to exploit seasonal abundance.

Behaviour

Largely solitary and crepuscular to nocturnal; nomadic with huge home ranges (300–600+ km²). Highly aggressive, tenacious, and responds boldly to threats; marks territory with scent.

Hunting tips

Look for five-toed tracks in snow or mud (often direct-register pattern), dark scat with hair and bone, and strong musky odor at den sites and kills. Approach upwind across open ridge or tundra using terrain folds for cover; wolverines are wary and mobile, so fresh sign and early morning or dusk movement are critical. Patience and thorough glassing of boulder fields and forest edges will often reveal activity; sit-and-wait near cached kills or suspected den areas.

Whole weight

This species is logged by whole weight — the animal weighed entire, as taken.

Where it is hunted

Listed as huntable in 5 countries in Huntify.

Names in other languages

These field notes are general species knowledge, not legal advice. Always check the current seasons, quotas and firearm rules where you hunt.