The Second Wave  - Red wolf/Coyote hybrid  (Sub-species yet to be named)

A Canadian Eastern Coyote/wolf hybrid in Nova Scotia

In his two week breeding season, any female Coyote or large domesticated dog in heat is as enticing to a solitary male Wolf as is his own kind. The Inuit knew this thousands of years ago, and have used this trait to strengthen their inbred sled teams with wolf bloodlines on a regular basis.

In the mid 1900s, a new breed of wolf arose in the east; the Red Wolf/Western Coyote hybrid, popularly known locally in eastern Ontario as “Brush Wolves.”  A more cunning, more diverse, and more successful variety of wolf than has ever existed before.  They spread eastwards, then south into the Maritimes, even across the Gulf winter ice to P.E.I. and Newfoundland.  They crossed the winter-frozen surface of the St. Lawrence River where it narrows between Cornwall and Ogdensburg, NY.  In the 1940s, they were reported in New Hampshire, and in the 1950s, they were seen in Massachusetts.  They have been seen as far south as Mobile, Alabama, in several instances reported directly to me.  Compare the photo at right of a Brush wolf on my property in eastern Ontario with the one above. 

The previous eradication of the larger Grey wolves in those areas had allowed these newcomers to replace them as the apex of the food chain.  This was now their domain and they would defend it with their collective lives or perish.  There were persistent reports of Beagles and other hounds being killed by these newcomers.  These hybrids come in all colours.  I have seen some pure black, wolf grey, and others were a bright red (like a fox).   How do we know for certain these “shape-shifters” are part wolf?

Fact:  Specimens have been taken from PEI to Trent University in Peterborough, ON, where dna testing conclusively proved they are part wolf.  If the brush wolves of PEI are part wolf, surely the same applies to those in New Brunswick, and those that continued on to NS and Nfld.  These animals have proven to have combined the pack culture of the wolf with the superior cunning of the Coyote.  Hybridization is often treated as a biological mistake in ecology texts.  However, recent research has determined that across the span of evolution,  hybridization has contributed to the diversity of life, and is necessary for species to adapt.  From the viewpoint of the Coyote, her union with a wolf must appear as a match made in heaven.  However, to some farmers, it is a match made in hell.

Inside Algonquin Park, the wolf reigns supreme and the Coyote is an interloper.   Outside the park, it is a different story.  Coyotes thrive when not predated by wolves so outside the park, there are countless Coyote packs that will eagerly accept larger, more fierce males as leaders whether they are a product of a Wolf /Coyote union or pure wolf.   Since the new male's Coyote mother did not pass on her mitochondria dna to her son, he will exhibit wolf characteristics.  So when he is kicked out of his parent pack, he will seek out a comfortable existence outside the park.

How does the introduction of Coyote mitochondria dna in a wolf pack affect its characteristics?

Fact:  Mitochondria dna (those handed down from mother to daughter) tests conducted by Robert Wayne's California Laboratory have conclusively proved that 13 percent of Algonquin Park's female Red Wolves have Coyote dna.  This suggests that northern Red wolves have been infiltrated by Coyotes (from outside the park), and their female offspring (exclusively) contain Coyote dna and therefore Coyote characteristics.

It is well known among naturalists that the alpha female of a wolf pack is the one that determines when the youngsters (especially female) are driven out of the pack, where the next target will be, and when she will whelp.   Any Coyote will whelp a second time in one year when under stress, producing in a good year about 19 pups, compared to about four to six for a wolf - and only Coyotes will whelp as a yearling, and the Alpha female will allow another female to lactate within the pack, not so with wolves.   The role of the alpha male is to protect the pack's territory,  drive away his potential rivals, lead the pack in a fight and a kill, and pass on his superior survival skills. Simply put, the pack combines her brain and his brawn.  It all adds up to an explosive population of Brush wolves when they enter a new territory. 

This is a devastating combination!  Picture a pack of brush wolves, with a pure Wolf alpha male and a Wolf/Coyote alpha female.  (It has never been documented the other way around.)  This means the alpha female will behave as a coyote and the alpha male will behave as a wolf.    Whereas Coyotes will not kill beavers (as they are too difficult for her smaller size), with her larger offspring, they are fair game, so are White tail deer and even domestic cattle.  The predation of the first two is of little interest  as their populations are out of control in this area but the predation on livestock is a distinct problem to farmers.

To put this ecological picture into perspective, one has to understand that Virginia White Tail Deer, Florida Cottontail Rabbits, American Grey Squirrels, and a host of other exotic southern creatures do not normally belong in this area of North America.  They are only here because European settlers cleared much of the Boreal forests, and replaced them with agricultural farmland, making it enticing to these colonizers.  It was only natural that their predators would follow them.  The western coyotes who followed the railway tracks east discovered an area that had been changed to become much like the prairies.  They and their hybrid descendents would never have survived in the eastern "pre-colonial" North America.  What we European colonizers have sowed, we shall reap.  In reality, the Brush wolf is a White man's invention.

To counter devastating raids by Brush Wolves, farmers have taken to using Donkeys, Llamas, even special breeds of guard dogs such as Pyrenees and Komondors who bond with the livestock and guard them 24 hours a day.  These Brush Wolves have met these new obstacles with their own devices; subterfuge, cunning, and their innate ability to plan, prepare, and strike with a ruthless military-like precision.

To illustrate the lack of knowledge in the scientific community of the advance of the western Coyote/Brush wolf across North America, the map at left was lifted off a research web site and dated as 1986.  To correct this map, the originators would have to include Nova Scotia, which saw its first Coyote in 1976, (two were shot in 1977), and Newfoundland which saw its first landed Coyote in 1985.  (The first Coyote was seen in New Brunswick in 1958).   How do I know this?  I lived in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia during those periods when Coyote attacks against sheep began.  Soon, they were seen in all 18 counties of N.S.  By 1983, they had been reported in Prince Edward Island.  There is also a vibrant population of Coyotes in Panama which is not shown on this map.  It makes one wonder just where some of these government departments are getting their information. 

Fact:  The typical male western Coyote is described as weighing about 30 lbs.   In Nova Scotia, adults average 50 to 60lbs, and is presently home to approximately  8,000 Coyotes and larger Brush Wolves.   PEI has over 1,000 Brush Wolves.   I talked to farmers in the Niagara region of Ontario, and they told me dna tests have proved their Coyotes also have wolf in them, so they are spreading westwards as well as to the east.

Contrary to scientific theory, in eastern Ontario, experience has proven some large domestic dogs will mate with brush wolves, and run with the  pack.  One case saw a 100 lb. male Black Labrador take off with a brush wolf and stayed with her for three years until he was shot.  Several of their offspring were pure black.  In another case, a male Walker Hound took up with a pack, and many of the later pups had obvious hound in them.

Due to the female Coyote's preference for larger males,  the second wave" Brush wolf" (Coyote/Red Wolf hybrid) has overwhelmed the smaller pure western Coyote in southern Ontario.  This is a pattern that will repeat itself in all areas of eastern North America where pure Coyotes have established.  This 'super' Coyote will dominate wherever they encounter the smaller purebred  form.  The only areas where the pure western Coyote may hold on are large urban areas that offer limited protection from its larger cousins, and that scenario is extremely doubtful in the long term.  What will happen in western North America is yet to be determined.  Nature will take its course.

Around here, rural people are saying the Brush wolves are out of control.  However, I personally am not upset with them.  They normally maintain their distance, and the ones near my farm are not a nuisance.  But then, they prefer sheep (and I don't have any) to any other domestic herd animal, and sheep are inherently stupid.  They will slip through the protective fence to get at the grass on the other side.. where the donkey cannot go.   Goats are smarter than sheep, and will not venture outside the protected area when Coyotes are around.  Coyotes and Brush wolves prefer carrion, and will not bother live animals when carrion is abundant.

However, in their wisdom, the Ontario government has legislated against farmers providing carrion or waste meat to Coyotes (unlike some other jurisdictions).  My donkey is very effective at keeping them away from the goats.  However I have often seen their tracks inside the fenced area with no damage done yet.  My neighbour advised me that  he saw my donkey face off with a wolf  when it tried to enter the outbuilding.  Upon investigation, I found two new baby goat carcasses therein.  No problem there.

In 2007, the Municipality of Montague, with a population of about 3,000, paid out $3,334.00 in livestock claims.   In 2009, by August 31st, the amount was $8,575.00.  These payments are routinely reimbursed from the provincial government.  However, the time spent by the Municipal livestock evaluator is paid by the Municipality.  There used to be a $50.00 - $75.00 bounty on Brush wolves here but today there is no bounty so most people don't bother trapping them.  Domestic dogs are more of a problem with livestock in some areas than are Brush wolves, and most people will admit that some livestock claims are actually the result of dog predation.  There is no restriction on killing Brush wolves throughout the year, which I find reprehensible.

 Coyotes on Ice 

In 1985, the second wave of Coyote/Red Wolf hybrids crossed the ice on the Gulf of St. Lawrence to Newfoundland.  How did they get there?  In the late 1970s, they smelled the blood of Seals birthing, and learned to hunt seals on the ice of the Gulf.  It was merely a matter of time before some of them would notice a land to the east that promise new opportunities. Nova Scotia's northern tip of Cape Breton Island is the most logical jumping off point for those Brush wolves as it is the closest land mass to Newfoundland with a Brush wolf population.

The Day Attack in Mid April

Hunger was having its effect, and the survival of the unborn pups was in jeopardy as the Alpha female, as well as the entire pack, were becoming weaker with the lingering starvation of a sparse winter.  They desperately needed the protein of a large kill.  On a warm day in mid-April, the decision was made to attack.  The heifer would be the primary target, Rambut was the second.

It was a quiet day as the quarry just south of the hardwoods was vacant.  They would wait and find out if conditions were right for an attack.  The pack approached the farmland, they scattered, circling the property to take up their positions.  It was mid-morning before every member was in position.  Two  juveniles  stayed hidden in the thick Cedars of the southern fringe by the pond.

The Alpha female and a juvenile went to the ridge to the west, and watched.. The Alpha male and another juvenile sprinted across the north end of the pasture and lunged into the brush, adjacent to the outbuilding where the herd had spent the night.

Unknowingly, the black was spotted as it lunged for the brush from the field. The time was 10:15 AM.   The spotter checked two nearby houses to see if the black animal was a neighbour’s dog, but they were all accounted for. It was a Brush Wolf! Were there more in the vicinity? What were they up to?

The smell of death was in the air as the old Ram laid on his side, too weak to join in the daily feeding.    He could not find the strength to leave the outbuilding. This would be his last day on earth.  The human finally departed the scene at 12:00 noon, leaving the herd satiated with grain - and alone. For three more hours, the wolves stayed out of sight, unseen, patiently watching every move of the herd.

At 3:00 PM, with everything quiet, the black Alpha male silently began running towards the herd from the north, with his tail up  flanked by another.  Ever watchful, the other four took his lead and immediately followed suit, running towards the grazing herd. 

They came from three directions, heading for the heifer.   They easily jumped through the electric fence without as much as a jolt.  As two passed by the pen of the largest Husky, he ran into his den with his tail between his legs. The other six Huskies did likewise.  They snarled loudly as they reached the herd.  Next door, Roger heard the snarling and crept into his doghouse. The dogs were terrified of these huge intruders.  Answering their calls from a safe distance was one thing but up close they were simply too fearsome.  The watching human felt the hairs on his neck tinge.  A primordial fear arose within him.  He began to sweat and started to back off.

Pandemonium broke loose as the wolves scattered the goats.   The donkey reacted quickly and became berserk. Braying loudly, he kicked, bit and tossed wolves in every direction. One wolf lunged for a small kid, its mother attempted to gore the attacker with her tiny 3 inch horns and was grabbed by the neck for her bother.  The donkey came to her rescue.  At first, the heifer did her best to protect the goats.  Then she realized she was the target.  She bellowed loudly and lunged at the wolves, all of her 800 lbs became a fighting machine.

At first, two wolves turned on the heifer.  She bellowed loudly, kicking all the while, as she ran for the safety of the outbuilding.  Two more wolves quit the fray with the donkey and chased after the heifer.  All four wolves tried to bring her down by striking at her legs and sides. The goats had expeditiously ran to the south end of the pasture, safe for the moment.  The donkey ran after the heifer to help beat off the four wolves who were tormenting her.

Together, they scattered them.  The donkey went after the black male and kicked him in the air, momentarily rendering him unconscious.  The others became bewildered and cut off the attack.  Leaderless, they became unnerved.   The black regained consciousness and limped toward the northern fence.  The pack broke off the attack and retreated as one towards the ridge and the hardwoods to the west.  It was over in an instant.  the donkey threw himself after the retreating wolves, and hit the electric fence sideways in a fit of anger.  As 3,000  volts pulsated through his body, he jumped off all four feet and brayed as loud as he could in uncontrolled rage.

Ten minutes later, they had regrouped and returned.    This time, two broke off and went into the outbuilding to maul Rambut.  The other four had charged the waiting donkey, who was waiting with an attitude.  He met them head on, kicking and biting.  This time, the fray only lasted a few minutes.  The pack disappeared over the western ridge, and headed northwards for home.

The pack rendezvoused shortly after, where they licked each other’s faces in obvious enjoyment.  The pack was intact!  They had tasted blood, and had fought the good fight.   All were accounted for.  Except for some bruises, no one was seriously hurt.  It was a day to remember - and learn.  Unless precautions were taken, there would be a next time. 

Miraculously, no goat was serious hurt.  When I went into the outbuilding to see about Rambut, there were two terrified little goat kids cringing in a corner.  The wolves had ignored them.  The outcome of this attack might have been far different if, by pure chance, a friend of the owner, had not happened to arrive just as the attack began. Therefore, an accurate account of the entire incident is available. People were used to wolves attacking at night but now the intuitive Brush wolves have taken to operating in the middle of the day, an indication of their resourcefulness and their ability to adjust.

The only fatality was Rambut, the old warrior who had watched over his herd of sheep, then goats, for well over ten years. The only other effects were a roughed up heifer, three very frightened kids, and two canine tooth marks on one small but courageous white doe.  I believe the donkey and “Butterball” became a little closer that day.   Nowadays, I often look out and see the two of them grazing close together while keeping a watch on the goats.  Butterball’s wounds will heal.  I often see her lying on a patch of hay with most of the goats close by. The smaller ones enjoy crawling up on her. She doesn’t appear to mind a bit. 

However, one has to grudgingly admire these “Brush” wolves, whose only objective is to secure a living off the lesser inhabitants of their domain. They should not be underestimated.   Meanwhile, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) claim there is no Coyote problem in Ontario.

Although Brush Wolves had previously been known to have preferred to attack during the cover of darkness, and almost never were seen to attack domestic animals in the daytime, they are now confident enough to attack anytime of the day.

Domestic dogs are practically useless in discouraging the new "Brush Wolf" attacks as they are so large now that the dogs are intimidated and will not interfere.

The best animal to have as an effective defence against these new wolves is a good donkey.  The more the better.

If one is to pasture cattle in an unprotected pasture, they should be horned.  One cow by itself is practically defenceless against wolves.  A number of cows (or sheep) will form a protective circle, facing outwards when threatened by wolves.

Wolves prefer to go after cattle rather than goats.

Butterball is now a healthy 5 years old, and a devoted mum of a bouncing young heifer who is utterly beautiful.   She was a dynamo during the fracas.  If her horns had not been burned off by her previous owner, she would have inflicted terrible damage on some wolves.  Her wounds can be seen in this photo taken the day after the attack, where chunks of hair were bitten off.   Both the donkey and Butterball are heroes for their successful stand against the pack of wolves.   

Fact:  The typical wolf killing pattern is for one wolf to grab the prey by the rear and hold it while its partner tears out the throat.
 In the Autumn, the parents will teach the new crop of youngsters how this is done.

Aftermath: The author has increased his herd of Highland Cattle to fourteen, including one large bull and six mature cows.  The herd of goats are now restricted to an enclosure with seven foot high game fencing.  In three years, there have been no further instances of Brush Wolves attacking any of his animals, despite the fact that several wolves have habitually ventured inside the electric fence when they smelled an afterbirth or a carcass.  They still have the donkey to contend with.

Wolves are Not Protected:  With the recent flow of people from unprofitable farmland, new opportunities are opening for the almost extinct eastern Grey Wolf.  There is reported to be a small population of pure Grey Wolves in La Maurice National Park in Quebec.  They are smaller than all other Grey Wolves, excepting the Mexican Wolf.  If on-going tests  prove this report to be correct, these wolves must be protected at all costs.  With the remarkable spread of Brush Wolves throughout eastern Canada and northern New England, there is no question that these two distinct populations overlap.

It is a well known fact that female Wolves (of all varieties), Coyotes, and their Hybrids, will seek out the strongest male they can find during their short breeding season, regardless whether they have a year round consort or not.  This is a necessary ploy to maintain and strengthen the species, and it is during these lone forays that hybridization occurs.

It is bewildering that all the provinces of eastern Canada and the states of northern New England would allow unlimited killing of such closely related species outside our National Parks is unfathomable.  People in the east tend to think of themselves as "ecologically enlightened"  but in reality, that is not the case.  Perhaps someday, a senior level of government or some entity with the resources will sue them for not protecting all varieties of wolves.

To have an affect on this shameful situation, phone or write to your MPP, MP or Congressman.  Only the pressure of their constituents will move them to action.

Some popular fallacies about Coyotes 

1.  Coyotes will not breed with Grey wolves.  (false)
Packs of "Coyotes" have been dna tested in eastern Ontario.  In several cases, the alpha male was a pure Grey wolf.  The alpha female was a Coyote/Red wolf hybrid (Brush wolf) or pure Coyote.   Never the other way around.

2.  The largest Coyotes are found in the northeastern New England States.  (false)
Eastern coyotes first hybridized with Red wolves in Ontario's Algonquin Park.  They have spread out from there as far east as Newfoundland, and as far south as Alabama.  In the early 21st century, large northern male Grey wolves were dropped off in south-eastern Ontario in an effort to decrease the over-abundant deer population.  Since that time, people have reported in many instances, seeing a large male leading a pack of smaller Brush wolves.  The largest "Coyotes" or more accurately Brush wolves, are in Eastern Ontario.

3.  Coyotes can be wiped out through human persecution.  (false)
In every location where Coyotes have been persecuted, they have bounced back by having two litters per year.