# I swear this looks like a wolf



## TheMAIT

I know, I know...there haven't been wolves in the southern Lower Peninsula in 150 years...but look what I just encountered last night.

I had opened my garage completely to let "warmer" air in before planning on going out to butcher I deer I've had hanging. After a few hours, at about 11:30, I glanced outside to see the lights on in my garage, ones which turn on when you cross the sensor. I thought it was weird since the doors had been opened for awhile. I opened the door to my house and there is a massive wolf/coyote/dog beast standing at the threshold of my garage. All black except for a small white spot on his lower chest. I stepped back inside and grabbed my phone. As I stepped around the corner again, I captured a pretty grainy image of him giving one short growl/bark and taking off. *The size of the thing gave me the Willys. * I've hunted enough to see my fair share of coyotes and even had them come almost up to me in a pack when I was gutting a deer once-but this creeped me out. I put a trail cam out to see if he came back. The time stamp wasn't set right, so I don't know how long after he came back. But, the diagonal support coming down off of my garage is 31" tall at the bottom. I kept telling my wife this thing dwarfed our golden. My dog is a pretty average sized, 80-90lb golden retriever I brought out for a comparison this morning in just about the same spot.

What are your thoughts of what this is? Planning on sending it over to our DNR to see what there thoughts are.


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## PerchPatrol

That thing sure is big.


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## Sprytle

Does'nt look like a friendly puppy!


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## Luv2hunteup

It looks like a dog to me.


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## Jbra

Holy cow! Where are you located?


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## TheMAIT

Luv2hunteup said:


> It looks like a dog to me.


Maybe...but not collared, debris in coat, running around at and after midnight in below freezing temps....just creepy...lol


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## TheMAIT

Jbra said:


> Holy cow! Where are you located?


Freaking Plymouth!


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## John Hine

It does look like a wolf but from the profile it’s clearly a German Shepard.


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## sparky18181

German shepherd.


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## Rasher

I can see your thought, but thats a black shephard, we took one about a month ago to MHS that was 127lbs


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## wpmisport

Call animal control (if you have them in your area) and have them trap it, maybe you will find out which Neighbor has one.


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## cotote wacker

Its a dog.....I've seen 100's of wolfs in the UP it just doesn't fit the profile very good....


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## TheMAIT

cotote wacker said:


> Its a dog.....I've seen 100's of wolfs in the UP it just doesn't fit the profile very good....


What is it about the profile which convinces you it's a dog and not wolf. I'm not disagreeing with you...I'm just curious as to what stands out to you?


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## KGDPD

Ears, face fur


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## MPOW

Luv2hunteup said:


> It looks like a dog to me.


wolf


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## Waif

Why it's mouth is open so much....I've had wolf shepherds , outside of summer heat they wouldn't stress like that in the cold.

Wolves have a lankiness of frame when legs are watched. Tall when standing , low when rushing. But wide chests. Mass on hindquarters. Chest and quarters drive the four wheels. Midsection tries to stay out of the way.

Your critter has puny hind quarters. And if you watch German shepherds you'll note a "slink" to thier posture. Your pictures do not show that stoop/curl /slink unwound in any of them. Granted , no clear standing pics. But that might be a lack of situational awareness too. Not as common in more edgy wilder canines. Except for thiefs caught prior...

More wolf than yote if there were no domestic dogs of varied pedigree about.
Only guessing it's domestic from within a mile away and drawn by scent. Or feral former domestic..

It's around yote breeding season. Wouldn't expect a solo loitering around blood and meat scent for long instead of chasing romance. Or running with litter mates /pack.


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## Thirty pointer




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## Thirty pointer

Head too small for wolf Could be a cross breed .


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## SteelSearchin

Also looks like it might have a collar on in some of the pics. There is a definite crease in the animal's fur lower than you would expect a collar to be, but it is likely covered by the dog's coat.


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## IceHog

Short rounded ears sure resemble a wolf more so than a German Shepherd.


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## TheMAIT

gunfun13 said:


> We are practically neighbors, wondering what issue you've had that warrants putting a trail cam on your garage?


I love watching deer run through my yard so I have 3 up... Lol.... my wife says I'm crazy. Anyway, when I saw this beast standing there last night....and my wife was rolling her eyes when I came in and said "I know it can't be a wolf....but if we weren't in the LP, I'd bet money there was a big-*** wolf trying to get at my deer in the garage just now." So, as any good husband does, who isn't believed by his wife about the near death experience he just had, I moved one of those cameras to my garage hoping he'd come back (and to prove her wrong)!


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## TheMAIT

Lucky Dog said:


> I'll bet that if the OP said the photo's were from Newberry, most of the answers would be wolf.


I kinda agree... lol! Just kidding, these pics were from northern Canada! Ok, go....what is it!?!?!


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## trucker3573

This thread is a joke right?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## sureshot006

Lucky Dog said:


> I'll bet that if the OP said the photo's were from Newberry, most of the answers would be wolf.


I dont think so... a few of us would have said dog even if it was from the wolf enclosure at the zoo.


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## piketroller

Obviously it's the Michigan Dogman.


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## TheMAIT

100% real....from the Plymouth/Northville border last night. 



trucker3573 said:


> This thread is a joke right?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## martini77

Are you channeling waif with this post? 

That's a big canine in the photos!


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## sparky18181

sureshot006 said:


> I dont think so... a few of us would have said dog even if it was from the wolf enclosure at the zoo.


You are exactly right Doesnt have anything to do with where it was spotted. A dogs a dog and a wolf or coyote is a wolf or coyote.


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## Waif




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## salinehunter

TheMAIT said:


> 100% real....from the Plymouth/Northville border last night.


I grew up right there on that same border. Scary to think now that as a kid I could have been plucked off my bike by that Direwolf.


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## trucker3573

TheMAIT said:


> 100% real....from the Plymouth/Northville border last night.


I only say that as in my opinion as clear as that is a garage door in the pic is also the presence of a dog. Just go out with some bacon. He will be your friend for life. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## loomis82

That bottom pic definitely looks like a rabid golden retriever if I ever saw one!


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## motoscoota

Coywolf?








In suburban Rockland County New York(suburb of NYC), so-called journalists are seeking to scare people about Eastern Coyotes(e.g. Coywolves), calling them "dangerous" and making them out to be "frankenstein-like"................I thought that the beginning of this new year of 2018 merited another review of what the Eastern Coyote is and what it is not---- and what it is doing in our woods, fields, towns and cities...........Just to reiterate, THE COYWOLF IS NOT A THING,,,,,,,AND IT IS NOT LOOKING TO EAT YOU!


http://theconversation.com/yes-eastern-coyotes-are-hybrids-but-the-coywolf-is-not-a-thing-50368 You might rememberhaving seen this Ea...




coyotes-wolves-cougars.blogspot.com












Black coyotes?


What’s the scoop on black coyotes? Have heard of people claiming they saw one but hadn’t seen even a really dark one until yesterday when I saw a medium sized black k-9 running with a bigger silver coyote. Beautiful coats on them. Are they pretty common?




www.michigan-sportsman.com





Only way to know for sure is to trap the SOB! That's too close to home!

Every pic has a pair of dots in the dark background also, but they look to be still. Am I the only one seeing that?


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## Waif

motoscoota said:


> Coywolf?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> In suburban Rockland County New York(suburb of NYC), so-called journalists are seeking to scare people about Eastern Coyotes(e.g. Coywolves), calling them "dangerous" and making them out to be "frankenstein-like"................I thought that the beginning of this new year of 2018 merited another review of what the Eastern Coyote is and what it is not---- and what it is doing in our woods, fields, towns and cities...........Just to reiterate, THE COYWOLF IS NOT A THING,,,,,,,AND IT IS NOT LOOKING TO EAT YOU!
> 
> 
> http://theconversation.com/yes-eastern-coyotes-are-hybrids-but-the-coywolf-is-not-a-thing-50368 You might rememberhaving seen this Ea...
> 
> 
> 
> 
> coyotes-wolves-cougars.blogspot.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Black coyotes?
> 
> 
> What’s the scoop on black coyotes? Have heard of people claiming they saw one but hadn’t seen even a really dark one until yesterday when I saw a medium sized black k-9 running with a bigger silver coyote. Beautiful coats on them. Are they pretty common?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> www.michigan-sportsman.com
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Only way to know for sure is to trap the SOB! That's too close to home!
> 
> Every pic has a pair of dots in the dark background also, but they look to be still. Am I the only one seeing that?


Where those dots are seem tight to the house or structure.
Daylight picture , camera angle changed to not be able to see to the left of the shepherd's hook (for plant hanging , not the shepherd mix canine) about a foot and roughly level with the foreground trash can's lid where dots seem to be (for my eyes anyways.).


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## Outdoorfan

DNR said for years and years there were no Cougars in Michigan either.


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## augustus0603

But they've already admitted there are wolves in the NLP. 

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk


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## tenring

SteelSearchin said:


> Also looks like it might have a collar on in some of the pics. There is a definite crease in the animal's fur lower than you would expect a collar to be, but it is likely covered by the dog's coat.


Good catch. That's a typical crease in the fur from a previously collared wolf. How did the wolf end up in Plymouth? What happened to the tracking collar?


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## Botiz

I think if it was a wolf chances are it wouldn’t be hanging out by itself. It’s a dog. 

It does look like one you don’t want to mess with. I’d alert animal control, leave my trail cam up (on video mode) and I’d think about calling a trapper to try to work out some way to apprehend that dude.


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## Outdoorfan

augustus0603 said:


> But they've already admitted there are wolves in the NLP.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk


The wolf, cougar FB is showing Cougars pictures in the LP.


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## hankrt

Their all related to the Wolf, still a little scary to run into one in the dark....


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## motoscoota

Macs13 said:


> Y'all missed that his posts were dripping with sarcasm?
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


That one was actually pretty darn funny!

Got to remember, at the end of the day, a forums is for entertainment purposes😁.


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## Martin Looker

Why just bring one wolf south. Bring a pair so they can spread, after all you can't kill them so everybody can share them. The UP doesn't need them all to themselves.


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## Grinnell

I came across a small pack of feral dogs on the outskirts of Plymouth in 1992. Buddy and I were in mischief mode by the railroad tracks. The pack leader looked like a giant wolfhound. Scraggly, aggressive, scary. The crew associated with it was no different. Back then, there was tons of vacant land- consistent with Hines corridor. Perhaps one of the most scary things I’ve seen.


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## Martin Looker

I've only seen one feral dog and she was nuts. She made the mistake of going after a new born calf and found out that cow wasn't afraid of her. We found her mangled back in the pasture and the cow was still waiting to move when we got back there. The cow was nuts also for the first week or two after she had a calf.


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## Uncle Boopoo

So obviously this must’ve been the dog that the local police department said they kept getting calls on. It wasn’t Feral and the owners have been looking for it. It’s amazing how bad people are at identifying animals 😂


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## sureshot006

Uncle Boopoo said:


> So obviously this must’ve been the dog that the local police department said they kept getting calls on. It wasn’t Feral and the owners have been looking for it. It’s amazing how bad people are at identifying animals 😂


Yep. They mistake elk for deer too!


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## Uncle Boopoo

sureshot006 said:


> Yep. They mistake elk for deer too!


And bobcats for Cougars


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## Liver and Onions

And alligators and crocodiles.
How about leopards and jaguars ?
Lizards and salamanders.

L & O


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## largemouth19

That's a big animal for sure but I think it's a German Shepherd, MAYBE a mix. But to me the tail looks bushy like a coyote.


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## sureshot006

Liver and Onions said:


> And alligators and crocodiles.
> How about leopards and jaguars ?
> Lizards and salamanders.
> 
> L & O


Men and women


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## Liver and Onions

sureshot006 said:


> Men and women


Sometimes.


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## triplelunger

I find it most difficult to tell the difference between know it all's and douche bags.


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## sureshot006

triplelunger said:


> I find it most difficult to tell the difference between know it all's and douche bags.


You don't have a Ram "power wagon" do you?


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## TheHighLIfe

OK, OK, OK.....

I just got on this thread, already 93 deep

it's been quite entertaining! TY all!

it seems like too many 'meant as humor' comments flew way over the heads of those dead ass serious people who are just on here lookin for a verbal fight after professing their wisdom, most notable the lack of it! 

I am blown away how many people are so poor at animal identification
quite clear that this is a descendant of lassie returning from a BDM meeting 

then again, people identification has become difficult, too! there's now some 'hard to tell' creatures entering the men's rooms across the country - or ladies rooms in some states? 

hell, I don't know, I just know there are damned fast women swimmers nowadays!

but I give the gold medal of this thread to triplelunger - my wife and I are still laughing! TY!


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## piketroller

sureshot006 said:


> You don't have a Ram "power wagon" do you?
> 
> View attachment 811897


Somebody's jelly of the Power Wagon.


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## sureshot006

piketroller said:


> Somebody's jelly of the Power Wagon.


The other day my wife and I stopped behind one at a light. I always thought it was a really dumb thing to put on a vehicle but never said anything. Out of nowhere my wife said "what kind of person gets 'power wagon' on their tailgate? I'm surprised there aren't rubber nuts hanging on it too".


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## Botiz

I was raised an absolute hill billy, so I must admit the phrase Power Wagon makes the little mullet wearing, Mountain Dew drinking boy inside of me want to pump his fist and say “Hell yeah!”


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## piketroller

Unless you live at the Hidden Valley estate, driving something called a King Ranch is a thousand times more douchey than driving a Power Wagon.


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## sureshot006

piketroller said:


> Unless you live at the Hidden Valley estate, driving something called a King Ranch is a thousand times more douchey than driving a Power Wagon.


I think the opposite. Both are odd though. I guarantee the power wagon in Wayne Co guy doesn't know the difference between a house cat and a cougar.


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## sureshot006

Botiz said:


> I was raised an absolute hill billy, so I must admit the phrase Power Wagon makes the little mullet wearing, Mountain Dew drinking boy inside of me want to pump his fist and say “Hell yeah!”


That thing got a hemi?


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## Papa Bear JD

TheMAIT said:


> I know, I know...there haven't been wolves in the southern Lower Peninsula in 150 years...but look what I just encountered last night.
> 
> I had opened my garage completely to let "warmer" air in before planning on going out to butcher I deer I've had hanging. After a few hours, at about 11:30, I glanced outside to see the lights on in my garage, ones which turn on when you cross the sensor. I thought it was weird since the doors had been opened for awhile. I opened the door to my house and there is a massive wolf/coyote/dog beast standing at the threshold of my garage. All black except for a small white spot on his lower chest. I stepped back inside and grabbed my phone. As I stepped around the corner again, I captured a pretty grainy image of him giving one short growl/bark and taking off. *The size of the thing gave me the Willys. * I've hunted enough to see my fair share of coyotes and even had them come almost up to me in a pack when I was gutting a deer once-but this creeped me out. I put a trail cam out to see if he came back. The time stamp wasn't set right, so I don't know how long after he came back. But, the diagonal support coming down off of my garage is 31" tall at the bottom. I kept telling my wife this thing dwarfed our golden. My dog is a pretty average sized, 80-90lb golden retriever I brought out for a comparison this morning in just about the same spot.
> 
> What are your thoughts of what this is? Planning on sending it over to our DNR to see what there thoughts are.
> View attachment 810728
> View attachment 810729
> View attachment 810730
> View attachment 810731
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> View attachment 810733
> View attachment 810734


Pretty sure that is a GSD. Ears kind a give it away. At any rate that is a very large K-9.


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## tenring

At least the OP didn't stumble across this guy creeping around his garage a night. 






This video is from 2016, so guessing it made its rounds on here at some point.


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## sureshot006

tenring said:


> At least the OP didn't stumble across this guy creeping around his garage a night.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This video is from 2016, so guessing it made its rounds on here at some point.


Damn that's the biggest otter I've ever seen!


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## tenring

sureshot006 said:


> Men and women


If you make that mistake, you might end up like Ace Ventura in the crying game scene. Don't end up like Ace Ventura in the crying game scene.


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## Nostromo

tenring said:


> At least the OP didn't stumble across this guy creeping around his garage a night.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This video is from 2016, so guessing it made its rounds on here at some point.


That's another bear I wouldn't shoot.


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## TheMAIT

Uncle Boopoo said:


> So obviously this must’ve been the dog that the local police department said they kept getting calls on. It wasn’t Feral and the owners have been looking for it. It’s amazing how bad people are at identifying animals 😂


I’m not sure if you are trying to be funny or not. 
And to the guy who posted about no feral dogs in the area, I appreciate the expert knowledge you have on the feral dog population in the Plymouth Northville area. I can sleep better knowing your guarantee. My property actual borders Hines Park....so there is actually a decent amount of area for wildlife to roam. Nevertheless, I’m not going to say what is or is not out there-just to make a statement or to belittle others.

Update: she was captured by a neighbor in his garage, the police seized her, and she is currently in a shelter. From what he told me: She was very skittish around humans initially..._and I haven’t heard if she ever warmed up. Didn’t seem to be neither wild nor domesticated. Injured paw. Was not chipped. I don’t know if they are looking for owners or testing her to see if they can determine what she is. All I’ve heard is that she looks even more massive in person than she did on camera. A wild animal shelter is trying to get possession of her, in case she is determined to be a wolfdog and euthanized.


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## motoscoota

TheMAIT said:


> I’m not sure if you are trying to be funny or not.
> And to the guy who posted about no feral dogs in the area, I appreciate the expert knowledge you have on the feral dog population in the Plymouth Northville area. I can sleep better knowing your guarantee. My property actual borders Hines Park....so there is actually a decent amount of area for wildlife to roam. Nevertheless, I’m not going to say what is or is not out there-just to make a statement or to belittle others.
> 
> Update: she was captured by a neighbor in his garage, the police seized her, and she is currently in a shelter. From what he told me: She was very skittish around humans initially..._and I haven’t heard if she ever warmed up. Didn’t seem to be neither wild nor domesticated. Injured paw. Was not chipped. I don’t know if they are looking for owners or testing her to see if they can determine what she is. All I’ve heard is that she looks even more massive in person than she did on camera. A wild animal shelter is trying to get possession of her, in case she is determined to be a wolfdog and euthanized.


Nice to hear level heads prevailing!

I truly feel for the plight of this animal. Her behavior indicated she was likely not doing well, now confirmed. It's good news her suffering can be managed now.

Good neighbor for performing humane capture and turning to qualified help thereafter.

Lot's to learn from all this. Thank you for sharing.


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## Macs13

Nostromo said:


> That's another bear I wouldn't shoot.


As I recall, a bowhunter did, in fact, kill Pedals shortly after he became famous. 

Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


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## Nostromo

TheMAIT said:


> I’m not sure if you are trying to be funny or not.
> And to the guy who posted about no feral dogs in the area, I appreciate the expert knowledge you have on the feral dog population in the Plymouth Northville area. I can sleep better knowing your guarantee. My property actual borders Hines Park....so there is actually a decent amount of area for wildlife to roam. Nevertheless, I’m not going to say what is or is not out there-just to make a statement or to belittle others.
> 
> Update: she was captured by a neighbor in his garage, the police seized her, and she is currently in a shelter. From what he told me: She was very skittish around humans initially..._and I haven’t heard if she ever warmed up. Didn’t seem to be neither wild nor domesticated. Injured paw. Was not chipped. I don’t know if they are looking for owners or testing her to see if they can determine what she is. All I’ve heard is that she looks even more massive in person than she did on camera. A wild animal shelter is trying to get possession of her, in case she is determined to be a wolfdog and euthanized.


1. I was the one who said there were no packs of feral dogs in your area. I said because it is true. 


Macs13 said:


> As I recall, a bowhunter did, in fact, kill Pedals shortly after he became famous.
> 
> Sent from my SM-G988U using Michigan Sportsman mobile app


Bow hunter. Well that figures. lol


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## motoscoota

Important to understand, the breeds are blury all over these days...








Wildlife experts baffled by mystery canine rescued in Pennsylvania


Is it a coyote? A dog? Genetic samples have been sent to a lab to confirm the animal's identity




www.phillyvoice.com


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## Chriss83

Nostromo said:


> 1. I was the one who said there were no packs of feral dogs in your area. I said because it is true.
> 
> Bow hunter. Well that figures. lol


How do you KNOW there is no feral dogs in an area?


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## piketroller

Chriss83 said:


> How do you KNOW there is no feral dogs in an area?


Probably too many Chinese restaurants around there.


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## Nostromo

Chriss83 said:


> How do you KNOW there is no feral dogs in an area?


Same way anybody would know.


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## sureshot006

Chriss83 said:


> How do you KNOW there is no feral dogs in an area?


"I pay $$$$ taxes so there are no feral dogs".


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## Chriss83

sureshot006 said:


> "I pay $$$$ taxes so there are no feral dogs".


It's impressive. Never knew there was a city in the country without feral dogs here and there. Learn something new every day!!!


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## motoscoota

Yep. Oakland, CA... lots of junk yards with loose dogs. A good population of pit mixes on the loose, packed up - often led by a smart Chewawah. They knew how to use crosswalks!

Really funny to see while driving, but not so funny when you're going for a walk.


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## sureshot006

Chriss83 said:


> It's impressive. Never knew there was a city in the country without feral dogs here and there. Learn something new every day!!!


Probably depends on how you define feral. Probably not a lot of truly feral dogs, but some.


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## TheMAIT

Nostromo said:


> 1. I was the one who said there were no packs of feral dogs in your area. I said because it is true.
> 
> Bow hunter. Well that figures. lol


That really is a stupid thing to say. I doubt you
live in the Northville/Plymouth area...and even if you did, to say there aren’t any feral dogs in a particular area, insinuating that anyone who could believe there was was and idiot, was just a ludicrous thing to say.


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## Nostromo

TheMAIT said:


> That really is a stupid thing to say. I doubt you
> live in the Northville/Plymouth area...and even if you did, to say there aren’t any feral dogs in a particular area, insinuating that anyone who could believe there was was and idiot, was just a ludicrous thing to say.


I didn't insinuate anything. Also, since nobody else values your emotions and insults. Maybe you should keep them to yourself.


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## Martin Looker

One more thread that has turned into a p**** match. Don't you guys have anything better to do?


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