WOLF CHALLENGE JULY 2011

Above: Some of the participants in The 2011 Wolf Challenge. Yes, that is indeed a bad-ass truck.

Bigfoot?

WOLF Challenge July 2011 - Sentinel Team LFB, Dirtbag, Bear, Bubba

Report by Bubba

(Legend SW / Y-22 = within Quadrant, location / Quadrant number)

Friday
2130 Left support area to set up base camp
2145 Set 5 gal water station at W/A-11
2200 Made base camp 1 at S/A-00
2300 First guard (4-1 ½ hr shifts)

Saturday
0500 First call breakfast
0625 Teams move out R1 right and R2 left of map (Dirtbag / Bear R1 - Bubba / LFB R2)
0645 R2 set at NW/A-11
0714 R1 set at SW/ Y-11
0810 Call to link up to SW/A-33
0835 R1, R2 linked
0912 R2 moves to A-33 R1 moves to C/Y-22
0930 R2 at oak tree N/A-44 R1 spots patrol and Z pointing C/Y-22
0945 R2 reviews support and thumper arriving at support W/O-55
1037 R2 IN W/Z-44, Green camp1 heard in Y-33
1050 Teams linkup at NE/Z-22
1100 Both teams return to base1
1120 Lunch
1300 Split team, move base location to SW/O-00
1400 Two team bound to water station (LFB / Bear R1 - Bubba / Dirtbag R2)
1410 Two team bound to N/A-22
1415 Spotted green patrol going eastward from W/O-33
1420 Teams split R1 moved first north then east R2 moved east then north (flank camp2)
1520 R2 captured by green patrol point men Z & CT S/O-44
1600 R2 reset and recover at W/A-22, R1 set south of green camp1 at C/Y-33
1645 R2 lost contact of R1
1720 Found left over of green camp1 C/Y-33, R1 returns to base2
1730 R2 found green camp2 at SW/Z-44
1745 Capture Recon Crash and C.T. NW/Z-33
1750 R2 returned to base2
1800 R2 went to old base1 for belongings found trap in shirt
1830 R2 retrieved water station to camp2
1900 Dinner
1930 Bear & Bubba set traps in A-00
2200 First guard (4-2 hr shifts)

Sunday
0600 first call breakfast
0630 break base2
0700 R2 left camp first to link up with R1 later (LFB / Dirtbag R1 - Bubba / Bear R2)
0725 teams linkup set packs and split up at NW/A-22
0725 R2 moves first northeast R1 moves eastward
0730 R2 finds heavy trail from old camp1 C/Y-33 follows it, R1 AT N/O22
0745 R2 position south of camp2 SW/Z-44
0750 R2 flanks west of camp2, R1 moves from S/O-33 to E/Z-33
0815 R1 at southeast side camp2 SE/Z-44
0835 R2 flanks north of camp2 to E/Y-44 finds green’s flag on north side of camp2
0845 R1, S/Z-44 & R2, E/Y-44 set, ready to steal flag
0855 flag stolen from green camp
0915 green quits FTX ends


Friday - was quick. I was still traveling to Fife Lake at 7:00 pm while LFB went over the rules with most at the rest area. We did one last brief when I arrived at the property with a printed rule sheet.

The Green team was ready and left first about 9:15. Sentinel was ready at about 9:30.

Sentinel (south team) needed to have slightly different rules vs. last years two team setup. We only had four persons so patrol and camp guard was not available instead we would work in pairs or two recon teams. Also four man guard would not allow us to do a night mission. Lack of camp would deny the north to take a flag but the points would be doubled for each of our recon capture.
This would be a test of our teams ability to work close, fast and constant. Also I would trail each of the sentinel members to se how they work in tactics, communication and other tangibles.

Sentinel left the support area and shared in the transport of our backup 5 gal. water supply. Setup the water station near a land feature and it would not be discovered or disturbed by the north all weekend. By the time we got to the southern most part of the property to set base-one it was dark. The ferns in the area was twice as high as last year and much more dense. Our sleeping areas was under the that foliage and made great cover. We tired to not smash the ferns up to the camp area to reduce our footprint. We set up guard for 1.5 hr increments and used night vision to peak out from time to time. All was quite that night.

Saturday - morning we were tired had some food and coffee. Covered our areas with ferns and set out to recon the north. The weather was nice and the sun would shin all day long in the 85-ish in the shad and maybe 90 in the open.

I picked LFB first to trail while Dirtbag and Bear team up. We reviewed the map and cord grid we worked on under red flash light the night before. T-1 (team) would got north eastward while T-2 would got northwestward. We picked two grid areas to setup at and wait for further Intel.

The ground was dry and crunchy so it was hard to move without some noise. We practiced short stop & bound to give ears to other possible movement. We each made our DP (designated point) I asked LFB to organize a linkup to test this tangible. It went smooth. We had now been moving around the south to mid part of the field to find no contact, so it was time to push more north to create contact or find north encampment.

T-2 would continue on the west side northward while T-1 would move due east then north to their DP2. LFB and I flanked around to the north of support camp. We could see Madhatter tiring to stat his quad. T-1 called to say they are at DP2. We were about to cross the north road to get to a ravine when a big blue truck came by, Thumper is now in the area. T-2 continued around the hill top far north in green teams territory. We continued eastward keeping ears open for and green camp at hill. As we moved around the hill top we found ourselves on the east side and only two or three grids from T-1s DP2. At this point green team didn’t practice good noise discipline and we heard them talking. I moved in closer to get a fix on location and we marked the estimated camp location and relayed that to T-1 and would re-link to or near their position to plan a camp flag steal.

We got to T-1 when they shared with us that they saw green patrol moving in the area but patrol was not within the 25ft mark. It seems that Z might have seen T-1 but T-1 moved to a better position where they saw only Z about 50ft away moving with rifle pointed sweeping for T-1 location but gave up and returned to the patrol. We went back to base-1 were we would refilled water and vittles.

After lunch I wanted to move camp before we went out, just in case we stay out till dark plus have an opportunity to setup in light. We moved camp in twos; one group sat and keep guard while the other move gear and build sleeping areas. This went smoothly. Now that we had base-2 we need to get more water. Three out of four was using ghillie suits. LFB and I was using summer poncho style while Dirtbag used the yarn style. Yes we were hot.

We are now new teams and team bound to water station then to DP3, there we would split and try and flank the green camp and intercept a recon or patrol from it. As we were sitting down at DP3 LFB spotted a green patrol. I was behind a big tree and could not see so waited for his report. The patrol moved and turned away from us to the southeast. Again not within the 25ft rule. We spit up to move to our DP4 positions.

Dirt bag & I moved to the thick low growth poplar as we tired to find a good place to sit. He had heard some noise while we were in the poplar but could not determined direction. T-1 called at was set. At this point I was hot and I think I was moving to fast in the thick stuff and when we were almost at our DP when Z and CT stood up at about 40 ft from us. I gave them the capture and our tokens. Dirtbag and I moved back to a safe area were we peeled our Ghillie suits off and rested for about 15 mins. I could tell by looking at Dirtbag we were over heating. Notified T-1 of our sidrep.

Dirt bag & I reset and would try to retake our DP4 but from a different route this time. We moved real slow and at times I think we were snoozing.

T-2 moved to the central part of team greens area when we found smashed foliage dirt kicked up and even some small candy rappers, it was greens left over camp1 site. We notified T-2 but could not make contact.

We, T-2 then found a heavy used trial that went northward and right of the hill top, so we followed it were it lead Dirtbag and I to the new green camp location. We hunkered down to wait for any patrols or recon to leave or return to green camp for points. I saw xxx with his shirt off talking to someone within the camp area. We were there for about 15 mins when I could hear movement on the outside of green camp. I thought that we would miss the group but the guys decided to move around the camp instead of directly in and moved right into our position. CT and Crash were returning from a recon. They gave up their token and then shared their frustration that most of the green team was and had been hanging out at support talking with the reporter. We reported back to T-1 were they now are back at base2 with fresh batteries in their radios. T-2 went back to camp to share our first point. We are now only one point behind.

We got more water, found a smoke toy under some belongings (t-shirts) we had at the old base1 location and finally rested for dinner. We set up guard and talked about the unfairness of green team not playing by the rules and denying us targets of opportunity. Wolf means; Wilderness, Operation, Live In Field, try to survive as a team for the weekend with what you brought in with you. Support camp is for emergencies not a hangout for participants.

Sunday - had our morning-joe and packed our stuff. We decided to move our packs to the north side of the property for a shorter recovery of gear when Ftx is done. Also it rained for about ½ and hour.

We made our split point early. We had thought that when we captured CT & Z near their camp late on Saturday that green would move again. So we were planning to have to find a possible third location.

Bear & I are now T-2 as Dirtbag and LFB would be T-1.

T-2 would covered the left and center of green territory while T-1 would move east then north if any Intel comes from T-2. T-2 moved to south-center of the hill or the old green camp 1 location. We decided to move due north up the hill then east thinking that green might have moved camp on the north side of the hill. We were making good time and able to keep our eye up since the leaf cover was now soft and ground noise was low. We were in some heavy brush, from point I saw a dark small figure stationary but weaving a bit on the ground about ten feet from me. I stop and went back real fast while Bear looked at me. I told him that I saw a person next to his tent. We moved just a little eastward and found more tents. It seems that green team stayed at their camp 2 location. We radioed T-1 of our find and location and our planed movement. T-1  move behind and past us to get to the east side of green camp as we, T-1 was circling on the west side for search of the flag.

We, T-2 tired to keep about 25 ft out as we circle around. At this point  We could hear talking coming from the hill top moving east to their camp and so we waited and the sounds pasted just north of us, it sounded like the reporter was with one of the green team members. We, T-2 continued circling in the brush but still couldn’t see the flag. T-1 contacted us and was setup on the south east about 30 ft from green camp, no flag on that side. We now had their camp surrounded and maybe pop a patrol / recon while we try and find their flag. At this point almost due north of camp I was wondering if they even remembered to set the flag. As I moved around this big brush and looked due east, I saw yellow, that freakin flag!

We contacted T-1 of our find. Bear and I moved more north to try and take the flag from a easier angle. Bear would stay back and guard while holding my rifle while I crawled to a covered point next to the flag. I was about three feet from it and could see Crash standing guard looking east. Talking was going on between Fritz and reporter. Crash had a good open eye lane to the flag but decided to move back to center of camp. This would be my chance to try. I peaked around the bush to see the reporter working with the camera man, the rest of the camp was talking loud moving and breaking down tents. I saw Z looking towards the flag from time to time but not at me, so he was the one to time my move. As I begin to move to the flag the camera man and report was doing a clip with the flag in the background. They saw me and started to stair at me. I tired to get them to not look at me and alert the camp with their body language. So camp was still focused on camp break down so I decided to just grab and go. I took the flag.

Sentinel moved in to chat with green camp, As I was talking to green team, some of them was just getting up from their sleep. T-1 was in the ferns about 15 feet away as they popped up to join in on the talk. Green voted to end the FTX and so ended around 9am.

Qudrant grid on map, routes and camps of both days and capture points. Blue square on map marks a shed location. Red flag is support location.

More pics of Wolf Challenge here.