Wolf in Whatcom Co.

[Knocker of rocks]

I've seen a wolf more than once near Hope BC, and moose tracks up Thunder Arm.  Both could saunter to your neck of the woods

[scottr]

I grew up in Ferndale and currently work in Ferndale adjacent to a WDFW wildlife area.  Numerous people that I work with claim to have seen and heard wolves in this area over the past few decades.  These are avid hunters and outdoorsmen, not city dwellers that can't tell the difference between a yote and a wolf.  I personally heard a call a couple weeks ago that I know was not a coyote, and my first thought was that it was a wolf.  I disregarded it until I remembered this thread, and started asking around here at work.  I still have my doubts, but I think it's a possibility.  The guys also tell me they had a Moose in this area back in the 90's.  Our employer has a large orchard and the moose would visit the orchard daily to eat the apples.  There's a thread on here somewhere about a moose on I5 near Blaine, not sure if it's the same moose, but could be. 

A few weeks ago a neighbor told me he saw a moose in our neighborhood and that there were numerous 911 calls reporting a moose a couple days later in a nearby area.

I think it's extremely rare for these animals to venture to this area, but it's definitely a possibility.  In the case of the wolf sightings in Ferndale, if there really are wolves here, they are most likely hybrids from the indian reservation a couple miles down the road.

When I was at WWU for College in the 90s there was a moose roaming around Mt. Sehome and the Huxley Campus  one fall.

I have no doubt a lone wolf could find it's way to Ferndale. My wife saw a lone wolf outside of North Bend up Middle Fork road two summers ago during the Taylor Bridge fire. Wildlife can use very narrow greenbelt lanes (creek & river bottoms, powerline & gasline easements, etc) to travel large distances in a relatively short amount of time.

[blood thirsty]

I was talking to one of the game wardens last night. he said yes they are in Whatcom county and I have pictures of them. BUT they have not been any closer than ross lake.

[Birddogman]

Hope, BC is a long cry from Ferndale.  The big barrier I-5 prevents a lot of animals getting over to Ferndale.  "IF" there are wolves there, what are they there for?  More likely a Reservation stay that "looks" like a wolf.  The calls that people have been hearing are people, or maybe the BP whistle when it goes off.....

[luke_a]

Hope, BC is a long cry from Ferndale.  The big barrier I-5 prevents a lot of animals getting over to Ferndale.  "IF" there are wolves there, what are they there for?  More likely a Reservation stay that "looks" like a wolf.  The calls that people have been hearing are people, or maybe the BP whistle when it goes off.....

What I heard wasn't a person, and definitely not any type of whistle.  BP doesn't have a "whistle", they have sirens with different tones, but no whistle.  I do a agree though, that it's most likely a hybrid from the reservation.  I5 isn't as big of a barrier as you might think, in the early morning hours I've seen every type of native wild animal cross I5 on my way to work. 

If a moose can make it over here, then why not a wolf?

[7mmfan]

I've seen wolves along the Sauk and Skagit rivers since the late 1990's. They have been called hybrids, but I watch them every year with new litters of pups. Animals get kicked out and dispurse. Sound like wolves to me. Act like wolves to me when you run into them walking into my favorite steelhead run. Have had 2 standoffs with adults that had pups near by, not fun.

It would take one of them about a day to make it to Ferndale from Rockport. And who says I-5 would stop them? They don't know its I-5. They've swam across rivers and crossed mountain passes, why would a couple hundred feet of pavement stop them? They're an apex predator that really have no fear of anything, let alone people. I-5 is not a real busy road up there, especially at night.

[Hannibal]

The big barrier I-5 prevents a lot of animals getting over to Ferndale.

I could walk across  the Nooksack last week,,,,,,,Also can drive my pickup under the 1-5 bridge that goes over the Nooksack......

Has anyone seen this wolf?
I have not seen any tracks on the river.

Funny thing is that my dog started this "wolf like howl" last winter,,,,,,neighbors have told me that they heard a wolf cry?
Sooooo?

Dog lives outside of ferdale on paradice .......and on NW& pole when I am out of town....

[wildweeds]

My dogs howl like wolves too, when an aid car/cop car or fire truck whistle is in the distance AWHOOOOOOOOOOOO! My neighbor lady from the concrete jungle of Seattle is probably the one who started the wolf rumor,she has repeatedly told me we have a bear living in our area.I know its horsepucky but just smile and nod.

[Birddogman]

Speculation until a body is found/discovered.  I guess it could be possible, but for what would they be going over there for?  Not a dense area for deer, many land owners with rifles/guns and not a lot of open space to roam as a pack.
Come to think about it, the coyotes howl like wolves when an ambulance rolls by on our road....

Produce a carcass and i'll believe

[wildweeds]

Speculation until a body is found/discovered.  I guess it could be possible, but for what would they be going over there for?  Not a dense area for deer, many land owners with rifles/guns and not a lot of open space to roam as a pack.
Come to think about it, the coyotes howl like wolves when an ambulance rolls by on our road....

Produce a carcass and i'll believe

plenty of slow elk targets around here,a couple hundred of em in one field near here,not to mention alot of hobby farmers with alpacas/llamas,sheep and goats

[steen]

I guess if elk can show up in north Whatcom Co. ( one was shot with a muzzle loader during the said season) Why can't a wolf show up? I-5 will not stop or slow wild animals.  There have been moose crossings, cougar, deer and many other animals on I-5.  If it was a hybrid as far as I'm concerned that is a wolf. If a hybrid howls like a wolf, looks like a wolf and eats like a wolf I wouldn't want it in my neighborhood.

[denali]

at this point any wolf sighting should be taken seriously