Who was in the backyard?

Our big event was early Wednesday morning (7:35 a.m.) as hubby was on the phone canceling the car maintenance, an hour and 87 km away! It was above zero last night, then the snow changed back to rain. Then, it was just below zero. Our driveway was a 100m skating rink!

Pink = freezing, blue =  snow, green = rain!

As he talked to the service peeps on the phone, looking out at the trees drooping with ice, he saw what he thought was a large German Shepherd crossing our backyard. Yikes!
We have no domesticated dogs that run loose. There isn't much for them in the wetland!

Out I went to measure the tracks, at hubby's suggestion. (He has a bad back!)

The keys to identifying a track (coyote vs. wolf)  lies in the number of toes, and the size of a paw print, as well as the tracks themselves. Then, if you can see the claws, that means it is likely canine (like the ones below), as opposed to the large wild felines. Domesticated cats, fishers, raccoons all show their toes, as do the coyotes and wolves.

Another clue, figuring out who is hibernating (bears), and who is estivating (squirrels)! I'm thinking the raccoons would well be awake again! Reptiles brumate, since they are unable to regulate their body temperature.

These wolves were in the store - sadly stuffed

So far, knock wood, our CoyWolf won't track across the backyard in the daytime. (It does in the dark!) It went across the back yard this past week. He chased a deer up onto the lawn this year [March 26 - during a long winter], and paced back and forth across the back, refraining from coming out into the open in the day. He was impressive to watch! Fearing coming onto the lawn.

 I'd rather have a wolf than a coyote because the coyotes are getting used to people and civilization. There have been horror stories from those in the cities, with pets disappearing.

Wednesday's tracks were quite distinct. The coyote's outer two toes are larger than the front. In the wolf, it is the reverse. Mine looked about the same. Coyotes cannot bring down a deer. Wolves, in a pack, can. We have a lot of road kill and our CoyWolf has hauled a body back into the bushes to feed.

Measure	Coyote	CoyWolf or Eastern	Grey Wolf	Mine
Paw length	6 cm	7 - 9 cm	12 cm	7.6 cm
Paw width	4 cm - 6 cm		10 cm	4 cm
Stride	38 - 40 cm		66 cm	48 cm
Snout	narrow	hybrid	broad
Shoulder height	45 cm		76 cm
Body length	100 - 120 cm	120 -  150 cm	150 - 180 cm
Ears	pointed		rounded
Weight	11- 20 kg	14 - 35 kg.	32 - 45 kg.
	25 - 45 lbs.	30 - 55 lb	70 - 100 lbs

Another clue: the scat. I've seen some 4" long, with much fur (a coyote) as well as 6" long (a wolf). I'm sure we have a larger canine in the area, during my walks through the forest and wetland.
I can only conclude that our visitor was a hybrid that tends to be in southern Ontario. That's what I hope. I'd rather it be a CoyWolf than Coyote!

Land-clearing and exploitation by people, following European colonization, resulted in lower Gray Wolf or  Eastern wolf populations in the southeastern United States and the larger population in central Ontario and southern Quebec.

A permanent ban on the harvesting of wolves (and the similar looking species, the Coyote) in 40 township surrounding Algonquin Park was put in place in May 2004. Eastern Wolves (and therefore Red Wolves) are very small in size compared to the Gray Wolf (Canis lupus) living in the boreal forest north of Lake Superior in Ontario.

Hairy fox poo!

 

Two Arctic Wolves – sisters – needed to be to be
taken in by Aspen Valley. 

Zoe the coyote at Aspen Valley

MEASURING A TRACK

• (A) Establish the Line of Travel - toes in front!
• Stride -  right heel to left heel (A)
• Length of Track - toe to toe.
• Length paw print (C)
• Width - of the paw print (D)
• Straddle -  how far the prints stray from the tape measure/centre line



This is how one measures PITCH

• Pitch - green arrow

Preventing or discouraging wild animals in your yard; bears included

Regular readers know we've had a deer carcass in the winter. The wolf and the coyote ate it and cleaned it up, which I documented every day (Fed. 20 - March 10th). I saw the wolf chase a deer into our yard, she seemed to feel safe here. [I saw a wolf in our back forty!] Normal wolves and bears do not approach humans. Bear attacks are infrequent, but they do happen.
Coyotes and foxes are a lot less afraid! This is why they train people, like my daughter who does field work, how to act react when you encounter them.

Don't feed them!

We had a bear amble by while we were eating dinner last April! There was a bear attack, when we lived in Muskoka in 2010. They are very rare and they usually avoid humans. In all my forest walks I'd never seen one either here, in Lanark County, or in Muskoka. You just have to act like a human, they tell us. You should be bear wise in Canada.

Don't do what these people did in Coquitlam: casually watch it, then go after it with a stick:

http://youtu.be/JaCsQCW7GXU

I've written about our backyard bear, which visited only once, since the scattered bird seed, under the feeder, had been cleaned up by our wild turkeys!

Good article: Co-existing...

Co-existing with wild animals

The most important principle in avoiding conflicts with coyotes is to prevent them from finding access to easy food sources. Coyotes are opportunistic feeders that hunt birds, small mammals, amphibians and grasshoppers, eat carrion (dead animals), and also consume fruits and vegetables. Around human settlements, coyotes are usually shy and non-confrontational, but they will treat garbage, compost, garden vegetables and fruits (including berries), pet food, pets, poultry and small livestock as food sources, if they see them as an easy meal.

• Always secure pet food, garbage and compost in containers with locking lids and store them in an enclosed structure. 
• Keep your BBQs clean.
• Make garbage and compost inaccessible to wildlife: 
  
  
  • Use heavy garbage cans with locking lids
  • Fasten lids with bungee cords
  • Put garbage out the morning of pick-up, not overnight
  • Never discard meat, dairy or egg products in compost piles.
• Use motion-sensitive floodlights to startle and scare away wildlife
• Keep pet doors locked at night
• Do not leave pet food outside overnight
• Keep BBQ grills clean and close BBQ lids after use
• Close your doors, screens won't keep them out
• Clean up animal feces (coyotes are attracted to it!).
• Protect vegetable gardens with heavy-duty fencing, or grow vegetables in a greenhouse.
• Pick fruit as soon as it is ripe.
• Remove fruit windfall from the ground. 
• Be aware that bird feeders bring birds, large and small mammals, such as squirrels (i.e. prey) to your yard.

1. Bear kills Suncor worker north of Fort McMurray

   Calgary Herald ‎- 3 days ago

   A female Suncor worker is dead after being attacked by a black bear Wednesday afternoon at a work ... 

2. An oilsands worker was killed by a black bear at a Suncor base north of Fort McMurray in northeastern Alberta. The adult male bear was later put down.

   By Erika Stark, CalgaryHerald May 8, 2014 11:28 AM.

I saw a wolf in the back forty!

Yes, I was staring out at a deer, she stood panting beside the bird feeder. The story unfolded when the wolf appeared. Daisy and I tracked the deer's path yesterday. It was easy to spot the drops of bright red on the snow. The wild turkeys tried, but couldn't obscure the path! Their tracks were everywhere.

It was snowy, and Daisy was a trooper!

The wolf in hot pursuit, skirted the forest, hiding in the trees. Thankfully, he was afraid to come up onto the lawn. 'Lawn', meaning snowy lawn.

He paced back and forth, then disappeared by the time I got the videocam. I was safely on the upper deck!

Down we went, me an' my buddy, to where we spotted him. Daisy and I followed the deer and wolf tracks to the beginning of the bloody tracks (X marks the spot).

They are fascinated with Daisy

The deer was first wounded on the point, then ran around there, up towards the meadow, and skirted the property around the lawn, behind the shed. Then, the deer skirted the backyard into the gully, and back up the hill into the yard. She wisely ran up to the bird feeder where she felt safe. Heckuva run! What I find amazing is that these deer, who can outrun a wolf, are afraid of my wee daisy!

coyote track (there seemed to be two of them!

One big, hungry wolf!

She was huffing and puffing, but the deer
was faster than the wolf!

backyard wolf from Jennifer Jilks on Vimeo.
I looked out into the backyard while waiting for the stove to preheat. There was a doe, panting heavily, staring at the back forty. I looked again, and saw a wolf amble by way at the back. Ran and grabbed the videocam, coats, and boots. Daisy was on the side fence and I quietly called her in. You can see that the wolf had clipped the deer, there was blood on her hind leg, and blood on the ground near the feeder. She took off into the forest with her buddy. I just missed photographing the wolf!

My literate readers: Alfred Lord Tennyson!

Who trusted God was love indeed 
   And love Creation’s final law- 
   Tho’ Nature, red in tooth and claw 
With ravine, shriek’d against his creed-

Update 3: Haliburton Wolf and Wild Life Reserve Wolves

#3 Final update from the centre: there is no sign of the released wolves. Staff worked hard, made mistakes, but learned a lot about trying to recapture these poor animals. They were rescued and some idiot released them, two were killed.

#2 Another update: Granite crossed the rainbow bridge last night. She did not survive her surgery, and staff and friends mourn her passing. Staff believe that the murder of Granite is a separate incident from the vandalism incident that had people destroy their fencing enclosure. Originally, they thought that Haida, the alpha male, was mortally shot and murdered, once the four wolves escaped. This may not be the case, since his pup has the same coat.
More information is available on their website, but the photos of her wounds are not for the squeamish:
The two outside wolves are still hanging around close to the outside of the Wolf Centre, communicating with their fellow pack members inside by mournful howls in the early mornings. We are leaving food out, which entices them to hang around. 

#1 Update: As previously reported, the wolves escaped on New Year's Eve, when the centre was open to visitors. Vandals, or stupid animal rights activists, or hunters looking for wolf pelts, opened the fencing.

Wounded wolf:
visit their Facebook page

They now report that Granite, the alpha female, was shot twice and fought hard for her life, despite massive loss of blood. She dragged her bleeding body to the side of the road. The two bullets went through her leg. She has been recaptured and after hours of surgery, show signs of responsiveness.

These are wild pack animals, unable to be released in the wild, ignorant of hunting techniques, performing an important educational role in this world. They are well cared for, and live in a large setting.

Haliburton: moose and wolf country

I oppose zoos. I think, what with the
wonderful videography and photography opportunities on the Internet, it might well be time to get rid of the old style zoos. These rescue shelters are another story. I watch my rescued ditch-dwelling goldfish in my fish tank, brought indoors in winter to a 60 gallon aquarium, who spend three seasons in a 500 gallon outdoor pond.

Peter writes:

Wolves, we kill them and stuff them

Two hours of cleaning wounds, stitching, injecting …and things looked up for Granite. Her heart beat strengthened and her breathing steadied. She received 2 litres of subcutaneous fluids, antibiotics, trace elements, pain-killers and all the attention that could be afforded her. We waited another hour when her reflexes reappeared, indicating that the tranquiliser was slowly wearing off. The muzzle was removed and a bed of wood shavings prepared in a sheltered corner of the enclosure, where she was bedded in a blanket.

I don't often feature other people's videos. This one is amazing. It is a tribute to the wolves and the Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve. Haida (1:30' in) and both Haida and Granite (at 3:52' in), have had a terrible time. For updates, visit their Facebook page.

 
Wolves from Ben Lean on Vimeo.
Shot February, 2012. Locations include Haliburton and the Kawarthas, Ontario.
Journey through the wilderness of Halibuton Highlands and the Kawarthas, territory of the wolf.

View from the Dorset lookout: Fall, 2012
Beautiful wilderness country in central Ontario

Music by Andrew Scott Foust-"A Whisper In The Echo"
Licensed through the Vimeo Music Store

Haliburton Forest & Wild Life Reserve

Ontario's hidden outdoor recreation, education and entertainment gem. Haliburton Forest and Wild Life Reserve Ltd., or simply Haliburton Forest, is a unique, privately owned forest located on 70,000 acres of rolling hardwood forests, beautiful lakes, meandering rivers and extensive wetlands in the...

Another deer update!

This isn't for the faint of heart.
I told the story about the carcass we found beyond out mailbox. Not knowing what to do, I buried it beneath some dirt. I knew it wouldn't do much, but with Hurricane Sandy arriving, there wasn't much time.   
Yes, covered it with dirt, and hoped for the best.
Yes, totally inadequate. Hoping for a solution later as the MNR doesn't haul them away.
I went to fetch the newspaper on Wednesday morning and no carcass. It had been hauled away back into the sumac bushes. You can see the drag marks.
It wasn't a small one. I was amazed.
All that remains of the remains are a few tufts of fur, only one small piece with hide attached.
Then I found a few bones, then a leg, including the hooves.   

More searching, and I found scat, with a ton of fur in it.
Not only that but some nice big tracks about 4" wide. And I was worried about the vultures going to it and having to see the body every day!

Deer collisions S.E. Ontario: Mississippi Mills on the increase

Our faithful OPP patrol the roads, but they cannot prevent stupidity.

While I have expressed concerns about reckless speeding, illegal and unsafe passing, and people following closely enough to examine the contents of my trunk, another factor, deer collisions, continues to be on the increase in some places.

Habitat loss, hunting season, rutting season, all cause them to be on the move. 

Morning rituals - deer friends, wolves

Our mornings have settled into a new routine.
Firstly, feeding Doh, Ray, Me.


The feeding is nice entertainment. Yesterday, when I went out, the yearling came to the feeder, while momma was watching me and drooling. I didn't take my camera out, and missed the shot. Great gobs of...well, you get the picture anyway, dripping while she assessed by danger to her and her babe.

Hubby grabs the mail!

Next part is hustling across the highway to fetch the newspaper from the mailbox.

We figure that once we can't run fast enough to escape the cars speeding on the highway, we have to move somewhere else!

She watched me carefully

They paw at the grass buried under the snow

Even the fence bark is chewed

Poor buds - nibbled

One professional photographer, John E. Marriott, has been 

Photographing Banff Wolves II

I am content to go out much after dawn to photograph my deer! I captured a shadow of a wolf last month. I was content with that!

But I must search for some burlap with which to wrap my baby trees! I don't know how the previous owners managed their gardens, plus the 14 deer we've seen at once, but they did. They disappear once the snow disappears, we found this out after last week's melt.  Soon turned up once the snow fell again, seeking our grass and feed.

Wolf in the shadows

Christmas turkey count: 28


Yep! There were 6 turkeys that morning, 28 by the afternoon. I couldn't believe it! Scratching away in the snow for bird seed (0:30). At 1:50, the turkeys stopped, moved into the forest after our 3 deer went scrambling across the gully up the hill. I watched, and spotted a wolf (2:20). I couldn't believe it. All I caught was a shadow of it.