PolymathPioneer
Member.
Many hunters in Montana have seen this recent picture that shows the difference in size between a wolf and a coyote. I thought THR hunters outside of Montana would find the comparison in size interesting. It used to be said that no wolf had killed a person in the lower 48. This is no longer true. I was speaking with a Montana FWP biologist recently when I called in to check wolf quotas. She tracks wolves in Montana, (FWP: fish and game to non-Montanans). She told me a wolf killed a baby a few years ago when two (condition white) parents let a wolf approach their child in an outdoor baby swing. The wolf snatched the baby away. The biologist said before she worked at FWP she would never have imagined this happening but not anymore. The animals in this image were legally harvested according to Montana law.
Wolf populations are a problem in Montana. They are not warm and cuddly as sometimes portrayed in the media. In Montana there are so many of them that they are legally hunted in season. They will kill any other Canid (i.e. dog, coyote, etc) that they find in their territory. Wolves in Montana are smart and they can tell the difference between someone with a gun and without. They tear big game animals apart, usually by ripping the nose off first to bring them down. I have had large wolves approach within 100 yards of our house. I tracked a pack of five this season in the mountains. A friend shot the two animals in this picture. Note that the coyote on the right in this picture is the size of a 70 pound German Shepherd dog for comparison. Remember wolves hunt in packs of 5 to 15 animals but six is the common pack size. The pack is a family unit lead by an alpha male and an alpha female. They can weigh up to 150 pounds or more. Why I always carry a 44 when I am out in the Montana wilderness now. I constantly see their scat. The only change I made to this image was that I cropped it and obscured the license plate of the vehicle.
Wolf populations are a problem in Montana. They are not warm and cuddly as sometimes portrayed in the media. In Montana there are so many of them that they are legally hunted in season. They will kill any other Canid (i.e. dog, coyote, etc) that they find in their territory. Wolves in Montana are smart and they can tell the difference between someone with a gun and without. They tear big game animals apart, usually by ripping the nose off first to bring them down. I have had large wolves approach within 100 yards of our house. I tracked a pack of five this season in the mountains. A friend shot the two animals in this picture. Note that the coyote on the right in this picture is the size of a 70 pound German Shepherd dog for comparison. Remember wolves hunt in packs of 5 to 15 animals but six is the common pack size. The pack is a family unit lead by an alpha male and an alpha female. They can weigh up to 150 pounds or more. Why I always carry a 44 when I am out in the Montana wilderness now. I constantly see their scat. The only change I made to this image was that I cropped it and obscured the license plate of the vehicle.
Last edited: