Zooooom in:
So, the other morning I was at the kitchen sink watching Theresa out in the field, watering the new trees, when, all at once I was blinking in surprise as a foreign dog nonchalantly walked out from the tree line about 100ft. behind her. He walked out in the front of our football field, where that tire is in the background.
We shouted from the door for her to turn around and look. The mules hurried to the edge of their fence line to study the newcomer in the field beyond. (See him out there in the middle?)
A quick zooooom on the picture above:
Some of the boys took off for a closer view, while Stephen went for his camera and Mom stressed about her children getting too close. (He did move to the back of our football field, marked off by the tires.)
Another zoooom in on the picture above:
The guy was just playing around, uncaring of the loud activity around him as he rolled and hopped around in circles. Finally, Dad fired a few shots into the air and he took off for the woods.
Starting to come closer, just before the gun shot in the air.
Taking off scared for the wood line after the gun shots.
Since there was much debate as to whether or not he was a big coyote or a small wolf, we would never have taken the chance of killing it. Besides, he wasn't close enough to be a danger... just slightly nerve wracking how comfortable he seemed to be with our homestead.
With all the debate, I recalled the guy that was in our back pasture last spring... still don't know what he was either.
After lots of looking up online, comparing pictures and stories, we finally decided: We don't know.
Well, what's your vote?
(BTW, sorry about the blurry pictures... Stephen took quite a ribbing for those! Apparently, he had a wrong setting on at the time. lol!)
I think it looks too big to be a coyote - my vote is wolf. Aunt Mary
ReplyDeleteWell my vote is coyote. LOL But not sure where I came up with that. What a beautiful creature, which ever it is!
ReplyDeleteAlways better to be safe than sorry. I wouldn't have shot him either, but the warning shot made sure he wasn't so comfortable exploring your property.
God's Blessings,
Amy Jo
coyote
ReplyDeleteI'm guessing coyote, from the look of the snout. It looks a lot like the coyote we had sniffing around our old house one year (yes, in the 'burbs!).
ReplyDeleteI think it's hard to judge the size based on the photos -- no real point of reference there. Can you find the tracks and measure the size? That should answer the question (wolf tracks ought to be much bigger than coyote tracks).
Maybe you've got a "coywolf"!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coywolf
"The offspring is generally intermediate in size to both parents, being larger than a pure coyote, but smaller than a pure wolf. A study showed that of 100 coyotes collected in Maine, 22 had half or more wolf ancestry, and one was 89 percent wolf. A theory has been proposed that the large eastern coyotes in Canada are actually hybrids of the smaller western coyotes and wolves that met and mated decades ago as the coyotes moved toward New England from their earlier western ranges..."
Sure looks like the Coyote's we get around our place - they like to hang out in the bottom field at night, "singing" and driving the local farm dogs crazy ... not sure which is worse, all the "singing" from the Coyote's, or, the dogs barking back at them. Who knew it could be so loud in the country, lol.
ReplyDeleteMy first thought was that he looked like "Timmy the Timberwolf" that Nana loved so much, ( Nice and safe, stretched out on the wall above the sofa) So I vote wolf. He sure looked like he wanted to be part of your family. yikes!
ReplyDeleteAunt Annie
the coyote that is hanging out around our place. He's so big we think he looks like a German shepherd. Ours is not at all shy either.
ReplyDeleteI think maybe a coyote. He looks similar to ours in MS. I thought they come in packs. Makes you wander where the rest of them are.
ReplyDeleteThats why you use bird shot.
ReplyDeleteWile E. Coyote :)
ReplyDeleteCoyote. I am from California, I know my coyotes. lol
ReplyDeleteLooks like a coyote. We have a lot around here... it is too slim looking to be a wolf. Rather nerve-wracking, though!!!! :P
ReplyDelete