Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Coyote or Wolf?

There was a recent thread asking this question. A couple years ago, I had an encounter with an unidentified wild canine I believe was a wolf, in an area no wolf should be in.

I was calling coyotes late in the afternoon in February of 2020. This animal approached, not furtively like a coyote usually does in the daytime, but quite confidently. I first spotted it coming over a hill about 300 yards away, and thought it was a large dog. But as it got closer, it definitely looked more wolf-like. He came to a stop about 220-250 yards away and stopped, looking my way. He was upwind of me, I'm pretty sure he couldn't smell me, but he definitely became suspicious and stopped, sniffing at the air.

He never came any closer, and eventually turned and casually loped away back over the hill. I never tried to shoot him, because I wasn't sure what he was.

I know the photo is blown up from a long distance and not detailed. I took it as he turned away from me, and stopped mid turn for one last look. The critter wouldn't come within about 250 yards of me.



What do you all think?

Looks like a wolf to me.

This reminds me of the story where that lady shot a Husky thinking it was a wolf and posted pictures of it.

It's a little hard to see it, maybe a German Shepard? I'm no expert on wolves, so I can't say.

Definitely not a German Shepherd Dog. I have one of those lying at my feet right now. This fella:



The size was similar, I think, between 75-100 lbs. But the body was a little blockier, and the head was a bit rounder. Also, the ears were fairly small compared to the head.

My vote is coyote. Face looks pointed, narrow head. Every time I've seen wolves, once I put optics on them, there was no doubt what the animal was, either coyote or wolf. With large distance and just the naked eye, a coyote on a snow background can at times appear much bigger than it really is.

Did you go over and look at he tracks? That would have confirmed it.

The snow was packed hard from a slight melt the day before and then a hard freeze overnight. I did look for tracks, they weren't clearly outlined becuase where they did break through the crust, it was more of a crater than a track.

I was thinking it might have been a coyote-dog cross.

Should have shot it and then confirmed. But head looks coyote.

In the state I was in (Illinois), I didn't want to take a chance of shooting a wolf and going to jail.

I was thinking it might be a hybrid of some sort. Way too big to be a coyote.

It's mannerisms were what got my attention initially. It didn't act like any coyote I've ever seen, and I've seen and shot a couple hundred over the years.

nothing but a coyote

Here are a few Wolves from Alberta, hard to mistake one for a tiny Yote!

A coyote hunting at 11,500 ft. I'm impressed by how they can hair up. Down on the plains near me they are little more than skinny ghosts.

Looks like a Bobcat to me.

Damn!

Are those particularly large wolves in your location or a different strain of wolf? They look a lot bigger than the timber wolves in local zoos or seen posted up from trail cams around here.

I call the Strain Big MF'in Moose Killing Wolves lol

None of em’ looked like they missed many meals.

Oh they do not miss many meals, here is some simple facts.

It has been estimated that wolves consume around 10 pounds of meat per day, on average.

The average wolf pack in Alberta is 12 wolves

Each wolf kills an average of 50 deer per year, to survive

1 Average Wolf Pack kills 600 deer per year!

The Average wolf pack will kill and eat around a hundred moose in a year.

When wolves show up Ungulates take a beating, unless they leave the area, they are dead, I can tell you stories that would really piss you off.

Kill Every Wolf On Sight!

I have no doubt that’s correct.

Our DNR claims that wolves have little impact on deer because they mostly target beavers as a prey species. Ya right. Nobody believes that but the DNR keeps towing that line.

What % of your DNR are Liberals, wolves are not the problem, Tree Hugging Liberals are, just saying.

I am only surprised that they don't tell you that Wolves only eat insects.

Right.

“The wolves aren’t a nuisance animal, because they eat nuisance animals..” No doubt mosquitoes too. Most of the ones that are in positions of running things are leftist that answer to the politicians go figure.

Those are beauties Bee…..

Osky