Are wolves in Idaho really growing to these huge sizes that have been posted on the internet?

Answer: 
This is difficult to answer, as size is relative--huge to one person is typical to another.  That said, typical male wolves average around 100-110 pounds, whereas females average 80-90 pounds.  The truly exceptionally large male wolf can approach 120-130 (sometimes heavier, depending on how much food is in their stomach when weighed). The photos you’re probably referring to on the internet are taken in a very specific manner to exaggerate the size appearance of the animal in question...you'll notice that the camera is always set low to the ground, with the person posing behind it some distance to make the wolf look larger.  If you look at enough photos where hunters are posing with their kill, you'll notice that a large percentage of them are taken this way to exaggerate the size of the animal in question.
Answered on: 
Friday, February 24, 2012 - 11:19 AM MST