82LB Coyote

[Erica Summers]

So what does everyone think of this 82lb "Coyote"

[Erica Summers]

Wolves on the island would do wonders for the ecosystem and for balancing populations of Coyotes and Moose. But one problem would be our Caribou herds of course. In my own opinion the Caribou hunt should be put on hold for a few years but thats another story.

All species should be managed differently, as each is different.

[Chris]

Make that two...wish I could say the same for the rest of the province. There was a study done on attitudes towards wolves and coyotes in Newfoundland. Apparently even in comparison to areas where farmers regularly lose livestock to wolves, Newfoundland still ranks as having the most negative attitudes towards coyotes.

If it is a wolf, I think it is interesting that it may have crossed the ice straight. I guess thats how they got here years ago before europeans. Maybe mother nature is correcting things?

[craig payne]

Thats no coyote.I've got a few over the years,trapping,hunting.Weighting them all.Biggest one 36 lb.Can't wait for dna results.looks wolf to me.       Craig 

[Erica Summers]

We will never know the difference which is the sad part lol

[Erica Summers]

http://http://www.thewesternstar.com/News/Local/2012-03-17/article-...

A friend of mind was interviewed and an article posted in the western star. Everyone have a look!

This should clear up some questions for people:)

 

 

 

 

[Erica Summers]

No problem!

[Billy Guest]

Looks like a grey/timber wolf to me Erica...about time you showed up on here..lol.. Maybe a coywolf...but if it is, certainly has more than 50% of its blood on the wolf side of things.

[Erica Summers]

Hay I've been on for a few months now. I love the site.  They said a week to get the results so they should soon be here. I'm just curious as to what is going to be said once the results are out, new laws, a new species to hunt etc lol

[Billy Guest]

well, I doubt there's a large population on the island (if it is a wolf), as of yet anyway...would be interesting if it is...having claimed there land again after all these years..And maybe it could be a new generation of coyotes, maybe they're evolving here faster, to keep up with the caribou and moose...growing with the size of their prey compared to their western cousins who's biggest game is normally whitetail deer etc...This could be the one that tells it all!!

[mac]

Well, I've been a hunter and trapper for 30  years or so and within the past 5 years have seen some huge tracks here in Central back in Seal Bay/ Seabrights Valley area. 2 years ago I was calling coyotes from a stand on the west side of this 3 mile long lake when  a big canid came out of the bush accross on other side of pond and out to the island in front of me. My opinion of that visit was that it was a wolf or some kind of wolf/coyote hybrid. Lots of reports here in area that the animal is still back there. I have a video of his tracks on a caribou track about a month ago posted on this site; yote tracksx mac video. I followed those tracks for over 5 kms where he went off into woods after moose then came back on caribou trqck again. You can see in the video that he was actually stepping in the caribou track with each step so he was big. It was getting dark so I had to get back.to the cabin. Havent seen any sign of him lately because we have a crust on the snow and most canines can walk on it. Need some light snow now to see whats in area. Did get an answer from yote yesterday morning in less than 2 mins callling 1 challenge call and min later pup howls. happy, happy!! 

[Peter Emberley]

The story of the 82-pound coyote not only has this province and the Internet buzzing, but wildlife watchers across the country are talking about it, too.

Memorial University is doing the DNA testing on the brute, shot this week by Joe Fleming on the Bonavista Peninsula. The story garnered nearly 60,000 hits on The Telegram website and more than 180 comments by mid-afternoon Thursday.

Many are skeptical it is, in fact, a coyote because it looks wolf-like.

Environment and Conservation Minister Terry French wondered  Wednesday if the creature could be a wolf that crossed on the ice from Labrador or, perhaps, a hybrid or the result of a coyote-dog crossbreeding.

The DNA testing could have complications, but the mystery could be solved soon.

Steve Carr of the biology department at MUN said how the testing proceeds and what further genetic investigation is required will depend on what’s found at each stage.

The tests will be completed by Beth Perry, assisted by Brettney Pilgrim at the university’s Genomics and Proteomics (GaP) Facility, he said.

The breed of coyote in Newfoundland is known as the eastern coyote, which is believed to have interbred with wolves during their trek from the U.S. Eastern Seaboard, through the Maritimes and into Newfoundland.

Carr noted research by Dawn Marshall on Newfoundland coyote genetics and is assuming the animal is a hybrid.

“My guess would have been a wolf-coyote hybrid that’s relatively recent. Another possibility is that it could be a dog-coyote hybrid as some people could have suggested,” he said.

And he further suggested it could be the result of a male coyote mating with a female husky.

Carr noted MUN has amassed a large database on the animals on the island.

“The biggest one that’s ever been seen on the island is about 40 pounds and a 50-pound coyote would be really big anywhere,” he said.

Coyotes, based on MUN’s research, are believed to have shown up on the island in the mid-1980s, possibly a single pair.

Some academics and wildlife watchers remain incredulous at the thoughts of an 82-pound coyote.

“Eighty two pounds is way out there … It sounds far-fetched. On the scientific side of it, I’ll believe it when I see it,” said Lesley Sampson, co-founder of Coyote Watch Canada, a group based in Niagara region, Ont., that tracks coyote sightings, but also promotes “compassionate” wildlife communities.

The group is not in favour of killing the animals.

Sampson wondered Thursday if the animal was a dog let go into the wild or a wolf crossbreed.

She said Ontario data indicates male coyotes weigh in between 35-45 pounds.

Brad White, chairman of the biology department at Trent University and director of the Natural Resources DNA Profiling and Forensic Centre, said researchers use the term “canis soup,” to describe the hybridization among species — wolf, coyote and dog genes mixed together.

But he was still amazed at the size of the creature Fleming shot, if it is, in fact, a coyote.

And if tests do reveal it is just one massive eastern coyote, he said the population may be evolving in size as a predator for moose.

“It might actually control the moose population,” he said.

The attention the story is getting has retired national parks worker Fred Wallace concerned.

“It’s being hyped up as the big, bad wolf,” he said Thursday.

He said the coyotes are afraid of humans.

“They are living in cities now.... They don’t steal kids. They don’t eat kids,” said Wallace said, adding dogs and cats are just small rabbits to them.

And he said the caribou they take down are usually the older, sicker animals.

Wallace also criticized the 10-month coyote season and said when females are shot, no one thinks about their pups which may be dying a slow, miserable death somewhere.

Courtesy of

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[Peter Emberley]

Does everyone agree with this statement from the above story? "

 “The biggest one that’s ever been seen on the island is about 40 pounds and a 50-pound coyote would be really big anywhere,” he said."

I get the feeling that we have coyotes bigger than 40 pounds in Newfoundland!!!