Animals that have not been Cape Cod residents in many decades now call the Cape home. The coyote and fisher cat are now permanent residents and I have heard a couple reports of bears being seen on the west side of the canal we recently had a confirmed black bear sighting on Cape Cod. In recent years, wild turkeys have made an amazing comeback. We never saw any bears, coyotes, fishers or turkeys here when I was growing up.
Wolves
In colonial times, wolves were quite a problem here on Cape Cod. Will they make a comeback too?
In 1713, the town of Eastham, much vexed by the depredations of wolves, foxes, and deer, voted that “Three pounds bounty be paid in addition to what is allowed by the Province Law for every head of grown wolves.”
A wolf head a day would thus provide a Cape Cod “head hunter” with an excellent financial return for his work. The wolves were so numerous at that time that it is said the people seriously considered erecting a high fence across the head of the Cape, somewhere in the vicinity of what is now Cape Cod Canal, to keep wolves from getting into their territory.
The coyotes made it across the Cape Cod canal. Since wolves are making quite a comeback, its safe to say they will eventually be here too…
An 86-pound canine shot in New Brunswick, Canada has been confirmed by wildlife officials as the first known wolf in the province since the 1920s, and the first killed there since 1876. Wolf populations are thriving in many parts of the United States and Canada for the first time in many decades.
That will sure change the predator calling around here. It will be much more exciting when you could call something in that could eat you. Like a bear, bobcat, mountain lion or wolf…
Update: The wolves have at least partially returned to Cape Cod…
This October 2013, I saw a canine large enough to be a wolf on long point. If it was a coyote, it was the largest I had ever seen. Does anybody know if wolves have come this way yet?
I have heard some reports of large “wolf sized” canines on Cape Cod over the last few years. Back in 1990, I saw a pack of coyotes on the runway at the Hyannis airport that at the time looked to me like wolves or a pack of sled dogs. Recently there have been reports of “mutated” coyotes here as well.
That’s because the coyotes your seeing are a hybrid canine. they are a mix of western coyote and eastern gray wolf, now called eastern coyote. they are larger than their western cousins. I hope in my life time we get to see the gray wolf make a comeback into MA. WE ARE THE INTRUDERS NOT THEM!!!
Yes!
March 23, 2014
Chapaquoit Beach – West Falmouth MA – 6:10 am
Observed large wolf/coywolf leaving beach area and crossing to west Falmouth harbor. Very alert. Moved quickly. Stopped every two dozen yards to scan then moved on quickly. Impressive size. Perhaps 50-60 lbs.
Yes I saw it too. Huge
This morning at about 5AM I saw a large ‘wolf’ cross behind our house in North Wellfleet. As I look at the pictures of coywloves, I think this may be what I saw.
saw a huge coyote the size of a small wolf on strawberry hill /pine st
back in dec,2017 6:00 a.m. just standing there staring at me. saw a blk/wht
coyote 30’away ice fishing on shallow pd in jan this year as well.