Coyotes or wolves in SW VA?

[Alex]

Hey,
So I went for a little hike last week, from Damascus north to Troutdale. The first night I went past Saunders shelter and camped around Bear Tree Gap. About 2am I hear a howl of some sort, and I think, ok, not sure what that was, whatever. So about 20 minutes later a pack/group of some sort of dogs starts howling for probably 20 seconds straight. There had to have been at least 5 of them, and they were really close. It was loud! Any guess as to what they might have been? Coyotes? Wolves?


-Alex

[Lone Wolf]

Hey,
So I went for a little hike last week, from Damascus north to Troutdale. The first night I went past Saunders shelter and camped around Bear Tree Gap. About 2am I hear a howl of some sort, and I think, ok, not sure what that was, whatever. So about 20 minutes later a pack/group of some sort of dogs starts howling for probably 20 seconds straight. There had to have been at least 5 of them, and they were really close. It was loud! Any guess as to what they might have been? Coyotes? Wolves?


-Alex

coyotes for sure. they're all over this area

[Lellers]

Oh, yeah. Coyotes.

I was wandering around Big Meadows in SNP about 2 weeks ago. I was happily crouched down taking close up photos of wildflowers, butterflies and beetles, when I heard a strange sound. I stood up and saw a fair sized doe running right at me at full speed. I stepped back a few steps, and she passed just a few feet from me, foaming at the mouth. She had come from the direction of Skyline Drive near the Dark Hollow Falls parking area, and headed across the meadow, over the fire road, up the little hill and out of sight. I thought, "Well, that was strange," and strolled back up across the drive towards the visitor's center. A family was standing by the road when I crossed, and the mom said to me, "Did you see the coyote? It chased the deer across the road." I missed seeing the coyote, but I definitely saw the deer up close and personal.

[Wise Old Owl]

Ahh no it was Boy Scout Leaders behaving badly.... there was alcohol and loose women involved and you just happened to be nearby.....Once again adults setting a poor example for hikers - just my IMO.


Why? the Eastern Coyote rarly howels. (Ever) You see them , never hear them.

must have been human.

[Bearpaw]

Plenty of coyotes there. We were listening to a few Saturday night at the Scales near Mt. Rogers.

[vamelungeon]

Lots of coyotes here in SW Va and they do howl. I'd probably be more worried if I didn't hear them.

[TOW]

Coyotes for sure, they even get close to town and do that crap sometimes. Coyotes are a pretty common all over the southeastern United States.

[winger]

One of my personal pleasures is to listen to the coyotes howl in the field behind my house, and to hear them when camping up at Grayson Highlands. I have to go to Bays Mountain Park to see and hear the wolves though.

[SawnieRobertson]

Coyotes YAP.--Kinnickinic

[Tinker]

Ahh no it was Boy Scout Leaders behaving badly.... there was alcohol and loose women involved and you just happened to be nearby.....Once again adults setting a poor example for hikers - just my IMO.


Why? the Eastern Coyote rarly howels. (Ever) You see them , never hear them.

must have been human.

I've heard them howling on numerous occasions in Vt. NY, NH, and ME.
(They must be communicating with western coyotes via the internet ).