Wolves, Northern Central New Mexico

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JFBNORTHERNHUNTER

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Wolves? Has any one seen any in Northern New Mexico? Yesterday we were up near the San Pedro Wilderness and we saw what I believe were two wolves running through the trees. They were the right color and very big about the size of a German Shepherd. I seen many coyotes and these were not coyotes. I wish I was fast enough to have gotten a picture but I wasn’t.
 
JFBNORTHERNHUNTER said:
Wolves? Has any one seen any in Northern New Mexico? Yesterday we were up near the San Pedro Wilderness and we saw what I believe were two wolves running through the trees. They were the right color and very big about the size of a German Shepherd. I seen many coyotes and these were not coyotes. I wish I was fast enough to have gotten a picture but I wasn’t.
Click to expand...
In summer of 2018 I saw some very large tracks in the mud which I thought to be much too large to be a coyote. I was on private land doing work in the Rio Puerco corridor just to the west of Cabezon Peak. These tracks I estimate to be 3.5" in diameter. Possible coyote, but the only other time I've seen tracks like this were up on the North Mesa in the Gila. Who knows. I'd be curious what you guys think. Any big coyotes out that way? If there was a sighting up in the San Pedro, it gives my suspicions a bit more weight.
20190301_130159.jpg
 
JFBNORTHERNHUNTER said:
Wolves? Has any one seen any in Northern New Mexico? Yesterday we were up near the San Pedro Wilderness and we saw what I believe were two wolves running through the trees. They were the right color and very big about the size of a German Shepherd. I seen many coyotes and these were not coyotes. I wish I was fast enough to have gotten a picture but I wasn’t.
Click to expand...
My guess would be the good folks in Coyote and Youngsville will take care of business when needed...
 
If people could shoot as much as they talk there wouldn't be a wolf problem, but they can't, and don't.

You'll know a wolf track when you see it.
4.JPEG
 
I am 99% sure what I saw was two wolves. They were the right color and very big. Bigger then any coyote I have ever seen. They were running and I would guess there Span from hind leg to front leg about 6.5 feet and height on Shoulder about 3 feet.
 
Well, we get a chance to see with the new Interior Sec. Her predicessors would have just provided restitution with a wagon load of blankets and some federal office somewhere on the Rez.
 
Have a funny story about "wolves" in the Gila. Back when they first reintroduced wolves to the Gila me and my buddy were out scouting in August for our September elk hunt. Anyway we were driving down a road in my old Toyota pickup and I look to my left out the driver side window and there is a "wolf" chasing us down the road and he is practically jumping in the window. My buddy is screaming at me to roll up my window (old school roll up window). So I am in a total panic trying to drive as fast as I can down this two track in my stick shift truck and trying to roll up my window all at the same time while this "wolf" is trying to jump in my truck to eat me. We round the corner and there is a camp and the people there start to yell at their "wolf", AKA Alaskan Malamute, to leave us alone. We transitioned from total panic to hysterical laughing in all of five seconds.
 
The problem with SSS (shoot, shovel, shut-up for those of you who haven't seen that term) is there are very few people willing to risk $50K fine. You could literally kill a person and probably get less fine/jail than killing a wolf...
 
JFBNORTHERNHUNTER said:
Honestly it is hard to say it was Exactly 3 feet however it was big.
Click to expand...
For reference, hold a yardstick upright with one end on the ground and then visualize that the top of an erect head of a wolf with shoulders that high would likely be at or above the belt level of an average sized, adult man.

Although I've never seen one that large among them, perhaps one of the larger Canadian/Alaskan variety might come close. The ones seen in NM would likely be the much smaller Mexican variety, however.

This is one from Alaska:

wolfopt.jpg
 
smarba said:
The problem with SSS (shoot, shovel, shut-up for those of you who haven't seen that term) is there are very few people willing to risk $50K fine. You could literally kill a person and probably get less fine/jail than killing a wolf...
Click to expand...

You absolutely can kill another person in the state of NM and walk away scot-free. At least a woman can up to and including labor...
 
smarba said:
The problem with SSS (shoot, shovel, shut-up for those of you who haven't seen that term) is there are very few people willing to risk $50K fine. You could literally kill a person and probably get less fine/jail than killing a wolf...
Click to expand...
Nah, the real problem are the dingalings among the supposed law-abiding, ultimate conservationist hunters that urge such.
 
smarba said:
The problem with SSS (shoot, shovel, shut-up for those of you who haven't seen that term) is there are very few people willing to risk $50K fine. You could literally kill a person and probably get less fine/jail than killing a wolf...
Click to expand...
The only way to get caught is to open your mouth..... just like fishing.
 
I saw a lone grey wolf in the Bandelier on the hump between Frijoles and Alamo Canyons about three weeks after the Los Conchas fire swept though there (10 years ago). Pretty aggressive bugger too. I actually saw him coming over a hump about 150 yards uphill before he saw me, but when he did see me he started making a beeline right at me, head low like he was sneaking with his eyes locked on me. He'd closed the distance to about a 100 yards and the only thing I could think to do was grab the nearest palm-sized rock and then hold it over my head to try to make myself look bigger, and then I started walking directly at him. That caused him to stop in his tracks, but I still kept moving toward him. After another couple seconds he turned and bailed into Alamo Canyon. I was constantly looking over my shoulder that day.

Anyway, yes--despite what huggers may try to tell us, they're already here. I don't understand why some continue to deny, but it cracks me up when a snot-nosed hugger tries to tell me what I saw was just a large coyote.

Maybe we should all just play dumb and take their word for it. We may not be able to trap them anymore, but to my knowledge there's still no law against shooting oversized coyotes...
 
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Update: I spoke to a Forest ranger from the area and he told me they do know of a pack of High breeds that roam the area from 5B to Jemez. He has spoken to the local Game and Fish and been told it is not wolves rather some type of high breed. Which brings me to my next question, what is a high breed and are they legal to kill? I do know for a fact that they were Farrell dogs in the El Rito ranger distract of the Carson National Forest, but those dogs looked like regular dogs.
 
high breed...hybrid LOL Feral (not Ferrell) animals are non-game species and not managed by NMDGF and can be killed: feral goats, feral hogs (although in SOME cases "feral" goats are actually livestock that is off limits). However, feral horses/burros are Federally protected (makes absolutely no sense and is ridiculous). Feral dogs and cats are not protected; however, one would want to be certain it's not someone's pet...
I heard of feral emus in NE NM many years ago that were fair game. But some other animals fall under livestock, such as a bison, which is owned by someone and can't be killed.
Bottom line is you better check with NMDGF before shooting anything you're unsure of.
 
smarba said:
high breed...hybrid LOL Feral (not Ferrell) animals are non-game species and not managed by NMDGF and can be killed: feral goats, feral hogs (although in SOME cases "feral" goats are actually livestock that is off limits). However, feral horses/burros are Federally protected (makes absolutely no sense and is ridiculous). Feral dogs and cats are not protected; however, one would want to be certain it's not someone's pet...
I heard of feral emus in NE NM many years ago that were fair game. But some other animals fall under livestock, such as a bison, which is owned by someone and can't be killed.
Bottom line is you better check with NMDGF before shooting anything you're unsure of.
Click to expand...
 
I saw one of those "hybrids" today at about 75 yards broadside:

36.09466923456966, -106.82176187878136

Hiking down the CDT and walked around the corner and there it was. We had a stare down for about 20 seconds before it busted uphill into the timber. One of the those surreal moments where I was questioning myself over what I had just seen, but as luck would have it, I saw a coyote a couple miles later. Yeah, the first thing was not a coyote...
 
smarba said:
The problem with SSS (shoot, shovel, shut-up for those of you who haven't seen that term) is there are very few people willing to risk $50K fine. You could literally kill a person and probably get less fine/jail than killing a wolf...
Click to expand...
No carcass, no proof. If a tree falls in the woods, and nobody is around to hear it fall, does it make a sound?
 
WY, MT, and ID residents need to merely gut shoot the grizzlies and wolves...once a grizzly finds the dead or dying wolf, or vice versa, it'll be eaten to pieces in mere hours....all gone.
 
RabidRattleSnake1 said:
Have a funny story about "wolves" in the Gila. Back when they first reintroduced wolves to the Gila me and my buddy were out scouting in August for our September elk hunt. Anyway we were driving down a road in my old Toyota pickup and I look to my left out the driver side window and there is a "wolf" chasing us down the road and he is practically jumping in the window. My buddy is screaming at me to roll up my window (old school roll up window). So I am in a total panic trying to drive as fast as I can down this two track in my stick shift truck and trying to roll up my window all at the same time while this "wolf" is trying to jump in my truck to eat me. We round the corner and there is a camp and the people there start to yell at their "wolf", AKA Alaskan Malamute, to leave us alone. We transitioned from total panic to hysterical laughing in all of five seconds.
Click to expand...
Hahaha , thats awesome , you had me laughing as I read this .. I could see me doing the same oh man ....Thanks for the share
 
mozey said:
I saw one of those "hybrids" today at about 75 yards broadside:

36.09466923456966, -106.82176187878136

Hiking down the CDT and walked around the corner and there it was. We had a stare down for about 20 seconds before it busted uphill into the timber. One of the those surreal moments where I was questioning myself over what I had just seen, but as luck would have it, I saw a coyote a couple miles later. Yeah, the first thing was not a coyote...
Click to expand...
Im always up there , Ive spent even more days this year as I got a bit of luck in the draw and have never seen anything , hardly ever see coyotes unless right at the Caldera area where they are thick thick in there. Ive been in the Caldera every year since 2017 except 2020 and have seen plenty of coyotes and a few bear ... Ive driven /hiked 289 thru 280 above and below the tower and all around 10 and the back side of Rio de Los Vacas and the wilderness... I know a few guys who also call the mtn dogs and tho we kill some big jokers in there seems like theres just not as many (other than the VC)...
 
Its my turkey unit and the reason I try and call as many dogs as possible ..... Calling mtn coyotes is an absolute challenge compared to sage brush rolling hill dogs ...But Foxpro seems to do the work if the wind cooperates...
 
Hopefully I'll see you up there one of these weekends, Rio. I'm trying to get back into shape (after this Covid debacle) in prep for taking on the CDT next year, so that's been my practice route. Planning to do a 19-miler this Saturday, and then next weekend do the Coyote to Cuba over a couple days. Beautiful, beautiful country--makes it a joy.
 
crcountry said:
No carcass, no proof. If a tree falls in the woods, and nobody is around to hear it fall, does it make a sound?
Click to expand...
The answer to that question is truthfully 'no'. Without the workings of the inner ear, it's just compressed air waves.

NERD ALERT!!!
 

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