Wolf(Ves?) In Wayne County, Mo

[MOPanfisher]

http://mdc.mo.gov/newsroom/hunter-shoots-unusually-large-coyote-northwest-Missouri

There are always a few genetic oddballs.

[ness]

Interesting article, MO.

I wonder, has the statute of limitations for OA flogging of the bow hunter who shot a wolf with an ear tag and collar in 2001 run out yet?

[SpoonDog]

With harvest-able populations in the northern Lake States now, I'm not surprised they'd be expanding their range.

I'm not a biologist- but wolves are pack hunters, I'm not sure how much damage one would do to Missouri's livestock industry. Even out west most of the damage is between wolves and sheep, not wolves and cows. And those animals are ranging on 20,000+ acre ranches, not the back forty. Wolves don't like people wolves don't like roads, and it's unlikely they'd be picking off livestock in the small-acreage cow-calf operations which are so common in the Ozarks. I'm just not buying this idea it'd be to protect livestock. Bald eagles probably have at least as much impact on Missouri's livestock as wolves do- but if you shoot one, you're still in trouble.

On some level, I don't blame the guy. I'd think it was a big coyote, too- because I'm not expecting to see a gray wolf on an Ozark predator hunt. I'm willing to believe it was an honest mistake- but that doesn't mean he's innocent. The folks who shot the swans every year thinking they're snow geese- I'm sure they don't know the difference, but ignorance is no excuse.

[Wayne SW/MO]

LRF I wonder if you still have some red wolf hybrids around, I've shot my share of coyotes and I would say a really big dog coyote at 50, maybe 55 pounds. I saw hybrid in Laclede county about 30 years ago that still had a lot of the red wolf in him from color and size. I had a 60# Husky and he was close in size.

Coyotes are notorious for hunting pets.

[Al Agnew]

80 pounds is about top end size for a pure red wolf, most of them are 45-60 pounds. Any wild canid that gets to 80 pounds in this part of the country is probably a coyote/dog hybrid. The coyote/wolf hybrids are mostly in the northern tier of states where the coyotes moving into the area are in contact with wolves. Here, it's a long way to anything close to a viable wolf population that coyotes could crossbreed with.

Obviously, though, the canids are able to breed with each other and also are genetically plastic...I sometimes wonder if a lot of the apparent coyote/wolf hybrids are just coyotes that natural selection has bred to be big enough to utilize deer as prey.

[Wayne SW/MO]

In my hunting days I've seen 3 coyotes that were almost black, and they weren't in the same states. I've seen some that had a red shade also, but I can't think of any that were predominantly brown. very, very few that looked like they could go more than 45# and most are probably 25-35#

[LittleRedFisherman]

LRF I wonder if you still have some red wolf hybrids around, I've shot my share of coyotes and I would say a really big dog coyote at 50, maybe 55 pounds. I saw hybrid in Laclede county about 30 years ago that still had a lot of the red wolf in him from color and size. I had a 60# Husky and he was close in size.

Coyotes are notorious for hunting pets.

I really do think we do have some Coyote/Dog hybrids mixed in. Because you'll see the scraggly looking coyotes from time to time, then you'll see these large healthy looking ones. We have some here that were as large as my Golden Retriever. I know a lot of guys that hunt them here, i'll try to come up with some pics if I can!

[MOPanfisher]

I used to have a big light tan German Shepard who had a coyote "girlfriend" that hung around. He met his match one day at the front end of a pick-up truck but a year or so later I thought I was seeing a ghost when I spotted "him" with another coyote in a field a LONG way off. Looking at him through binoculars I don't believe it was quite as big as he was (he was 80#+) but the exact same coloring and still a dang big coyote, never did get a shot at the coyote/hybrid in question but was never a doubt that he was the sire.

I believe we will continue to see occasional wolves in MO, likely will only know for sure that's what they are when they are shot, trapped or road killed. As the wolf population in other states grows the younger adventurous ones will roam. I don't expect to see a viable population of wolves anytime soon if ever. However they are certainly adaptable critters so who knows, I've never had the opportunity to hear one howl in the wild, but if had a bucket list that would certainly be on it.

[jdmidwest]

They follow the Elk. Just like the cougars.

[MOPanfisher]

JD, then they must have come from Kentucky!