Wolf?

[gilberte]

I'm sitting here at the computer waiting for a page to load, looking out the window at the fence line and I think I see a wolf loping along it. Never seen one except on tv and in pictures, I know it's not a coyote (too big for one thing), and it doesn't look like any dog I've ever seen.

It can't be possible, to the best of my knowledge we don't have any here. I know there was some talk of reintroducing them in Maine but I didn't think it had happened yet. Good thing I couldn't get the window open for a shot, probably protected and a felony to shoot them.

At least the cats are comfortably arranged around the wood stove, no worries there for the time being anyway.

[js2743]

my bil lives in maine ans he was telling me about his buddies seeing some wolves. so i would think its a wolf.

[Cabin Fever]

Timber wolves (Gray wolves) are becoming quite common in the northern tier of states. According to the local DNR, we have a pack of 13 timberwolves living in the game refuge accross the road from us. We've seen their tracks and heard their howls....awesome!

[gilberte]

This guy was by himself. The first thing I noticed was his lope, slow and easy. And he was real dark around the back of the head, lighter nearer the lower body. Still can't really convince myself it was indeed a wolf, hope to heck it wasn't, we don't need em'.

We've got coyotes, hear them howling all the time, and I've shot several.

[Cabin Fever]

Coyotes are kinda low to the ground. Did the critter you saw seem to have long legs?

[gilberte]

Not so's I took notice of. I know it wasn't a coyote, nor any dog that I'm familiar with. Like I said I've seen wolves on the nature channels on tv and that's what came to mind after I dismissed coyote and dog.

[LisaInN.Idaho]

Wolves are usually stockier and bigger bodied than coyotes which are usually very lean. We have a pack of wolves across the river. I love hearing them "sing" at night.

[moonwolf]

Originally Posted by gilberte

Not so's I took notice of. I know it wasn't a coyote, nor any dog that I'm familiar with. Like I said I've seen wolves on the nature channels on tv and that's what came to mind after I dismissed coyote and dog.

There is also the possibility of a coyote/wolf hybrid. We call them 'brush wolves' Bigger than a coyote, willier than a wolf, and probably see it in the daytime. Rarely would you see a wolf, except at night.

[DocM]

I live in the coast range of Oregon, and during hunting season this year, several hunters reported seeing wolves. Of course, everyone told them they were nuts and wolves hadn't been introduced (intentionally) east of the idaho border (although a few have somehow crossed the snake river). Then someone trapped one... seems someone who used to breed hybrids cut and run, let about 25 hybrids loose. Nobody's sure when it happened, sometime in the last year. So now we have a resident population of wolves that lack the natural wariness of humans, and worse, are breeding with local dogs. You can imagine how warm and fuzzy that makes the locals feel. This area is huge and mostly unpopulated. Finding them won't be easy. Getting rid of them is going to be impossible.

[hoofinitnorth]

moonwolf - how on earth do you get hybrids of two species that normally kill one another? Human intervention?

Have seen a FEW wolves here in the daylight. Have seen a few canines we couldn't positively ID here too that were far too big and dark-colored to be coyotes, had the build of wolves but were slightly smaller than we expected, and were WAY too big to be foxes. They did not act nor look like domestic/wild dogs either. We hesitate to call them wolves, though, since the ones we saw that were wolves were clear-cut (even the small black one we think is a female).

Wolves are so cool to watch!!

[moonwolf]

Originally Posted by hoofinitnorth

moonwolf - how on earth do you get hybrids of two species that normally kill one another? Human intervention?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canid_hybrid

could be human intervention.
could be a rare wild event, especially in the vast northland when there isn't as much competition like having expansive numbers of deer herds.
genetically wolf and coyote can hybridize.

I love wolves too. They are just trying to survive. They are doing it from their slaughtered past and prehistory into forever by their DNA invading the gene pool through domestic dogs, possibly wild coyotes, too.

[pancho]

Wolves prey on coyotes. If you have wolves around you there will not be a problem with coyotes. Wolf and coyote hybrid do not happen in the wild. In cages or pens it has happened.
Wolves will be more likely to pack up, the coyote is less likely to have a pack.

[fordy]

................Wolves , will eventually , kill or eat most imposters and pretenders . This , is as it should be . After slaughtering wolves and totally upsetting the predator<>prey equation in favor of the Prey , the reintroduction of wolves , into All area's where they maintained a presence previously will allow them to cull the weak , reduce the absolute number of both deer and elk that have over populated their food supply and present much larger "racks" for hunters in future hunting seasons . This will be a positive for ALL those who hold the Wolf in High esteem and those who feel the same about hunting as a sport and a source of meat for their table . There , are , NO Loosers where the wolf has been reintroduced too their native habitat . fordy...

[moonwolf]

Originally Posted by pancho

Wolves prey on coyotes. .

this is a myth. Wolves don't prey on coyotes. At least the gray wolf in Canada that I am aware of. Perhaps they may prey on coyotes, but not that I know of in the last large remaining populaton of wolves in Minnesota. They may kill a coyote if it's invading their prey territory. A wolf will avoid making a coyote their food source. Coyots are not prey to a wolf in nature. Deer are the main prey for wolves in most areas, and in areas where elk or moose predominate, than those are the natural prey for the gray wolf.

Learn Wolf Basics

[Wolf mom]

Thank you Fordy! I wish everyone thought as you do.

We're over run with elk due to ranchers that killed off all the wolves here to secure their range cattle.

Wolves are being reintroduced in the Southwest and if you kill one - there's a large fine. If you see one in your area, check before you shoot.

I see the enemy and it is us.

[suburbanite]

Moonwolf, for whatever reason, the wolves in Yellowstone have been observed to hunt, kill, and not eat coyotes with extreme prejudice.

Got wolves? Get Anatolians.

[haypoint]

Attempts by DNR to introduce Wolves into the U.P. of Michigan hit a lot of opposition, but suddenly the wolves migrated on their own and the population is growing rapidly. Several farmers have been prosecuted for shooting a wolf, others adopted SSS. Would be nice if they only ate the old and sick and small antlered deer. Around here they seem to prefer yearling lamb. They out hunt coyotes in the woods and fields, so the coyotes have had to adapt. Been hard to keep a barn cat with all the coyotes up in the barn yards at night.
Before I saw a wolf, I thought I'd have a hard time telling the difference from a coyote. Wolf looks like a very long legged German Shepard shape. a coyote looks like a stumpy legged German Shepard. The gait of a wolf looks like he could run forever, and they can. My border collie used to chase coyotes out of the horse pasture. Once, she went running out towards a "coyote" and instead of running off, it sat down and waited. The dog knew enough not to get close, while the wolf clearly was just waiting for another hot meal. Some folks had their housedog snatched in their back yard (out for a potty break) by a wolf, right in town.
If you hunt deer for sport or for meat, adding this vicious predator to the competition is a negative. If you have farm animals, wolves will kill them, that's a negative. Since the wolf can and does take the whole animal, repayment by the DNR is often difficult.

[pancho]

Originally Posted by moonwolf

this is a myth. Wolves don't prey on coyotes. At least the gray wolf in Canada that I am aware of. Perhaps they may prey on coyotes, but not that I know of in the last large remaining populaton of wolves in Minnesota. They may kill a coyote if it's invading their prey territory. A wolf will avoid making a coyote their food source. Coyots are not prey to a wolf in nature. Deer are the main prey for wolves in most areas, and in areas where elk or moose predominate, than those are the natural prey for the gray wolf.

Learn Wolf Basics

Please do a little research of both species.
The lack of wolves was one reason for the numbers of coyotes and their spread. This is just not my opinion but the opinion of the The Wildlife Dept, The Council of Enviromental Quality, The U.S. Fish & Wildlife, and The Forest Service.
Wolves will kill and eat almost any animal. They do not have many natural predators. When the wolf was widespread their prey was mostly buffalo. There are few buffalo left so there is a lot fewer wolves.

[Junkmanme]

PLEASE.............

Don't shoot the wolf.

It's just another one of us. (THE MAKER'S CREATURES).....

I'm no "knee-jerk" nut.........

I've been "around 'em" a little bit.

I used to hunt a LOT.
Saw wolves in Colorado (in places it was said there "weren't any")

They are just like the rest of us "creatures"......give 'em a "break".....yet keep them in an envirionment that "suits them". ACTUALLY THEY ARE VERY "SHY" OF HUMANS!!!!!

My dearly departed spouse wrote 2 books about Wolf-Hybrids (wolf-dogs) THESE DOGS are DIFFERENT! NOT MEAN! but very different.......

here are a couple of "links" if you are interested in this sort of thing........

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...1266&rd=1&rd=1

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...2007&rd=1&rd=1


I would appreciate any comments regarding these books........from people who have read them. They will give you useful "perspective".

PLEASE don't shoot the wolves......

(for "perspective" on me....MY dog is a "BOXER".........One helluva dog!)

Best Regards,
Bruce

[Cabin Fever]

Originally Posted by gilberte

Good thing I couldn't get the window open for a shot, probably protected and a felony to shoot them.

I just noticed this. Why in the world would your first inclination be to shoot and kill a wolf simply because you see it?

Do you shoot every non-domestic animal that crosses your line of sight?