Wolves in Maple Ridge??

[tlinti]

Our friends had a returning visitor on the field next their house for 4 days straight. They first thought it was a very large dog, but decided to take pictures and sent them to the local CO. Turns out that the CO deemed the animal to be a wolf! this is well within city limits, south of Alouette River. What are your thoughts? Could the wolves really made their way this far west? Are we kissing local Blacktails goodbye due to poor management??

http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=7590&stc=1http://www.huntingbc.ca/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=7591&stc=1

[Weatherby Fan]

Certainly Wolves could be in the lower mainland without issue, they go where the food is plain and simple....looks a little small to be a wolf but heck who knows...

[Arctic Lake]

What the heck , ! This is not good news , there are always deer around the South Alouette River .
Arctic Lake

[DeepJeep]

Looks like a wolf to me from the 2nd pic

[Bugle M In]

Yup, does look like it from the photos anyways.

[tomcat]

I don't see how anyone can determine if it's a dog or wolf from these far away photos. My quess would be a large dark colored dog based on location.

[Weatherby Fan]

Looks more like a coyote cross breed to me but I’m far from an expert on dogs !

[tlinti]

Interesting. The folks who took the photos mentioned that it was, by far the biggest canine they'd ever seen, and they've seen some big dogs...our 140lbs mastiff included :p. The CO said that that the wolves up at the north end of Pitt Lake may have made a move down south in search of more food.

[adriaticum]

I do believe there are wolves in Golden Ears. So why would one not wander south.

[Foxton Gundogs]

There have always been wolves and wolfdogs In the Whonnock/Stave Falls I knopersonally of at least 1/2 a doz that were shot in the 60s/70s it's a short distance over the ridge from there to the Alouette I have ridden it on horse back many times. Looks like a wolf to me but could be a Belgian Shepherd cross? The second pic does look like a wolf "stance/profile". But as for the OP's question YES there is most definitely wolves in Maple Ridge. Big Lew should chime in hopefully he like me was raised hunting those areas.

[Foxton Gundogs]

There have always been wolves and wolfdogs In the Whonnock/Stave Falls area. I know personally of at least 1/2 a doz that were shot in the Late 50s/60s/early 70s it's a short distance over the ridge from there to the Alouette I have ridden it on horse back many times. Looks like a wolf to me but could be a Belgian Shepherd cross? The second pic does look like a wolf "stance/profile". But as for the OP's question YES there is most definitely wolves in Maple Ridge. Big Lew should chime in hopefully he has some knowledge, like me grew up hunting those areas.

[Big Lew]

Yup, there's always been wolves and wolf-dog crosses in and around Alouette and Stave lakes
as well as Webster's corners. Even saw a couple as well as tracks on our farm in Whonnock
above what used to be the Interfor Saw Mill. There's always been bobcat, Lynx, and cougar to
which I've seen many. There used to be lots of fox but the coyotes moved in and took over.

[Bigdoggdon]

Well as soon as those wolves start picking off peoples kids maybe the city sheeple will get behind the govt wolf cull.

[caddisguy]

Had a wolf in the back yard at my old place in Langley that backed onto the flood plain on the bypass. Seemed to be going after the freshly hatched duckings/goslings. That was about 7 years ago. Tons of coyotes, but only ever saw the one wolf. They are around nonetheless.

[Rieber]

Need to quietly put this one or two to rest.

[happyhunter]

Well as soon as those wolves start picking off peoples kids maybe the city sheeple will get behind the govt wolf cull.

If that happens you can bet the media will report that it is a rare occurrence, the wolf will be starving from lack of prey due to habitat loss and the climate crisis. Hunters and industry will get the blame. There is a 0% chance the media reports the attack is due to too many wolves/lack of predator management. Better hope they DONT attack kids for the reasons stated. Plus it’s a pretty grim thought in any case though I don’t think you mean it like that.

[dinsdale]

I was down on the Pitt dykes last year and ran into a guy who was doing some wildlife photography. He was an older guy and very wildlife savvy. He worked on one of the quarries at the south end of the lake.
He told me he had been working early one morning, when two black wolves appeared in the area and then swam the Pitt River from west to east and then disappeared heading towards the upper Alouette River.
He was very matter of fact about this and I saw no reason to question his observation.

[180grainer]

Coydog if that. Nothing in that picture says wolf to me. There's not even anything in the picture to give a relative indication of size. If it's anything other than the neighbor's Shepard X, it's a coydog.

[gcreek]

I would say with confidence that is a wolf. Size, stance and colour matches many I’ve seen.

Maybe the trappers up north are finally trading wolves for LML hookers!

[HarryToolips]

Ask em if you can shoot it off their property and find out what it is...

[Ohwildwon]

I would imagine if there is a decent pack around there, they could be feasting on the Bear pop...

[Bugle M In]

I would say with confidence that is a wolf. Size, stance and colour matches many I’ve seen.

Maybe the trappers up north are finally trading wolves for LML hookers!
They can have the hookers!!!!

[180grainer]

I would say with confidence that is a wolf.

Color? You haven't seen a dog that color before? Seriously? Stance? What does that even mean? Size? Again. It's a photo of a dog in a field. Hence, no objects close to discern relative size. How do you come to your conclusions?

[Foxton Gundogs]

My guess is that Gcreek based his conclusions on years of observing and dealing with wolves on an almost daily basis. But I could be wrong.

[Rob Chipman]

I believe wildlife bios have wolves on trail cams in Pinecone-Burke. No good reasons you won’t see wolves in MR.

[Bugle M In]

I believe wildlife bios have wolves on trail cams in Pinecone-Burke. No good reasons you won’t see wolves in MR.

I have been hearing some rumors' that they were getting really close to the LM.
Funny thing with wolves.
We see the classic wolf on TV all these years so we have a set look about them in our minds.
But many that I see of late in photos are mangy looking beasts as well.

I know 180 is saying, as the dog that came bombing at me in the middle of nowhere looked a bit like the photo and to a large degree,
as described by 180, and in a quick flash, I thought it was a wolf.....at first.

But it definitely to me from at least the photo, could be a valid wolf.

[Deer_Slayer]

One glance and you can tell it's a wolf. Good size one too. Why wouldn't they be there? There are grizzlies all over that area too and up behind Grouse & Seymour areas. Indian River too. Not lots but they are there.