Wolf sighting may have gone to the dogs
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POLSON — A possible wolf sighting and tracks in a Polson backyard on Dec. 28 and again on Dec. 31 made headlines around the area.
Now Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribal wildlife biologists think the animals may have been dogs, since they weren’t able to absolutely verify the tracks as wolf tracks.
CSKT Wildlife Program Manager Dale Becker said his department has had other reports about a black dog and a gray dog. These people got a good look at the canines and are certain they were dogs chasing deer.
“One was a Malamute; one was a husky,” Becker said.
Polson resident Joyce Norman, who called in the first sighting and tracks on Dec. 28, said her belief is the animals were wolves. A dog owner and trainer, she’s been around dogs all her life and even owned a kennel in Washington state.
“They weren’t dogs,” Norman said.
She also mentioned a 3-inch wide yellow radio-transmitter collar around the neck of gray animal.
“Dogs wear collars,” Becker said.
He also added that the yellow collar didn’t fit any wolf studies in Montana, although there were yellow-collared wolves in British Columbia and Idaho.
Kent Laudon, Montana State Fish, Wildlife and Parks wolf biologist, said he’s been in contact with tribal biologists, and the sighting is looking more and more like dogs. No area dogs have been beat up or killed, as wolves likely would do, since they look upon dogs as encroaching on their territory.
Norman said she was just trying to raise awareness that there is a possibility of wolves in Polson.
Becker said CSKT wildlife biologists set up motion-sensitive cameras in the area, but all they’ve seen are “dogs, lots of dogs,” some foxes and deer.
One confusing issue is that many people have wolf-hybrid dogs, such as a wolf and husky cross.
These dogs may look “wolfie,” Becker said, adding that neither state nor tribal wildlife officials have seen the animals in question.
