This will be a trip this ice fisherman will never forget.
During the freezing cold winter months, ice fishing is a great outlet for outdoorsmen to get out of the house and on the water. But, I highly doubt witnessing a wolf chase down a coyote was the last thing on this person’s ice fishing bingo card.
Wolves are the largest members of the canid family, with adult males weighing up to 145 pounds and measuring up to six feet in length. Adult females are slightly smaller, weighing up to 100 pounds and measuring up to five feet in length.
Coyotes are smaller than wolves, with adult males weighing up to 50 pounds and measuring up to four feet in length. Coyotes have a lean, agile build and are known for their cunning and adaptability.
While wolves and coyotes are both members of the canid family, they have distinct differences in their behavior and interactions with each other. Wolves are social animals that live in packs, which can include up to a dozen individuals. They communicate with each other through a variety of vocalizations, including howling, growling, and barking. Wolves are apex predators that prey on a variety of animals, including elk, deer, moose, bison, and smaller mammals like rabbits and rodents.
Coyotes, on the other hand, are opportunistic predators that will hunt and scavenge a variety of animals, including small mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects. They are also known to feed on fruits and vegetation. Coyotes are adaptable animals that can thrive in a variety of environments, from deserts to forests to urban areas.
In terms of interactions between wolves and coyotes, the two animals are known to compete for resources like food and territory. Wolves are known to kill coyotes, and coyotes will avoid areas where wolves are present.
With that being said, this ice fisherman got to see this competition play out live and in person, as a wolf quickly chased a coyote across a frozen lake in Heyden, Ontario. As you can see, the wolf is quickly gaining ground on the coyote, and although we didn’t get to see the end result in this one, it appears that this one probably didn’t end pretty for the coyote.