Possible wolf sighting in Spokane? You decide

[2MANY]

They are now hunting the main ridges off Mt. Rainier.
Tracks don't lie.

[boneaddict]

My Sister owned a wolf and lived in Spokane.  It escaped and disappeared. (a decade ago).  I assume this is probably the scenario here.

[Buckhunter24]

Hard to say, may have lost foot in foothold trap of some kind. There are wolves very close to town on many sides of town, mica peak, brush mtn etc

[jackelope]

Size could be a BIG coyote, yeah, but everything else screams wolf (or hybrid) to me.  It's impossible to be 100% from a video like this, as wolf/husky hybrids can be VERY close to wolves morphologically. 

If I had to put money on it, though, my money's on wolf. 

Cool video 

I'm 100% sure it's not a coyote, big coyote or not.
 

[KFhunter]

My Sister owned a wolf and lived in Spokane.  It escaped and disappeared. (a decade ago).  I assume this is probably the scenario here.

I just don't see a pet running like this one is    it was clearly worried about the car following it, a pet wouldn't care and would just stand right in your way as or trot off to one side to let you pass by   

I could be a hybrid, by I think the odds are slim of it having a bum leg and running like that.  A pet would *normally* have a surgical removal of a leg closer to a joint and not so low that the leg interferes with daily activities, also I think the injury makes the wolf run in a way that the legs appear shorter than they would be, hip rolled off to one side.  And its missing any evidence of ever having had a collar on it, no collar ring on the neck, no collar.  In Spokane I would think a pet wolf would have a big vest on it so as to not get shot or purposely run over 


My opinion is it's a wolf until shown to be a pet, and if its a pet wolf...its still a wolf 

I'm kinda thinking this guy got in a trap in Idaho or illegal trap in WA that didn't have a proper swivel and it managed to ruin its foot escaping. 

[wolfbait]

Why do they keep spewing the same old line about wolves being wary of humans? They are wolves, they have no reason to be wary of anything.

Talking points from the USFWS and fake environmental groups like WDFW, CNW, DoW etc.....

[boneaddict]

I just don't see a pet running like this one is 

Oh its a wolf, and trust me, to anyone other than my sister, and her family, "the pet" was all wolf.    As stated, Spokane is literally surrounded by them, so who knows.

[Jimmer]

Riverside state park is right below the hill where it was spotted.. around 7,000 acres untouched abundance of wildlife for them to prey on.. I live very close to this, doesn’t surprise me one bit.

[idahohuntr]

Why do they keep spewing the same old line about wolves being wary of humans? They are wolves, they have no reason to be wary of anything.

Talking points from the USFWS and fake environmental groups like WDFW, CNW, DoW etc.....

Or maybe it's just a fact supported by lots of evidence over many decades.

[Henrydog]

On top of what Jimmer said about the State Park...he is correct, there was also a verified road kill wolf at Tum Tum about 5 years ago in the spring

[idaho guy]

I am familiar with a pretty large wolf pack on the Idaho side close to spokane that would be nothing for that wolf to travel from that area in Idaho to there. It does look like it got maybe just its foot caught in a leg hold trap. Or it could have easily come just from somewhere in wa

[Bullkllr]

The dog in the car thought it was a wolf.

[KFhunter]

Why do they keep spewing the same old line about wolves being wary of humans? They are wolves, they have no reason to be wary of anything.

Talking points from the USFWS and fake environmental groups like WDFW, CNW, DoW etc.....

Or maybe it's just a fact supported by lots of evidence over many decades.

I dunno, the wolves around here just look at you with very little concern or care.   You can drive right up close to them, they aren't afraid. 

[idahohuntr]

Why do they keep spewing the same old line about wolves being wary of humans? They are wolves, they have no reason to be wary of anything.

Talking points from the USFWS and fake environmental groups like WDFW, CNW, DoW etc.....

Or maybe it's just a fact supported by lots of evidence over many decades.

I dunno, the wolves around here just look at you with very little concern or care.   You can drive right up close to them, they aren't afraid.

Interesting.  Is this personal experience or just bar stool stories you hear about?  I'd say it's an oddity for a wolf to behave like that...letting people drive right up to them...nobody is saying it cant or hasn't happened...just that it's not normal behavior and would be a relatively rare event.

[KFhunter]

I don't go to bars, if I do its for a burger and I'm in and out, I certainly don't go very often 

It would be a lot rarer if wolves were being shot, but from what I can see, hear and talk about, there's very very little SSS if any at all 


I know I know! it shocks me too!  I would have figured all the wolves were shoot on sight by now, but E-WA folks are a lot more complacient than I woulda thunk!


As for personal experience I've had them follow me around like curious puppy dogs on numerous occasions, had only one bark at me so far, but it wasn't really at me, he was communicating with the others with that weird little chirp they do when my scent cone crossed him, no cause for concern or alarm, but I was ready for game if needed, but they just observed.  I've had it happen in 3 different GMU's so far.  None have directly challenged me either for prey testing or trying to drive me out of an area. 

but...I haven't stumbled on a den, rendezvous site, or kill site yet, then it might get interesting!

as for driving, I don't care. Typically they'll jump off the road and watch you drive by, but they're very curious, wood cutters see quite often checking them out.