Originally Posted by roundoak
T Inman, your size comparison is not apples to apples. The photos I posted up are the Eastern Timber Wolf found in the Great Lakes states and Canadian southeastern provinces and tend to run smaller than the Gray Wolf of Alaska, Canadian western provinces and wolves introduced or immigrated to the lower western states.

Do you have coyotes weighing 60 - 110 lbs. in your neck of the woods? This is the smallest wolf the group I hunted with tagged, a 62# female. [Linked Image from i.imgur.com]

You mentioned that entire packs of hounds were wiped out by wolves. Wisconsin has completed 4 wolf seasons and I recall learning of only a couple of hound casualties, and a few injuries.

Your question: "When you all set loose, do you only do so on wolf tracks that you can reasonably conclude are from a lone wolf and not from those with a pack?"
 Yes, that is the main objective.

Thanks for the response. I figured those were smaller Great Lakes wolves and not western or Alaskan. Our coyotes average 30 or so pounds with bigger males getting to maybe 45 pounds. Those wolves in your pics looked 50-55 or so pounds which is why I guessed them to be “really big coyote sized”. Guess I was off a touch on guessing their weights.

I have heard of a very select few houndsman purposefully setting loose on western wolves. I do not know how successful they have been. Wolves and especially wolf packs there are a death sentence to lion/bear hounds out there. I have been along when 5 or so were killed by wolves and don’t believe I know of a single houndsman who hasn’t lost at least a couple hounds. I am guessing it is a wolf size thing???