Wolves or Coyotes along I-65 just north of Lebanon (Lafayette: houses, neighborhood)

[Southside Shrek]

I was driving southbound on I-65 just north of Lebanon this afternoon and spotted two large wolves or coyotes in a snowy field off to my right. They looked like they were hungry and out looking for food. Has anyone else spotted any wolves or coyotes this winter?

and No, I hadn't been drinking and they definitely weren't dogs.

[paptofour]

I have seen coyotes several times in southern Indiana. I just saw one last Saturday night along I-64 near the Marengo exit.

[domergurl]

Originally Posted by Southside Shrek

I was driving southbound on I-65 just north of Lebanon this afternoon and spotted two large wolves or coyotes in a snowy field off to my right. They looked like they were hungry and out looking for food. Has anyone else spotted any wolves or coyotes this winter?

and No, I hadn't been drinking and they definitely weren't dogs.

Maybe they are escapees from Wolf Park? I wouldn't doubt that there are wolves or coyotes out scrounging for food where you normally wouldn't see them. I've been throwing bread out and it's gone within a half hour because the birds can't get to food through normal channels.

[plaidmom]

Originally Posted by domergurl

Maybe they are escapees from Wolf Park? I wouldn't doubt that there are wolves or coyotes out scrounging for food where you normally wouldn't see them. I've been throwing bread out and it's gone within a half hour because the birds can't get to food through normal channels.

re: the bread thing. I've been doing that too. I was worried the neighbors thought I was nuts. Glad to hear I'm not alone. I've come across two dead birds in the snow while skiing. I have a "thing" for Robins, so that was especially diffficult. Aren't they supposed to be south at this time of the year???

Funny about the wolves...I had the same though: escapees! Probably because the big cat that escaped from the Rescue Center. BTW: was that cat ever re-captured???

southsideshrek: take a camera with you next time you're out

[Southside Shrek]

Domergurl
I don't think those wolves were escapees but they could have been. They were on a southeasterly course headed towards Fishers where Little Red Riding Hood food abounds and is finger lickin' good.


plaidmom
I had a Canon digital camera with me but by the time I realized they were wolves or coyotes, I couldn't pull over onto the shoulder of I-65 to take some pics. Besides, what would I tell Trooper Barney if he pulled in behind me and asked what I was doing stopping on an interstate?

a friend who lives in a northern Chicago suburb said:

"We have had several coyote spottings and close encounters in the northern suburbs -- they eat little doggies out in the yard!! The latest one was two coyotes attacked a pet dog in the walkway between two houses. That's sad. It means they are starving to come in that close to the city."

[MarquettePark]

They were either foxes, or coyotes, Wolves eat pit bulls one on one, wolves in packs of three or four, hunt bison (a two ton animal) if there were wolves anywhere near here, you would know about it, coyotes are individual animals, and rarely travel together, foxes however will travel with their mates

For the record seeing a Coyote is quite rare, winning the lotterey is easier. Coyotes always look hungry, thin and scrawny, because they are small animals, its their fur that give them the sudo wolf like appearance, layer upon layer of non groomed hair
BUT THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS: Here is one

[domergurl]

Hey MP ... nice to see you over in the Indiana board. When I lived in Chicago, I had a good friend who was Lithuanian who grew up in MP. He used to refer to that neighborhood as Luganville.


Good thing my pets are indoors and my kids are all sick so they won't be going outside. There's another couple inches on the ground this morning!

The animals may also have been wild dogs. There used to be a pack in a large woods close to where I grew up. I would only see them if there was a ton of snow on the ground and they had to come out into the open to hunt. We'd see them coming and we'd all have to run into the house. I swer their pack leader was a poodle.

[Southside Shrek]

they weren't wild dogs but definitely wolves or coyotes just to the north of Lebanon in Boone County. If you know where the Gutwein Gourmet Popcorn bins on the Jackson Farms are, they were just to the south of there in a field. The reason I suspect they were wolves is that their fur did not appear to be all scraggly in appearance.

I would drive back down there this afternoon to try to snap a few pics for Plaidmom but we're getting heavy snow this morning.

Domergurl, those wolves are closer to where you live and you could probably get to them in 15 to 20 minutes. Bring your camcorder, digital camera and plenty of food to lure them in close for some good closeup shots, National Geographic quality.

[Southside Shrek]

Originally Posted by MarquettePark

For the record seeing a Coyote is quite rare, winning the lotterey is easier. Coyotes always look hungry, thin and scrawny, because they are small animals, its their fur that give them the sudo wolf like appearance, layer upon layer of non groomed hair
BUT THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS: Here is one

MarquettePark
I believe I have won the lottery then several times in Lafayette because I have seen several Coyotes in the city. One time I followed one into a bank parking lot off Creasy Lane on the east side of the city and then it gave me the slip by running across the road into a tall grassy field. I've seen coyotes around town on at least 3 to 4 separate occasions. I suspect they came into town to try to find food thrown out behind fast food restaurants out along State Road 26 East.

and Yes, a coyote normally travels alone. Wolves travel in pairs or in packs. what I saw yesterday afternoon appeared to be two wolves.

[paptofour]

Here is a link about Indiana's coyotes with a picture. http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/publi...ies/coyote.htm