Wolves in eastern Kentucky

[Stormcrow]

I was reading an article in a local paper for Laurel County (don't ask me what it was called, I have no idea--my aunt had it), about a man in Stab that shot a "wolf". It definitely didn't look like a wolf, much too slim and much too small, my personal opinion is of a coyote/domestic dog hybrid. The man that shot it said it was a wolf, he had no doubt about it, because it was aggressive... well, if a coyote is mixed with an aggressive breed of dog, then there you go. It didn't look like a fully blooded anything, and more like a domestic dog than anything. I can't find an article about it on line, but if anyone else knows about it, or has found an article about it I could see again--with color pictures--I'd be soooo grateful. ):

[Ignus Fatuus]

I was reading an article in a local paper for Laurel County (don't ask me what it was called, I have no idea--my aunt had it), about a man in Stab that shot a "wolf". It definitely didn't look like a wolf, much too slim and much too small, my personal opinion is of a coyote/domestic dog hybrid. The man that shot it said it was a wolf, he had no doubt about it, because it was aggressive... well, if a coyote is mixed with an aggressive breed of dog, then there you go. It didn't look like a fully blooded anything, and more like a domestic dog than anything. I can't find an article about it on line, but if anyone else knows about it, or has found an article about it I could see again--with color pictures--I'd be soooo grateful. ):

Hey, down here in Kentucky with ya. There are many wolves being kept as pets here in Kentucky.(more than you would think) It would be easy to say that a wolf escaped and produced a hybrid or simply escaped and was shot by this man. Personally I have not seen or read anything about it. If you find out anything I would like to know.

[wolfknight]

Hey, down here in Kentucky with ya. There are many wolves being kept as pets here in Kentucky.(more than you would think) It would be easy to say that a wolf escaped and produced a hybrid or simply escaped and was shot by this man. Personally I have not seen or read anything about it. If you find out anything I would like to know.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife have released wolves and rattlesnakes in Eastern Kentucky. There reasoning is that they were here before. Go figure only in Kentucky lol. Welcome to UM fellow Kentuckian

[Ignus Fatuus]

The Department of Fish and Wildlife have released wolves and rattlesnakes in Eastern Kentucky. There reasoning is that they were here before. Go figure only in Kentucky lol. Welcome to UM fellow Kentuckian

Thats rattlesnakes and bears Wolfknight. I also heard that they had released wolves but upon talking to Don Fig who just retired for the National Forestry service and is also my neighbor wolves will be released in Kentucky when the elk population gets to a certain point. They released some bears here in the Red River Gorge twenty years ago and they have just in the past few years seen bears with cubs here. This points to the bears setting a stable population here. I have not personally seen one but have tracked many and have gotten close to them. I know this due to the tree stumps getting pushed over near me and claw marks made on trees along trails that I have turned around on to go back out of the woods. We have also (NOT) had black panthers here in Kentucky for the past few years. It's funny how so many people see mountain lions and such, when the forestry service has had no tangable evidence to support them being here.

This does not mean in any way that they are not here though!!!

[wolfknight]

They released what is called a honey bear here in Henry County. It is a small brown bear. I have seen the tracks.

[Ignus Fatuus]

They released what is called a honey bear here in Henry County. It is a small brown bear. I have seen the tracks.

Was it the Forestry service that released the honey bear, individuals, or maybe the Kentucky Wild Game Hunters. These bad boys are known for releasing caught animals in the wild, giving them time and then having a hunt with winner taking all as they make bets on who will kill the animal. When I was a teenager some fools actually released a Jaguar in neighboring Lee County. The animal was caught killing chickens and put down by local police. They should have at least used tranqualizers ... wasnt the cats fault.

Also I know of some hillbillies in Wolfe County of all places that keep some wolves on their farm. Dont know if they still have them though.

Edited May 19, 2008 by bogcreeper

[wolfknight]

I was told it was Wildlife and the bear were tagged.

[BlueZone]

They released what is called a honey bear here in Henry County. It is a small brown bear. I have seen the tracks.

I saw wildcat tracks when I was hiking around here last winter. Everyone says reintroducing top level predators is necessary for the ecosystem because the deer population is totally out of control. But it was scary to realize I was alone in the woods and there was a wildcat nearby. I think we have wolves again too.

[Ignus Fatuus]

I saw wildcat tracks when I was hiking around here last winter. Everyone says reintroducing top level predators is necessary for the ecosystem because the deer population is totally out of control. But it was scary to realize I was alone in the woods and there was a wildcat nearby. I think we have wolves again too.

From New York ... wolves are there. I read something not too long ago about wolves making a comeback to the northeastern U.S.

You are lucky the cat didnt wail at you ... it would have put chills up and down your spine for hours.

[wolfknight]

A fox wailing at night sound like a baby or a woman screaming

[HowdyDoo]

West Kentucky here--

We have wolves, but also panthers. We have a creek named after them, but I've never seen one. Our cocker spaniel was torn up once, the vet said it looked like a wild cat or panther got at her from the teeth puncture wounds. A huge piece of skin (her whole underbelly) had been torn away and was just hanging like a flap. She was able to stitch her up, though.

[Ignus Fatuus]

A fox wailing at night sound like a baby or a woman screaming

Yup, I have heard that before ... my family used to raise Red Foxes. Bobcats make sounds that resemble an ambulance. On one camping trip a friend and I had this experience. He went over by the creek and upon coming back he said "there was something on the other side of the creek. It took off while we were there" As soon as he said that the bobcat wailed " RRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!. It caught me for a second, but my friend had already picked up his dog and was getting out of dodge. The first time I heard one I was deep in the forest of Natural Bridge State Park here where I live. I was by myself when I noticed movement on the cliff line above me. We stared each other down for a few seconds before it ran around the cliff and screamed at me. Took me a few minutes to carry on with my hike. The sound was deafening.

There are tales of Banshee's here in this area. I think they are foxes ... yet no one believes me. They will believe in Banshee's before Red Foxes!!! IDIOTS!!

[wolfknight]

LOL @ bog true old wives tell.

[Ignus Fatuus]

West Kentucky here--

We have wolves, but also panthers. We have a creek named after them, but I've never seen one. Our cocker spaniel was torn up once, the vet said it looked like a wild cat or panther got at her from the teeth puncture wounds. A huge piece of skin (her whole underbelly) had been torn away and was just hanging like a flap. She was able to stitch her up, though.

Wolves, no ... Panthers, maybe.

Far Western Kentucky gets roamers from time to time that follow the Mississippi and other streams out of the Ozarks of Arkansas. I have had a love affair with wolves ever since having a Malamute which is part wolf. I have watched KET programs and talked with Forestry officials since I was a teen working summers with them. Do I know for certain? No ... and neither do they. Yet they check up on every or almost every report about non native animals.

[Stormcrow]

The Department of Fish and Wildlife have released wolves and rattlesnakes in Eastern Kentucky. There reasoning is that they were here before. Go figure only in Kentucky lol. Welcome to UM fellow Kentuckian

The only problem with hearing that is I can't find anything that says they actually did, other than hearing people say that. I've looked everywhere for anything about wolves being released here, and I can find nothing.

I don't know why they're putting rattlesnakes out, in the first place, there's tons already around here. Like we need more venomous snakes in eastern KY?

Like others were saying, I know they released bears (had some in my driveway, it was great--mother and cub), but I've not heard anything about wolves. It'd be stupid to do that and not watch them, because that's just what people will do--shoot them. The police were called in to make sure the bear got through the neighborhood unharmed, but I haven't heard anything like that being done for a wolf. If that WAS a wolf the man shot, it would make sense that--if it was released in the state under preservation of the species--it would have been under servalience of some type.

I don't doubt there are pets, but that's completely and utterly illegal, and a little hard to believe that someone that would actually have a pet wolf would be stupid enough to let it reproduce.

We have also (NOT) had black panthers here in Kentucky for the past few years. It's funny how so many people see mountain lions and such, when the forestry service has had no tangable evidence to support them being here.

A lot of my family and friends have actually seen black panthers, really close to the Mt. Vernon and Eubank areas. My aunt saw one one night, said it was about the size of a German Shepard, and spot lighted it across a soybean field behind her house. She even said she heard young mewling outside her bedroom window. But, anyway, I went over to take a look at where she said she saw it, and sure enough, there were big cat tracks (no indentation of claws, and the toes were the same length and the print was very round as a whole) in the mud. My step-brother even said he saw two feeding on road kill up by Berea, on a rural road. My friend claimed to have even been chased by one coming down a back road on a four wheeler. I haven't seen one, but I've heard plenty of stories from people who have. But I guess that's beside the topic.

I honestly believe what that man shot was a coyote hybrid, and I think that since a lot of you are saying that--given you know forestry officials--wolves haven't been released here, certainly that's gotta be it. I have NO idea what the guy is even claiming it's a wolf in the first place, but I'm dying to find an internet article about it that might have better pictures that the news paper article. (It was out of a local paper, London paper, but I don't remember the name of it. ): That's really sad, considering I live in London. XD But if anyone knows the name of that paper, and if they have an online site, that'd be brilliant.)

[Ignus Fatuus]

The only problem with hearing that is I can't find anything that says they actually did, other than hearing people say that. I've looked everywhere for anything about wolves being released here, and I can find nothing.

I don't know why they're putting rattlesnakes out, in the first place, there's tons already around here. Like we need more venomous snakes in eastern KY?

Like others were saying, I know they released bears (had some in my driveway, it was great--mother and cub), but I've not heard anything about wolves. It'd be stupid to do that and not watch them, because that's just what people will do--shoot them. The police were called in to make sure the bear got through the neighborhood unharmed, but I haven't heard anything like that being done for a wolf. If that WAS a wolf the man shot, it would make sense that--if it was released in the state under preservation of the species--it would have been under servalience of some type.

I don't doubt there are pets, but that's completely and utterly illegal, and a little hard to believe that someone that would actually have a pet wolf would be stupid enough to let it reproduce.

A lot of my family and friends have actually seen black panthers, really close to the Mt. Vernon and Eubank areas. My aunt saw one one night, said it was about the size of a German Shepard, and spot lighted it across a soybean field behind her house. She even said she heard young mewling outside her bedroom window. But, anyway, I went over to take a look at where she said she saw it, and sure enough, there were big cat tracks (no indentation of claws, and the toes were the same length and the print was very round as a whole) in the mud. My step-brother even said he saw two feeding on road kill up by Berea, on a rural road. My friend claimed to have even been chased by one coming down a back road on a four wheeler. I haven't seen one, but I've heard plenty of stories from people who have. But I guess that's beside the topic.

I honestly believe what that man shot was a coyote hybrid, and I think that since a lot of you are saying that--given you know forestry officials--wolves haven't been released here, certainly that's gotta be it. I have NO idea what the guy is even claiming it's a wolf in the first place, but I'm dying to find an internet article about it that might have better pictures that the news paper article. (It was out of a local paper, London paper, but I don't remember the name of it. ): That's really sad, considering I live in London. XD But if anyone knows the name of that paper, and if they have an online site, that'd be brilliant.)

Rattlers were almost wiped out due to poachers. Therefore they released some here a few years back in habitates in which they thrive.

On the panther subject, most people see bobcats in a darkened phase and mistake them for panthers ... others like "grandma adams" down here called in with a panther story only to find out that it was a black cat. On the size of bobcats, I once sat in a cave entrance next to a dead waterfall(creek shifted/no water) and saw what I percieved to be a coyote walk on top of the dead waterfall. It took me a second to realize the sum b*$ch was a bobcat. Beautiful!!!

[Anouwah]

no one has wrote back to this in well..years but I read somewhere online (i will try to look for the link again) that Red Wolves were released in North Carolina and Tennessee, so It's highly possible that they traveled here to Kentucky, the 'wolf' the man claimed to shoot, could have been a Red Wolf, Since they do look some what like coyotes.

[Gothraidh]

Can't find anything online about a wolf being killed out in Laurel County. But I hear about panthers "or some big cats" all the time.

Rattlesnakes were brought in again to contain the rodent population, squirrels and rats spread disease to everything else.