Wolves or Coyotes?

by Ian, Dave, Beverley, Diane T, Mel, Michael, Adam C, Michael B
(The Pinery Provincial Park, New Dundee, Beachville, Woodstock, Ridgeville, Snyder's Flats, Richmond Hill, Terra Cotta, Eagleston, Mitchell, London, Foxboro)

One of our readers said ... When we are camping in The Pinery Provincial Park we can hear them howling at night, between 11 pm and 2 am. There are lots of rabbits in the farmer's fields, perhaps this is why they are here?

Ian from New Dundee wrote ... I was working in the yard to load my items on Trussler Road, and noticed a howl sound in the field. I looked up north, and saw 2 giant wolves, one completely black and the other grey both were 4' long plus head, and tail, they were so energetic and extremely active. I estimated they might get so close as I found them 2 miles away in open farm. That was the time, I noticed it's time to leave the work area immediately, and I did so fast.

One of our readers reported ... I was driving through Beachville about 9:30 pm and saw a young coyote or wolf crossing the road and running down the other side into ditch and off. Today I saw the same thing just west of Putnam around 11:00 am. It was attempting to cross the road but got spooked by our car and ran back and into the woods.

Dave S wrote from Woodstock ... on January 11, I just missed hitting a Coyote or Wolf on road 74 north of highway 2 between 25th and 27th line. It ran into the north field. I may have seen the same animal on the same road just outside of Woodstock last Fall (September). I've seen Coyotes and they're really scrawny. Either this was a well fed Coyote or it was an underfed Wolf.

I'm familiar with the area, and the sighting above yours is from someone who sighted a Wolf or Coyote near Beachville, which isn't too far away.

Beverley from Ridgeville wrote to say ... we live across from farmers' fields and we hear the Wolves howling every night. At least we assume it's Wolves although We have never seen them.

Diane T from Waterloo wrote ... I overlook the floodplain toward Snyder's Flats on the Grand River. This morning at 10:00 am, I saw a very large dark furred animal with white accents, running across the plain beside the river. We often see deer grazing down there. Was this possibly a wolf? It almost appeared as though he had spotted something and was heading toward it. I have seen coyotes, but this animal was much larger, and very dark. There was no person accompanying this animal, and it's not an area where people hike too often. Especially since the flood was only a few days ago, everything is still saturated!

Mel from Richmond Hill wrote ... we reside at the Yonge Street and 19th Avenue area and we have been hearing a very distinct howling at night. I know Coyotes are common in Richmond Hill but the howling is so distinct of what I've heard in movies that we had to Google coyote howling and it's definitely NOT a Coyote. My husband doesn't seem surprised at the thought of Wolves but I'm floored.

Michael said ... in October, we were hiking near the west boundary of Terra Cotta Conservation Area (near Caledon) and heard howling by what seemed to be a lone Wolf. It did not sound like the yelping of a Coyote or the howling of a domesticated dog. Having visited the Ontario north on occasion, the howling sounded familiar to the Wolves up there. We did not make eye contact with the howling animal due to the thick woods.

One of our readers reported ... just now at 11:40 am - I was walking on old quarry trail on the path that connects Dartmoor to Eagleson, heading towards Hazeldean Mall. He crossed my path about 75 feet ahead of me. He was going in direction of Palomino, coming out of the main woods. HUGE TAIL

Adam C wrote to us from Mitchell and said ... standing in the center of a freshly taken down cornfield watching traffic pass by between Hensall and Zurich, maybe 500 yards from the road side. The animal had long legs with a lion-mane looking fur from shoulders to face, nearly white legs and underside with grey brown on top side from head to tail. It's stature was much larger than a Coyote or large breed dog, and was comparable to what you would expect to see if you mated a great Dane with a Coyote. No photos as I was driving truck at the time with narrow shoulders and following traffic, I'm certain I was not the only driver with my eyes locked on the animal trying to discredit my assumption that it was a Wolf. Believe what you will.

Michael B from London, Ontario, wrote ... this sounds crazy I know, but I saw what I saw. On November 13th at around 4:30 pm I was looking out my front window which faces the corner of William and Carlton Streets, east. I saw what looks like a dog loping down the middle of the road towards William Street. I am thinking oh no someone's dog is loose (lots of pet dogs around here). As it gets closer I can see how big this animal is and it doesn't seem to be wearing any collar. I call to my husband and we both watch it run west into the open backyard across from our house out again then straight towards Maitland Street. It looked like a Wolf but upon reading about the coy-wolf perhaps that was it. I was thrilled to see this animal but nervous to walk my little dog after that, any way, heads up urban dwellers!

Thanks for the info, Michael, that is interesting, and you're probably right, it is unlikely to be a Wolf, but there have been many sightings of Coyotes and/or Coywolves in this area, and when a Wolf-Coyote hybrid is created, the offspring can look like Coyotes but behave like Wolves, or look more Wolf-like and behave more like Coyotes and live close to human settlements. I read that in one pack of Coywolves, there were some that looked like Coyotes and others that had Wolf-like markings, some yipped like Wolves but out of a litter of six, one howled like a Wolf! Who knows!

One of our readers wrote ... at roughly 2:20 am on a day in November 15th, in Foxboro, Ontario, I heard what sounded to be several yipping Wolves in the forested area between my home on east side of Ashley St. and the Moira river. The sounds lasted for less than a minute and I did not hear anything further, even after standing outside and listening carefully. We have lived here for twelve years and this is the first I have heard Wolves. I have seen a fox trot through our yard in the day time and I once saw a Coyote cross the road at night. I am not a expert in these matters, but the sounds were very similar to the recordings I have heard in Algonquin park.

Thank you for letting us know about the sounds you heard. I am not sure, because there could be Coywolves in your area, but I read that when you hear Yipping, it is probably Coyotes, and if you hear Howling, it is likely Wolves. There are many Coyote-Wolf hybrids around, so who knows what it was that you heard!

Thanks for sending us all your reports of possible Wolf sightings, I'm sure our website readers will enjoy them as much as I have.