Bowsite.com

Rare gray wolf killed during hunt in Michigan, officials launch investigation The gray wolf weighed 84 pounds, and the Michigan hunter reportedly confused the kill with a coyote

"The Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has launched an investigation after a hunter recently reported his harvest, which he believed to be a coyote — but after further genetic testing, the kill proved to be something far rarer.

The DNR announced in a press release that the animal killed in Calhoun County, Michigan's southern Lower Peninsula, was actually a gray wolf.

While the DNR does conduct searches in the Lower Peninsula, there have not been many signs of wolf presence since the population was reestablished in the 1980s, according to a DNR press release.

The Facebook post revealed that a hunter had shot and killed a new world record coyote weighing 84 pounds. However, eastern coyotes typically weigh 25 to 40 pounds, the DNR's press release said."

oops...

Wolves can range a huge amount of territory

the next day we told the ranger what we saw and he insisted that there were no wolves in the lower peninsula...must have been a coyote.

ive seen quite a few coyotes in the wild...and this was definitely no coyote. :)

Dead wolf mystery in south Michigan deepens, prompts criminal probe

Or maybe just don’t do illegal $#!+

for those that have experience hunting coyotes at night...what are the chances that a "mistake" like this could be made?

Quite possible IMO, and I've shot a couple hundred plus coyotes at night. Hunted mostly desert country, and never had the benefit of night vision back then, so the shot was taken using a very tight beam spotlight. Shot's were anywhere from 10' to 500 yds, and at longer ranges extra time in the scope had to be taken to confirm what it was that was about to expire.

A coyote that's in full winter coat can look pretty big, and at 250 yds. out, with just a few seconds to decide whether or not to squeeze the trigger. If it looked like a coyote shape and color, it was likely taking it's last breath. Predators like bobcat, fox and coyote generally act and move differently when coming into a predator call (under very low intensity light) and most times you'll know what that critter is before hitting the spotlight. Still, it was our practice to visually confirm what it was in order to avoid shooting somebodies hound dog, or tabby cat that wandered into the desert.

Most shooters are just going to presume it's an "X", then set those crosshairs center-mass and let fly. Don't know if I'd make that mistake, or not, but seeing an animal that size in the crosshairs would probably cause me to pause and rethink before firing.

i usually at lest try to determine of there is a plausible explanation before jumping on the "hes a poaching pos" band wagon.

over the years...ive come to the conclusion that the original reporting on any situation is rarely completely accurate.

Was it day or night when you shot the wolf?

What was the landscape like where the wolf was shot?

How far was the first shot? Were there any follow-up shots taken?

What was the wolf shot with? Centerfire, shotgun, etc. and caliber.

I've read the Michigan hunting reg's, and night hunting is allowed. If the guy was in wooded country, the shot was probably less than 50 yds., meaning he probably got a good look at the wolf before he squeezed the trigger. Michigan coyotes are much larger than their western cousins, and my research says they can easily be in the 40 lb. range. Still, seeing an animal twice that size should have set off some kind of alarm in his brain, especially in daylight.

Still too many questions left unanswered.

The first is a fox.

First, if he knowingly shot a wolf, or found out after he shot it while recovering it, there is no way he posts it on the internet. None. If you believe that as normal thing to avoid, that would mean his behavior indicates neither intent or awareness of the issue.

Then the question becomes SHOULD he have known this was a possibility, not even a likelihood, but even a remote possibility. There is no indication the potential of a wolf would even be considered. According to the DNR they are not seen there, there is not sign there, they don't go there. They don't exist. That all points to a very unexpected and not anticipatable risk. His expectation that anything that looks at all like a coyote, in that area that is not a dog, is a coyote, is totally understandable. The size difference is not such that that alone, if even discernable, was not overwhelming enough to create pause.

Then you go to even with the above stipulated should the shooter have been able to identify an average size wolf from a giant coyote through a scope with no reference for context? Not really. it could have been a 50-60# coyote, they exist. It could have been a 60# wolf. The distinction of 20# difference on the extremes, or 40# in this case (40# vs. 80#). is not readily discernable.

I think he behavior after points to total unawareness of the act. His expectation that anything that looks at all like a coyote, that is not a dog, is totally understandable. Honestly, it would be much less understandable had he shot someone's 80# german shephard or husky, or whatever where it could be argued the look was distinct and one should be able to both assume that as a risk and identify it for the dog it was.

Who knows what may come out to point to a very different situation where intent and conspiracy were evident, but assuming average joe in this situation, in a area he knew well, and with the facts in the article he was not acting unreasonable or with malice.

thats exactly what i thought...

...and then you have the dude that posted the pictures of a the wolf with tape wrapped around its muzzle.

i guess we should never underestimate the stupidity of some people.

example:

there is a facebook page for people to announce activities...ask questions...and talk about happenings in the local community. just this last hunting season someone posted the following...

" ATTENTION-I wasn't able to do any deer hunting this season but my family loves venison. Does anyone have any extra venison they'd be interested in selling?"

...youd be surprised how many responses they got.

...interesting.

Yooper’s pics do a great job of showing how different the two species look On The Hoof; I don’t know the details of the shooting well enough to have made up my mind about the hunter, but there’s something pretty odd about the taxidermist not raising a red flag, though.

Kinda seems like (at the least) one of those “too good to be true” things…. I might even suggest that ESPECIALLY if there are wolves known to be in your state (or anywhere within a few hundred miles), it would behoove a person to give any “huge” coyote a second and third long, careful look before committing to the shot. Just too many reasons to suspect a wolf…. Or a pet. We’ve seen how that goes before….

I guess that bolsters the case for mistaken identity in the field

Having 45 years of varmint hunting experience, I would disagree with MUCC in this case. Mid-April to Mid-Aug is a coyotes denning season, so the odds of killing a female still nursing pups is quite high. Leaving pups to starve to death or die of thirst in a den is not good conservation, not to mention that any pelt that time of year would be worthless.

Hunt and trap 'em hard through fall and winter, then leave the remaining ones alone to have their kids. JMHO

Hey, I don't like coyotes either but am compassionate when it comes to animals and wildlife, and starvation is no way to go...

I know some serious groundhog hunters kill over a hundred groundhogs a year that won't start hunting them until after July 4th...

nrc postion...

"Item 6 – Coyote Hunting Season Length

The Department and Furtaker User Group reviewed a proposal to change the coyote hunting season dates to July 15 to April 15. The Department has heard strong input on all sides of the issue from stakeholder groups and the Furtaker User Group.

Issues Pros and Cons

In 2016, the Natural Resources Commission requested the Department develop a recommendation to expand the coyote hunting season. The coyote hunting season was changed from July 15 to April 15, to year-round. At the time, the Department did not expect a year-round season to have a significant biological impact at the statewide level. Instead, the Department felt that in some localized areas, some temporary reductions in coyote densities may occur, but these reductions would be based on the level of increase in harvest and likely to be short-lived. As expected, estimated statewide coyote harvest during 2016-2020 did not increase in response to implementation of a year-round season. Similarly, the estimated average number of coyotes harvested per hunter did not increase during this time either. However, there is concern about social perception and future loss of management tools if the open season continues to allow coyotes to be taken when there are dependent young present. The proposed change will result in not allowing coyote harvest while female coyotes have dependent young. However, the coyote hunting season will still be one of the most liberal seasons in the state, open for nine months. Additionally, coyotes will still be able to be taken year-round on private land if a coyote is doing damage or physically present where it could imminently cause damage. Currently, an individual may not hunt or train dogs on game (including coyote) from April 16 to July 7 due to the presence of dependent young. The Department recommends maintaining this limitation to prohibit the use of dogs to hunt or train on coyotes during this time period.

Biological

Since the coyote hunting season was extended to year-round, statewide harvest estimates and average number of coyotes harvested per hunter have not increased. The Department does not expect a significant biological impact.

Social

The majority of the Furtaker User Group supports this proposed regulation change. Several trapping and hound hunting groups and individuals have requested the Department make this change to the coyote hunting season, due to public perception and potential future impacts to their hunting and trapping opportunities. The Department has been contacted by some predator callers that are opposed to this change, due to reduced hunting opportunity during a period after snow melts and before crops grow in height, when coyotes may be more responsive to calls. Predator callers would be able to continue hunting year-round on private lands where coyotes are doing damage or physically present where they could imminently cause damage. However, other private lands and public lands would be closed that time of year, resulting in some reduced recreational opportunity.

Economic

The Department does not expect an economic impact."

And FWIW, if you don’t think you should have to live in a world where Political Reality exists, you should not be allowed to vote…. Sort of a Demonstrable Baseline Competence thing.

“ As expected, estimated statewide coyote harvest during 2016-2020 did not increase in response to implementation of a year-round season. Similarly, the estimated average number of coyotes harvested per hunter did not increase during this time either. However, there is concern about social perception and future loss of management tools if the open season continues to allow coyotes to be taken when there are dependent young present.”

In other words, NOT closing the season will not affect the coyote population, but it WILL affect public tolerance for letting the wildlife biologists regulate the seasons. So if a few “sportsmen” fight this one, ALL will lose.

Reality Check — there’s no “sporting” justification for causing pups to die of starvation, and the only coyotes that need killing in the closed season are those which have demonstrated themselves to be “eligible” for control by causing harm such as livestock depredation… and those are the ones that will teach their pups to hunt the same way…. Although probably there would be an increase in depredation by starving pups and surviving “single parents”…

OTOH, keeping a pair of coyotes occupied with rearing a litter of pups will tie up the time that they might otherwise spend hunting. And if they’re burning calories all summer feeding their pups, they’ll go into the Fall in a more stressed condition, so it’s really a win-win.

Plus, if the regs get changed because there is no reason to expect the coyote population to increase, then if it DOES, the wildlife managers are more free to change the regs based on the data in hand. You know, the way Science is SUPPOSED to work…

[edit] Went back and checked, and it my posted was deleted within 5 min. Re-posted it yet again.

Is this really all that bad of a thing to contribute?

"Having 45 years of varmint hunting experience, I would disagree with MUCC in this case. Mid-April to Mid-Aug is a coyotes denning season, so the odds of killing a female still nursing pups is quite high. Leaving pups to starve to death or die of thirst in a den is not good conservation, not to mention that any pelt that time of year would be worthless. "

I'm not slamming the group, just disagreeing.

On a better note, prime winter Michigan coyote pelts were selling at $40 avg., so if you add in a few mink and muskrat a week, a good trapper can make some decent money there. If I was 30 years younger I'd have a go at it.

Me too...8^)

"GOP lawmaker expresses 'grave concern' over DNR investigating criminal charges in wolf kill"

"DNR spokesperson provides insight on gray wolf harvested in Calhoun County"