13 replies to this topic

[decooney]

Has anyone seen a larger and bulkier than normal looking Coyote near the Folsom Point side / Morman Island area?

 

Twice a week I walk my dogs out there.  Today we came across what appeared to be close to a very large, healthy, very stout looking Coyote, or a small wolf, or maybe some sort of Coyote hybrid.  At first glance I thought it was a smaller domesticated wolf-dog of sorts, and then it became clear this was a wild animal effortlessly picking up a pace just gliding across at speed once it heard me yelling at my dogs to stop. This animal could have easily overtaken both of my dogs. It's head was much more robust, wider, larger. The tail was longer and the fur on the body and tail was much more bushy than what I normally see with Coyotes in our area.  The head was more wolf-like but it seemed to be a tad smaller than a mid-sized wolf, more streamlined like a Coyote, but larger.  The gallop and stride was more like a wolf with its taller legs. It came from the dam side and crossed in front of us as we were coming down the trail.  It ran back up into the grassy woods area. I would estimate this animal was easily 25-30% larger than a regular coyote we see around here.  

 

Any ideas?  

[decooney]

Found a coyote-wolf hybrid photo. It looked pretty darn close to this in size and shape, the color of the fur was a tad darker though.  

 

[Chris]

Very cool, maybe just a well fed Coyote....?   Saw a pretty good sized one 5 years ago along a trail behind Tarbolton Circle.  This guy was big and well fed, usually they would back off when I stopped to check them out.   This guy took several steps forward. towards me...   About 25 yards away.  Never had one do that before.  This guy was thicker than your average Coyote, and a darker coat too.   Still unnerves me a little bit thinking about this one if he kept coming at me....   Regards, Chris

[JohhnyCash]

They've been expanding their territory but it would be unexpected if they were this far west this soon.  They are highly intelligent, very stealthy and not afraid of humans.

 

 

http://www.easternco...coywolfgallery/

 

http://www.dailymoti...m/video/x2f9kjd

 

 

JC

[decooney]

They've been expanding their territory but it would be unexpected if they were this far west this soon.  They are highly intelligent, very stealthy and not afraid of humans.

 

 

JC

 

JC,

 

Doing some more research today, I guess I'm certainly not the first to see one around here.   It seems there are other posts back in 2009 and 2011 - people around here asking about hybrid coyotes near Folsom, getting closer to neighborhoods and humans too.  Some of the parks even list and make reference of some sort of "hybrid".  I grew up backed up right to the American River 40+ years, and around at Folsom Lake, and I've seen at least 250+ coyotes in my life. What I saw today was not a normal Folsom coyote.  This thing was about 7/8 height of a full grown german shepherd. It's tail was definitely longer and legs were at least 2-3" taller than a regular coyote.  

 

Trust me, you'll known when you see it, because it just does not register at first - as the mind is trying to figure out what sort of dog it is, and then you see it's not a dog, then you realize oh sh!@%, that's not a dog, no it's a very large coyote, no its a damn wolf - what the heck is that! If this was a well fed coyote, then I'd say it was easily twice the weight in the mid of winter, and 3" taller than a coyote around here.    

 

Your link-picture with "Ice" next to it in your first link (above) is very close to what I saw today, size, color, shape, height, taller like a wolf, not shorter and sleeker like a coyote we normally we see around here.   

 

Really interesting how it ran too, more like a wolf running away as if it was being pursued, not with a normal troth-n-bounce like you see with smaller and shorter coyotes here in Folsom.  

 

Example, from JC's links above:  Had a tad more bulk/weight to it than this hybrid has pictured here.  

[JohhnyCash]

The Nature documentary is worth the hour.  (Second Link)

 

Interesting if they have expanded this far already.  A little spooky and a little pleasing.

 

JC

[decooney]

We watched that last link and site last night, thanks, very interesting.  It is amazing how those coywolfs back east have adapted right in the middle and around civilization, and thriving!  

The good news is the larger animal I saw did not stop or stare or turn and look back at us after it crossed our path, it just kept going at a nice smooth and fairly swift pace.  Effortless movement with the ability to cover ground quickly without even trying.  

 

Not like this below: 

Just to check myself and what I saw, comparing again... the photo below is a typical Folsom Coyote with a smaller sleeker body, more pointed snout and nose, longer and more pointed ears, narrow face.     

I can say for sure, the one I saw recently in the morning crossing paths near Folsom Point and Morman Dam island did NOT look like this.

We see lots of these regular looking coyotes around our area...notably smaller, shorter and less bushy tail and shorter/thinner legs as such: 

 

[JMB83]

Did it look like this dude/tte?  I spotted him/her around Thanksgiving, east of Browns Ravine.  Looked very "dog-like" to me... maybe beefing up for the Winter? 

 

 

 

I had just gotten a new digital camera that has an impressive zoom... I couldn't believe my luck in seeing this coyote on this particular walk! 

[Sandman]

That's a pure coyote (not a Wolf hybrid) just with a thick winter coat.  Saw one just like it on Sunday morning on the hillside driving down Sophia Parkway towards the lake.  Reality is coyotes are all around us all the time but we rarely see/notice them as they are fairly stealthy and like to travel at night. 

 

Lone coyotes I wouldn't even give a second thought to. Its when they get in large packs they can and have attacked humans/livestock/etc.  A large pack of coyotes have crossed Hwy 50 into Talus Ridge a few times at night in the last year wiping out the overpopulated bunny population that once existed in Handy Park. 

[decooney]

Did it look like this dude/tte?  I spotted him/her around Thanksgiving, east of Browns Ravine.  Looked very "dog-like" to me... maybe beefing up for the Winter? 

 

I had just gotten a new digital camera that has an impressive zoom... I couldn't believe my luck in seeing this coyote on this particular walk! 

 

Yes sir.  Looking very closely I believe that is the one I saw, and if not, its pretty darn close.  There are a number of reasons I think it might be the same one, in the same area. Great photos. 

 

Has the same face and eyes which look a little different to me too, not 100% coyote like for whatever reason.   I'm use to seeing some pretty scrawny and smaller looking coyotes around here with a more narrow face, narrow jaw, shorter legs, and slightly different shape eyes.  In your photos to me the front legs look longer, ears look a tad shorter ever so slightly, and the face looks wider than normal.  Sure enough, it has the extra bushy longer tail like the one I saw.  Probably the same one.  Who knows, maybe it is all of that extra fur that makes it look different - but even in your photos it does look larger and taller than any of the coyotes I've seen around here over the past few decades.  As stated before, appears to be more well fed than normal too which probably gives a different appearance that what I normally see. When I saw it in person, it was definitely a larger-than-normal coyote, pretty big.  Very cool, thanks for posting.  

[decooney]

  A large pack of coyotes have crossed Hwy 50 into Talus Ridge a few times at night in the last year wiping out the overpopulated bunny population that once existed in Handy Park. 

 

Was that in the past 4 months or so?

 

We did notice fewer bunnies running around over there now.  Use to run the dogs over there at night time and could see the bunny eyes in different areas on the grass, not so much any more. We wondered what happened to them.  

[Tyto Alba]

In the mid 1980's,  I was cycling on the bike trail between Sacramento State University and Old Sacramento.    When I passed near the Cal Expo Water Tower,  two huge Coyotes crossed my path.   They were very tall and I had the same thought they were hybrids.    It was 1 pm in the afternoon on a Sunday bright daylight sunny day.

 

To this day I believe they were hybrids.

 

About 8 months ago,   I was driving east bound on 50 passing Prairie City exit and saw a very large Coyote watching traffic around 11 pm to cross hwy 50.    Very impressed how it was watching the on coming cars.

[Sandman]

Decooney's pick (1/2 @ 9.22PM) is a good example of a hybrid.  Look at the size of the hips/legs.  JMB83's pic is just an ordinary pure bred coyote with a thick winter coat.  Looks no different than any other coyote i've seen or shot in my life.

 

Decooney, yes most of the bunnies in Handy Park have been taken out over the last year or so by a large pack of coyotes.  I live across from the park and they have woken me up in the  early morning hours on a couple of occasions last summer when they were on the hunt.

 

Yes they do come in from S050 and cross the highway.  We have seen coyotes on a couple of occasions crossing Costco Hill (Iron Point) heading north.

[decooney]

Update: 

 

30 days ago a "very Large" coyote on the bike trail late morning at 11:00am over near power lines trails near Willowcreek / Oak Avenue Parkway side.

 

A local women with child and a large German Shepard indicated she was walking her 1yr old baby in a stroller with her Shepard.  It was a stare off. 

 

The large coyote just stood there on the middle of the trail, staring, would not move, and was not afraid of her large dog or presence.  Eventually, the women slowly backed away...got outta there.  

 

According to the description, sounded similar to the type/size larger Coyote I saw over on the more populated side of the lake at Folsom Point.