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Two coyotes following a large wolf in Minnesota

Voyageurs Wolf Project | March 29, 2026



This is a fascinating video, though not because the footage looks particularly impressive but because of what is occurring in the footage.

In the video, we have Wolf V094, the breeding male of the Half-Moon Pack, on May 26, 2024 being followed closely by two coyotes. We have collected thousands of videos of wolves and coyotes, and have never seen an instance of coyotes following a wolf around.

And then what is really interesting is that about 5 seconds after the coyotes pass the camera, one of the coyotes starts vocalizing with some barks/yips. We are not sure what exactly is going on here.

Clearly, Wolf V094 had to be aware two coyotes were behind him. But why the coyotes were following him isn’t obvious.

Wolves and coyotes have a complex relationship, and there is likely much we still do not fully understand about this dynamic, especially in places like northern Minnesota.

Wolves often will kill coyotes if given the chance. To avoid these potentially lethal encounters, coyotes tend to change where and when they spend time. For instance, coyotes might avoid certain habitats that wolves prefer or visit these habitats during periods when wolves are less likely to be in those habitats.

However, wolves (and other predators like cougars) also create scavenging opportunities for coyotes by killing large prey. This can mean free meals if coyotes can navigate the risk of encountering wolves.

The net effect of wolves on coyotes, based on several peer-reviewed studies that provide compelling evidence from a variety of different areas, is that wolf populations generally appear to suppress coyote populations to an extent, and the elimination of wolves across almost all of the United States by the mid-1900s allowed coyotes to colonize much of the U.S. and really the entire continent.

Yet, the effect of wolves on coyotes is likely complex, depends on many factors, and likely is not the same or consistent in every ecosystem.

For instance, a recent study in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, not that far away from Minnesota, did not find evidence that the presence of wolves precluded coyotes from occupying parts of their study area. I.e., there was not statistical evidence that wolves were influencing where coyotes lived.

Our point is simply that ecosystems and the interactions between species are complex. Such is the case with wolves and coyotes…and this interesting video provides a snippet of that complexity.

As an aside, this video also shows the substantial size difference between the smaller wolves in Voyageurs and coyotes…i.e., even smaller wolves are still way bigger than coyotes.

Sources:

Fowler et al. 2021. Marginal support for a trophic cascade among sympatric canids in peripheral wolf range. Ecology.

Klauder et al. 2021. Living on the edge: spatial response of coyotes (Canis latrans) to wolves (Canis lupus) in the subarctic. Canadian Journal of Zoology.

Newsome and Ripple. 2015. A continental scale of trophic cascade from wolves through coyotes to foxes. Journal of Animal Ecology.

Murray Berger and Gese. 2007. Does interference competition with wolves limit the distribution and abundance of coyotes? Journal of Animal Ecology.

Kays et al. 2010. Rapid adaptive evolution of northeastern coyotes via hybridization with wolves. Biology Letters.

Learn more about the Voyageurs Wolf Project:
Website: http://www.voyageurswolfproject.org
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/VoyageursWolfProject
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Written by Voyageurs Wolf Project

Comments

This post currently has 28 comments.

  2. @ZephaniahL

    March 29, 2026 at 4:00 am

    How do we know they are following — rather than walking a beaten path by coincidence a little after he did? If the wind was right they might not even known he was there?

  3. @briseboy

    March 29, 2026 at 4:00 am

    Ravens do that, too. Coyotes, btw, can run about 5 mph faster than an adult male wolf, as well as maneuver more quickly. Both, interestingly, can catch any cat unable to find a trees very quickly. The wolf does so due to predictive intelligence.

  4. @stephensaines7100

    March 29, 2026 at 4:00 am

    There's always the chance that this is symbiotic. Wolves and Coyotes sometimes mate. Accepting that, it's not a stretch to believe that they co-exist in some ways, even to the point of hunting together in some instances. It's been known to happen with wolves and bears, even if it's a pecking order.

  5. @JohnSmith-lg2ie

    March 29, 2026 at 4:00 am

    Two intelligent species who probably understand each other better than we can understand them. It's possible local populations might reach an understanding to tolerate or even cooperate with each other. It takes a lot of energy to catch a Coyote.

  7. @camp44mag

    March 29, 2026 at 4:00 am

    That's fascinating, and a great look for comparison of size and feature differences. Thanks a million for the source references in the Description! As I read it, it reminded me of observations I've had over the past ten years, and will enjoy reading for more insights.

  12. @echothegoodwolf

    March 29, 2026 at 4:00 am

    Fascinating. I have two rescue wolfdogs, and there is a coyote in my neighborhood who frequently harasses us (especially my male wolfdog). She follows us on walks in the neighborhood, cutting through peoples yards to pop out in front of where we are to vocalize or scent mark before running off and repeating the process. She comes to the edge of our fence line early in the morning sometimes and vocalizes for 20 minutes. She does seem afraid but ultimately more curious. My wolfdogs do not act in a friendly way toward her at all. But any attempt to scare her off only seems to make her more interested in us. This has been going on for about 2 years (not every day, but we see her at least once a week). Recently she has been bringing her mate with her. I’ve lived in the area for 11 years and seen lots of coyotes but have never had anything like this happen. The title of this video caught my attention for obvious reasons.

  20. @gus473

    March 29, 2026 at 4:00 am

    Excellent footage, fascinating description, yet a full-on, clickbait fabrication for the thumbnail. Lost some respect for you all today. ಠ⁠_⁠ಠ

  21. @elizabethhuntleyroberts3722

    March 29, 2026 at 4:00 am

    Fascinating! If it weren't deadly serious, I'd laugh at the fools who slaughter wolves and then turn around and complain about coyotes…my understanding is that wolves "suppress" coyote populations as mentioned above and that wolves will kill coyotes at any opportunity they get. Thank you for sharing!

  27. @WolfgangDrEpple

    March 29, 2026 at 4:00 am

    Thanks for this very interesting Video and the Information in the Text!
    Maybe it is some similar complex relationship in Europe between Jackal and Wolf…?
    Natureloving Greetings from Bavaria
    🐺Wolfgang

Comments are closed.

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