New England, a region celebrated for its dense forests and diverse wildlife, often sparks questions about the presence of its historical apex predators. Many wonder if the gray wolf, a once-common inhabitant, still roams the landscapes of states like Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.
Current Status in New England
True gray wolves (Canis lupus) do not have established, breeding populations in New England today. While suitable habitat and prey exist, no documented packs reside permanently within its borders. Occasional unconfirmed sightings or transient individuals may occur, potentially dispersing from wolf populations in Canada, such as those in Quebec, approximately 75 to 200 miles from the Maine and New Hampshire borders.
Since the 1990s, individual wolves have ventured into the Northeast, with several instances of them being shot or identified through DNA analysis in Maine, Vermont, and Massachusetts. One notable case involved a gray wolf killed in western Massachusetts in 2007, confirmed by DNA as a wild gray wolf, marking the first such identification in that state in 160 years. Despite these rare occurrences, they do not indicate a resident population, but rather isolated movements of individual animals.
A Look Back: Wolves in New England’s Past
Wolves once ranged throughout New England and the broader Northeast. These canids were integral to the ecosystem, preying on ungulates like woodland caribou, deer, and moose. With the arrival of European settlers, their fortunes began to change.
Widespread hunting, trapping, and habitat destruction led to their extirpation from the region. Early colonial towns, such as Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630, enacted bounties for dead wolves, viewing them as threats to livestock. As forests were cleared for agriculture and native prey populations diminished, wolves increasingly turned to livestock, intensifying conflict with humans. This systematic persecution resulted in the disappearance of wolves from most of southern New England by the late 18th century. They persisted in parts of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine until the late 19th or early 20th century, with the last New Hampshire wolf bounty paid in 1895.
Identifying Similar Canids
Confusion often arises between true wolves and other canid species found in New England, particularly eastern coyotes. These eastern coyotes, sometimes referred to as “coywolves,” are a hybrid lineage. Their genetic makeup includes a mix of western coyote, eastern wolf, gray wolf, and domestic dog DNA.
Eastern coyotes are larger than their western counterparts, with adults weighing between 34 to 50 pounds, and some reaching up to 75 pounds. This increased size, due to their wolf genetic contribution, often leads to them being mistaken for wolves.
Distinguishing characteristics include a wolf’s larger overall size (70-115 pounds), with a blockier snout, shorter, more rounded ears, and larger feet (tracks around 5 inches long). Eastern coyotes, in contrast, have a narrower, more pointed snout and relatively larger, more pointed ears. While both canids howl, coyote howls are higher-pitched and may include yips, whereas wolf howls are deeper. Most “wolf” sightings in New England are, in fact, eastern coyotes.