Originally Posted by BC30cal
Originally Posted by 405wcf
No wolves in SW Michigan. Certainly does not line up with my assumptions about coyotes.

405wcf;
Good afternoon to you sir, I hope you're keeping well, warm and dry in this latest blast and you're all well.

Thanks for an interesting thread, wolves and coyotes are something that I've been trying to learn for much of my life and have been attempting to shoot them for more than 40 years of it. I've been successful often enough with coyotes, finally got an Okanagan wolf to howl back to me this year and shot over top of one in Saskatchewan many years back.

Forgive me for repeating this story if you've read it from me previously, but it's instructive of how some wolves will go wherever it is they might have a mind to go.

Years back before the wolves had moved into our area, there was not season for them unless the hunter was First Nations.

So it was that a local FN chap brought a decent sized wolf into the taxidermy shop that was just down the road from us, owned by a father and son team that our family was very close friends with.

The taxidermists related to us that this wolf had both an ear tag and a collar, both of which they removed of course before peeling it.

They suggested to the FN hunter that he take them into the local Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources or whatever the Wildlife folks were going by back then, which he did.

When he took it in, the helpful bios tracked both the collar and ear tag and found that this wolf had been caught and ear tagged on the other side of the several mountain ranges in Alberta, then was one of the wolves transplanted into Yellowstone where it was collared.

We're about 700 miles from Yellowstone more or less, perhaps a wee bit less as the crow flies or the wolf trots, not sure.

Obligatory wolf track photo from this past fall, just a bit northeast of where I sit today.

[Linked Image]

That folder is a snitch over 8½".

In a couple other conversations with bios from the Ministry over the years, they've said wolves will commonly travel huge circuits quite often or at least our BC ones to.

While I'm far from an expert on anything, the biggest coyote I've ever shot here I tried to weigh on a fish scale that went to 25lb and it surpassed that easily. If I was to guess, I'd think it would've been high 30's, but that's guessing for sure.

Again still guessing, that photo looks more wolf than coyote to me.

I'd be curious to learn what it actually is, so if anyone finds out and posts it, thanks in advance.

All the best.

Dwayne


Dwayne,
I hope you had a fine weekend!

I agree with your assessment of the photo, it sure looks like a wolf to me (note that I have no experience with wolves). The location is the puzzling part. This is closer to Chicago than Michigan's UP!

The idea of a coyote/wolf cross is particular interesting for SW Michigan due to geography. There has been no documented evidence of wolves in the lower peninsula in modern times. Since Michigan's lower peninsula is surrounded by the Great Lakes, to come in by land, they would have to come in through Indiana or Ohio (where there are no wolves).

In the rare year when the lakes completely freeze over, it could be possible for one to make it if from the UP or Ontario. If it did, it then have to make it's way to an area that is densely
populated with people (by wolf standards) and breed with a coyote.

The question some posters brought up regarding the legality of shooting a wolf is also interesting. This was supposedly taken within a couple of hours of where I live. If I saw a big coyote in my field, I would shoot him and not worry because there are no wolves in the LP of Michigan....but what if? Would I be charged for not being able to tell the difference between a wolf and coyote when there are no wolves in the LP?

Interesting questions.

405wcf