Coyote, Wolf or Dog

[sawcarver]

Here's is a track we encountered in northern Michigan during late doe season. Whats your opinion, large Coyote, small wolf or domestic? The tracks were in a straight line like it was on a mission not lolly gagging through the woods. The round next to it is a 6-06

 

[JFrank]

Wolf

 

[farmerjohn]

Don't know what all kinds of critters you have there, but I trapped a long time in the south and in Arkansas we'd call that a wolf....

 

[CaptainMal]

See if it can wag its tail. I saw a TV thing that stated only a dog can wag its' tail.

 

[JMayo]

Humm, just comparing

 

[Larry Klutts]

Central Texas in Hamilton County.
Boot belongs to a guy that is over 6'.

 

[okie]

st. bernard?? thats big!!--wonder what stride length is??

 

[Mulligan]

https://www.google.com/search?q=dif...8&hl=en-us&client=safari#imgrc=S-u4oLg1hGbOGM:

CW

Edit
From your pics and description and this Wisconsin DNR website information, I think you could rule out the pooch.
CW

 

[TAJ45]

Central Texas in Hamilton County.
Boot belongs to a guy that is over 6'.
View attachment 1083151 View attachment 1083150

Foot size counts....lots of larger, taller guys wear a 9 1/2.....
But, still a Very Healthy print.

 

[sawcarver]

st. bernard?? thats big!!--wonder what stride length is??

I wish I would have measured stride length and width but I was distracted by the doe my daughter had shot

 

[TheOtherZilla]

Unless you see something in those tracks it is hard to tell..

 

[Shawnba67]

View attachment 1083131
Humm, just comparing

No amount of wanting that to be a coyote is gonna make it so!

 

[JFrank]

Central Texas in Hamilton County.
Boot belongs to a guy that is over 6'.
View attachment 1083151 View attachment 1083150

Man
The other one I believe is called Lobo Grande

 

[rammac]

Based on the standard cartridge overall length for a 6mm 06 (about 2.49") that track in the first picture (with the cartridg next to it) would be about 2.9 inches long by 2.6 inches wide, that would be a small canine, definitely not a full grown grey wolf if it was a wolf (full grown grey wolves usually have tracks that are around 4 to 5 inches long and wide - about the size of the palm of an average man's hand).

The toes look like a wolf.

If the tracks were pretty much one in front of the other with the hind track on top of or a little in front of the front track and the distance between every four tracks was around 3 feet (based on a guess at how large a wolf with that sized foot would be - a full grown grey will usually have 4 to 5 foot long patterns) then I'd say that was probably a wolf. Wolf and coyotes will usually have straighter paths than a domestic dog, a domestic likes to smell everything and explore whereas a coyote or a wolf will usually have a reason to walk from point A to point B and their tracks will tend to be straight toward something of interest with very little wandering around.

 

[sawcarver]

Based on the standard cartridge overall length for a 6mm 06 (about 2.49") that track in the first picture (with the cartridg next to it) would be about 2.9 inches long by 2.6 inches wide, that would be a small canine, definitely not a full grown grey wolf if it was a wolf (full grown grey wolves usually have tracks that are around 4 to 5 inches long and wide - about the size of the palm of an average man's hand).

The toes look like a wolf.

If the tracks were pretty much one in front of the other with the hind track on top of or a little in front of the front track and the distance between every four tracks was around 3 feet (based on a guess at how large a wolf with that sized foot would be - a full grown grey will usually have 4 to 5 foot long patterns) then I'd say that was probably a wolf. Wolf and coyotes will usually have straighter paths than a domestic dog, a domestic likes to smell everything and explore whereas a coyote or a wolf will usually have a reason to walk from point A to point B and their tracks will tend to be straight toward something of interest with very little wandering around.

Thanks for the detailed reply. My COL for the 6-06 is 3.33" thats why I was thinking it might be a small wolf.

 

[6fatrat]

Wolf, I live in Alcona county we see one every other year.
In the winter sledding we cut one or two sets of tracks a year.
Steve Bair

 

[rammac]

Thanks for the detailed reply. My COL for the 6-06 is 3.33" thats why I was thinking it might be a small wolf.

Personally I think it is too. Wolves make a really nice, distinct track with toes that are almost exactly the same whereas domestic dogs and coyotes always seem to have the middle toes a little different than the outside toes.

 

[Webster]

Here's is a track we encountered in northern Michigan during late doe season. Whats your opinion, large Coyote, small wolf or domestic? The tracks were in a straight line like it was on a mission not lolly gagging through the woods. The round next to it is a 6-06

Not a coyote.

 

[okie]

I wish I would have measured stride length and width but I was distracted by the doe my daughter had shot

I hear you

 

[Justin B]

Hard to tell but we tracked a pack of wolves 2 years ago & found that the larger wolves stayed lower on the hill & the smaller ones would hunt the upper hill. My take is they use the small ones to push the deer or elk down into the larger wolves. Pack was 10 strong with the larger alpha being the only one that would howl once in a great while.

By the pic it would have to be a smaller wolf or maybe a husky.