Published: February 26, 2009 06:59 am      

Chester's Critter Cam: Wolf?

The animal you see in front of you without a doubt has some serious red wolf lineage in its genetics. It was captured here in Southeast Texas on property I would like to keep anonymous.

The red wolf was the dominant canine species in Southeast Texas for eons until the coyote moved in and caused problems. Technically the red wolf is supposed to be extinct in the wild with the last remaining “pure” specimens in captivity and released on the East Coast.

Some scientists believe the red wolf hybridized with coyotes and essentially bred themselves out of existence. Others believe the species is nothing but a fertile hybrid of a gray wolf and a coyote to begin with.

Either way, there are animals in Southeast Texas that are definitely not your standard issue coyote and that retain strong wolf traits like this one. Note the sagital crest, thick, broad snout, reddish coloration, extra large ears and although you can’t tell on this shot, I have another of the same animal and it has a long, straight tail with little fluff. Also in the other photo, you can make out the animal’s German shepherd like posture, which is another wolf trait.

Also, by measuring the vegetation in the photo, I discerned this animal stands about 28 inches at the shoulder which put it at my estimate in comparison to my German shepherd, close to 70 pounds which is definitely not what a pure blooded coyote would weigh. They are much smaller.

What has always bugged me is officials will be adamant such animals are not wolves because they might have coyote blood in them. However, they are perfectly comfortable calling coyotes with wolf blood in them coyotes. How does that work? I was always taught you can’t have it both ways.

And that is why I say, if it looks like a wolf, walks like a wolf and howls like a wolf, it’s probably a wolf.

(If you think you might have some wild animals on your property and would like a critter cam set up to find out, email me at cmoore@fishgame.com. You can remain anonymous to the public and will get digital copies of any photos taken. Additionally if you have any game camera photos you would like to share, please send them to the same address.)