Wolves in Pendleton Co WV ?

The #1 community for Gun Owners of the Northeast

Member Benefits:

  • No ad networks!
  • Discuss all aspects of firearm ownership
  • Discuss anti-gun legislation
  • Buy, sell, and trade in the classified section
  • Chat with Local gun shops, ranges, trainers & other businesses
  • Discover free outdoor shooting areas
  • View up to date on firearm-related events
  • Share photos & video with other members
  • ...and so much more!
  • Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,881
    I know I'm opening myself to all the Chupacabra , etc jokes , but serious question , any confirmed wolves in that part of WV .

    Item #1 - While hiking with Littlefoot44 , saw a track the size of a Big dog . ( Took picture with a quarter next to it , but due to the lighting didn't show Sufficient detail in cell phone pic) . Was this a Super Jumbo Coyote ? A feral dog ?

    Item #2 - Hiking past a beef farm 2/3 way up the mountain , it has posted USDA signs warning of traps and cyanide used by Gov't Hunters . I know in the modern era , cyanide isn't taken lightly , and would seem to imply a major predator problem at that specific farm .
     

    whistlersmother

    Peace through strength
    Jan 29, 2013
    8,948
    Fulton, MD
    Google brings up the difference in paw prints. Wolf has two lobes and different toe orientation than mountain lion.

    I'd be interested to see a comparison of your print versus either of those.

    My brother at one time did report bobcat up on Mt. Storm.
     

    ADR

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 17, 2011
    4,171
    Google brings up the difference in paw prints. Wolf has two lobes and different toe orientation than mountain lion.

    I'd be interested to see a comparison of your print versus either of those.

    My brother at one time did report bobcat up on Mt. Storm.

    Bobcats are all over the U.S. are you maybe thinking of mountain lion?
     

    Bullfrog

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 8, 2009
    15,156
    Carroll County
    Google brings up the difference in paw prints. Wolf has two lobes and different toe orientation than mountain lion.

    I'd be interested to see a comparison of your print versus either of those.

    My brother at one time did report bobcat up on Mt. Storm.

    Also look for claw imprints. Cats don't show claw marks when they walk.
     

    Attachments

    • LionVsWolfAnnotate.gif
      LionVsWolfAnnotate.gif
      6 KB · Views: 750

    Norton

    NRA Endowment Member, Rifleman
    Staff member
    Admin
    Moderator
    May 22, 2005
    122,853
    Google brings up the difference in paw prints. Wolf has two lobes and different toe orientation than mountain lion.

    I'd be interested to see a comparison of your print versus either of those.

    My brother at one time did report bobcat up on Mt. Storm.

    Also look for claw imprints. Cats don't show claw marks when they walk.

    This one is from the Undisclosed Location (tm) down south of Pendleton in 2011.
     

    Attachments

    • DSC02183.jpg
      DSC02183.jpg
      20.5 KB · Views: 758

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,881
    arrrrrgh ! I had enlarged it on screen to try to make size comparison to the Quarter in the picture to estimate size, and I somehow hit the erase button accidentally .

    But at that point, it matched the CAT track in Bullfrogs post above . The width was 4-5 Quarters ( 0.25 coin)

    So does that sugguest a Bobcat, or ??
     

    Bullfrog

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 8, 2009
    15,156
    Carroll County
    arrrrrgh ! I had enlarged it on screen to try to make size comparison to the Quarter in the picture to estimate size, and I somehow hit the erase button accidentally .

    But at that point, it matched the CAT track in Bullfrogs post above . The width was 4-5 Quarters ( 0.25 coin)

    So does that sugguest a Bobcat, or ??

    Goggle says a quarter is .955" in diameter.. so 4-5 quarters would be between 3.8" and 4.7"...

    Judging by this graphic from a MI DNR web page... that is way too big to be a bobcat, and exactly the right size to be a cougar.

    Might want to stock up on Chardonnay or wine coolers.

    https://www.michigan.gov/dnr/0,4570,7-350-79135_79218_79619_84911_84912-146656--,00.html
     

    Attachments

    • Cougar_coyote_bobcat_Tracks_164598_7.gif
      Cougar_coyote_bobcat_Tracks_164598_7.gif
      4.4 KB · Views: 733

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,881
    Yes!!!! I just saw the same Michigan DNR website , and just got off the phone with Littlefoot44 telling her to measure the diameter of a Quater .

    I SAW AN ADULT COUGAR TRACK IN PENDLEON WV !!!!!!

    They're REAL, and they here !!!!!!!!!!!!
     

    Bullfrog

    Ultimate Member
    Oct 8, 2009
    15,156
    Carroll County
    Hope you're carrying while hiking.

    Attacks on humans are rare, but not unheard of, especially mountain bikers and runners. The quick movement seems to spur their pursuit instinct.
     

    Biggfoot44

    Ultimate Member
    Aug 2, 2009
    32,881
    But of course !

    .45acp 200gr JHP .

    Where I usually hike or 4x4 in the Va/ WV borderlands , I frequently see bear tracks , bear sign, and actual black bears . In such areas , I make a point to have a .44 or .45 . I long figured I could better deal with pot farmers or clandestine meth cookers with a .44 or .45 than deal with a bear with 9mm or .38 . Shortly before spotting the track , I was gently ribbing Littlefoot44 about her not packing also .

    Added - Once upon a time , I had a Very Close encounter with an adult Black Bear while deer hunting in Shenandoah Co Va within short distance of WV line ( a seperate story) . So I always am aware of the possibility of bear in likely territory .
     

    damifinowfish

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 14, 2009
    2,241
    Remulak
    Yes!!!! I just saw the same Michigan DNR website , and just got off the phone with Littlefoot44 telling her to measure the diameter of a Quater .

    I SAW AN ADULT COUGAR TRACK IN PENDLEON WV !!!!!!

    They're REAL, and they here !!!!!!!!!!!!

    I had a Couger drag me off to her den in Maysville WV one weekend. She made the best Blueberry Pancakes!
     

    E.Shell

    Ultimate Member
    Feb 5, 2007
    10,244
    Mid-Merlind
    This one is from the Undisclosed Location (tm) down south of Pendleton in 2011.
    If that's your hand Norton, something canid has escaped Jurassic Park!

    ... They're REAL, and they here !!!!!!!!!!!!
    Why yes, yes they are. There have been sightings all up and down the east coast, even some video, but they are very nomadic and either have huge home ranges or no fixed address.

    My understanding is that the Eastern Cougar is considered endangered, possibly extinct, but apparently some still exist because of the many sightings. These sightings are always discredited, and those caught on film are deemed "escaped pets" and not wild animals. This 'denial mode' seems to be because none of the state's wildlife departments want to acknowledge their presence because of the management responsibility for an animal that is here today and gone tomorrow.
     

    SummitCnty

    Ultimate Member
    Jan 26, 2013
    2,223
    Frederick County
    I will go to my grave saying I saw one in the Sleepy Creek area in WV in the mid 90’s. 100% not a shadow of a doubt what I saw. Ex wife’s cousin was with me.

    I stopped mentioning it because of the second guessing and eye rolls.
     

    Norton

    NRA Endowment Member, Rifleman
    Staff member
    Admin
    Moderator
    May 22, 2005
    122,853
    If that's your hand Norton, something canid has escaped Jurassic Park!

    11 year-old nephew, but he was a big kid at that age

    Why yes, yes they are. There have been sightings all up and down the east coast, even some video, but they are very nomadic and either have huge home ranges or no fixed address.

    My understanding is that the Eastern Cougar is considered endangered, possibly extinct, but apparently some still exist because of the many sightings. These sightings are always discredited, and those caught on film are deemed "escaped pets" and not wild animals. This 'denial mode' seems to be because none of the state's wildlife departments want to acknowledge their presence because of the management responsibility for an animal that is here today and gone tomorrow.

    My hermit neighbor down the hill walks around the road at the Undisclosed Location with her pooch and she is absolutely convinced there's a big cat back there. I've shared here elsewhere that I've had something that I couldn't identify growl deeply at me from a brush thicket when walking the road one evening.

    You assessment of the DNR response is similar to what I've been told, but with a different bent in that if they acknowledge they are there, people will want to hunt them, legal or not.
     

    tallen702

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 3, 2012
    5,102
    In the boonies of MoCo
    Catamounts absolutely are in WV. Whether they're actual Eastern Cougars or escaped pets or divergents from western populations is unknown, but I saw one once when I was about 16 on a boy scout trip. Unmistakable.

    As for wolves, I've heard of a few sightings and have some some BIG coywolves that have been shot, but not confirmations on actual distinct grey wolves. It is noted that there is some serious discussion of reintroducing red wolves to the Mon Forest.
     

    steves1911

    Ultimate Member
    Dec 2, 2011
    3,026
    On a hill in Wv
    I will go to my grave saying I saw one in the Sleepy Creek area in WV in the mid 90’s. 100% not a shadow of a doubt what I saw. Ex wife’s cousin was with me.

    I stopped mentioning it because of the second guessing and eye rolls.

    I live on the south end of sleepy creek, 2 years ago a neighbor had their 70lb pit bull torn apart by something. There are several back bears around but it makes you wonder .
     

    tallen702

    Ultimate Member
    MDS Supporter
    Sep 3, 2012
    5,102
    In the boonies of MoCo
    I live on the south end of sleepy creek, 2 years ago a neighbor had their 70lb pit bull torn apart by something. There are several back bears around but it makes you wonder .

    When I lived in Slatyfork, I used to go hiking up around Gaudineer Knob in the early spring when there'd still be snow on the roads and trails at higher elevations. In the summer, you'd have a decent chance of running into other hikers or tourists up there, but in the spring, the only way up to the scenic and rec area was with AWD and snow tires or chains. They'd close it off in the winter because they were unmaintained forest roads (dirt and gravel) but would open the gates around mid-March to start checking on what needed repaired/replaced before the summer season started.

    I went up one day right after the rangers opened up the gates for the season and was the first person to walk the scenic area trail that year. My tire tracks were the only ones all the way out to the end of the parking lot, and there were no footprints beyond where the rangers had checked on the vault toilets to see how they had fared that winter (we got something like 18' of total snowfall that year). I walked on out the trail and saw tracks EVERYWHERE in the snow. We hadn't had any fresh snow for about a week, so everything was showing up and was well preserved. Lots of snowshoe hares, plenty of deer, bobcat tracks, etc.

    I walked on out the loop trail and right before I got back to the parking lot, I came across a kill site. Whitetail fur and blood EVERYWHERE. Carcass was partially eaten, but the scavengers like vultures and whatnot hadn't really hit it yet. The cold was preserving it pretty well (still well below freezing each night with daytime highs not even reaching 40°F). It clearly had its throat ripped out and the literal fountain of blood had just soaked the whole area.

    I didn't see any bear tracks around (I was used to seeing those from the bears that frequent Snowshoe) and I wasn't hanging around to see if I could find anything else. I high-tailed it out of there and back to the car and left before anything decided to come back for a snack. I never heard of any wolves being in that area and I visited frequently. I doubt it was coyotes as they hadn't really intruded that far at that time. It could have been a bear, but given the cold and snow totals for the year, I doubt one would have been up to chasing down a full-size doe like that so early in the spring. Outside of my at-a-distance view of one when I was 16 and camping with some other scouts in the back-country to the north east of Holly River State Park, that's the only other possible encounter I've had. We were on the right fork of the Buckhannon River when we saw one across the water from us on that particular camping trip.
     

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Latest posts

    Forum statistics

    Threads
    274,921
    Messages
    7,259,041
    Members
    33,349
    Latest member
    christian04

    Latest threads

    Top Bottom