Not good at all : Wolves

[Reeves]

Out walking around the yard this morning and saw some tracks. At first glance I thought the Deer had been through last night/early morning. Got closer and could see the tracks were too big, so thought Moose cow & calf. But they still didn't look right.
So I followed them to the packed lane way....
Flat light and very light snowing makes for poor pictures.

Smaller one.


Bigger one.



Close up of the bigger one. Track is six inches long.



Going out with my predator calls this afternoon ! They came from the NW, across the yard to the east, then headed south ......right towards the bush that holds the local Muley herd.

[citypickle]

You have a Big POO PAT        Big Kitty

[mobe_45]

Looks like I see toenails on the one print. If so, I agree with you that you have either a wolf or a feral dog running.

[cv]

You have a Big POO PAT        Big Kitty

That was my first thought .."a big cat" because I don't see clear, defined nail marks .. Yet it does look like there are two nail marks in the first photo but big cats don't travel in packs with the exception of lions (a pride) that I know of..

To have wolves in your backyard sounds awesome to me. Here in the U.S. (the lower 48 states) they are on the endangered and threatened species lists. In a quick search online 6 inches seems big for wolf or a mountain lion. The average size of a wolf is 4.5 to 5 inches including the nails and  3 to 4 inches for mountain lion with-out the nail marks. 

The largest wolf on record was taken in Alaska in 1939 at 175pds. I'd like to point out that the wolf in the wild, even when in the company of a large pack, is extremely fearful of people. However, many people still subscribe to the false beliefs that have been handed down for generations. Yeah I know, easier said then done.

I'd like to say Congrats to having it in your backyard !!!

[Britton Howe]

That would suck to have wolfs in the back yard, coyotes are bad enough.

[Reeves]

Funny how different people see different things in pictures like that !

Having lived all my life in remote areas of western Canada I can tell you I have seen many Wolves and a few Cougar : I know the difference !

Also not a dog.

Put some miles on today trying to get one road ahead of them so I could set up for calling. I spoke with a number of farmers that had seen the tracks as well, and all wanted them dead ASAP. This area is a farming area. Lots of open fields. Shelter belt tree lines and bush. One big river and many small ones.
Easy for them to put the miles on without being seen. However, being (mostly) farming area, they'll not last long.

The track in the picture that is six inches long includes the nails. Remember, it is in fresh snow. The only place the tracks were clear enough to identify was on the hard pack lane way, and it has fresh snow. Also fresh snow had fallen on the tracks before I decided to take pictures.
One more thing....I've seen Wolf tracks much bigger than these.

Also, this record of 175lbs you mention has to be way off base. They get bigger.

Wolves up here are not threatened. Packs are expanding all over western Canada . So much so, culls take place.

If I manage to see them, I'll get close up pictures of them 

Last tracks seen were nearly 10 miles away, this afternoon. Odds are, they were just passing through.

[CharlieHorse]

 

Only time that I want to see such a critter is on the TV screen.

[Reeves]

Not real spooky.....unless breeding season. Had lots of old timers tell me not to trust them during that time.
Two/three winters ago a young one was following the hoe I was walking a long way out of the bush. He was grabbing mice etc as the hoe spooked them out of hiding.
Wish I had taken picture of it's partners tracks.....biggest I had ever seen !
Best viewed though cross hairs though 

[cv]

I'm looking forward to your pics

[ode2god]

id love to see pics i had a wolf hybred one time she was 85 lbs and i thought that was big

[Reeves]

cv
Not the biggest I've seen , by far. But shows their big feet well.




Oddie
I had one as well. It's sire was a lead sled dog in northern B.C.
It was 50/50 and was 185 lbs.
The owner was down in S.E. bc visiting his trapper buddy, whose German Sheppard was in heat.
I ended up with one of the pups. He was 150 lbs at 9 months old.
At the time I was living a small town. When Dakota learned to howl, it was just like a Wolf: no barks with the howl.
Funny though, each evening when all the local dogs were "talking" back and forth, he would let out a long Wolf howl......the town dogs would go silent for the night !

[slider]

I think that is COOL !!!!!!!!!

[CharlieHorse]

Nice can for comparison!      That was an American company at one time.   

[wildergamebirds]

  I'm not sure ode grasped what you meant by "close-up" pictures.

  Tracks are tricky.  I'm sure Reeves has seen plenty in snow.  Sometimes, tracks in fine, shallow snow (or dust) are smaller than the foot, if there is a hard surface underneath.  Older tracks in snow can grow to twice the size.
I once saw tracks across a frozen creak that I was sure were bobcat.  I slid down to look, and from shape and spacing, realized they were Opossum !

  I think your mature wolf is female.  If so, she may circle tighter and stick around a while.

[birdman1671]

first question did it walk one straight line or did it curve