Red Wolf and Coyote

When the decision was made in 1987 to introduce Red Wolves to Eastern North Carolina there was little need to distinguish between a Red Wolf and Coyote. Depending on what side of the debate you end up on you may say there is not a difference. The reality is that in 2013 that without DNA testing you can not tell a difference between a Red Wolf and Coyote.

The well respected Fred Bonner wrote a great piece that will give you some background on the situation. What once started as a noble effort and with support has quickly faded. The reality is that there are less breeding pairs now than there was 20 years ago. The big question is what are we left with roaming the woods.

Any one that has spent any time in Rural North Carolina will tell you about the coyotes. The tales coming out of the area now are about creatures that are no longer coyotes. When you see something pop out of the woods that is pushing one hundred pounds you are pretty certain that is not a coyote. The interesting dilemma comes if you decide whether to shoot it or not.