Wolverines in AZ???

[Charger55]

I have a co-worker who fishes frequently at Buthcer Jones at Saguaro Lake. He likes to go at night after he gets off work. Last night he saw me looking at some HAZ pics of the recent mountain lion sighting on Peralta Trail and we got to talking about strange encounters with wildlife. He says that one night while fishing off the dock at Butcher Jones three large, very noisy creatures, which he later indentified as wolverines, came barreling through the bushes behind him. When I think wolverine I think tundra or the dense forests of Canada. Not the deserts of Arizona. I figured he may have seen badgers or coati, but after showing him pictures of those creatures he's positive they were wolverines. Wikipedia says wolverines wouldn't be found this far south. Another website I found specifically mentioned they are found in Arizona. Despite being a fisherman my co-worker isn't one to tell tall tales. So...

Has anyone here at HAZ ever seen a wolverine in our great state? I know most of the regulars here have way more backcountry and off-trail experience than me so I figured if they're found in an area that can get as busy as Butcher Jones somebody must have seen one somewhere. But there's no posting in the fauna section and I didn't see any other forum topics about them. I'm just curious if anyone knows for certain if they're out there or not.

[cathymocha]

This kind of Wolverine? http://library.thinkquest.org/3500/Wolverine.html
Maybe someone imported some as "pets", then let them go up in "our" mountains.

[BobP]

Maybe Bruce (coanbru) will chime in...I think he's a Wolverine expert. ;)
I wouldn't want to run into this guy while fishing

[Charger55]

Yeah, those kind of wolverines. I know it seems far-fetched, but I was racking my brain at work all last night to think of what else it may have been that he would've seen.

[chumley]

You never know, but I'd have to say that its likely that your friend mis-identified what he saw. Especially since it was in the desert by Saguaro Lake.

Arizona Game and Fish does not identify wolverines on their list of wildlife in the state, and that's probably a real good indicator, since they do list a bunch of things that you might not have thought lived here:

opossums
coatis
black-footed ferrets
Gunnison's prairie dogs
black-tailed prairie dogs
wolves
jaguars
ocelots
porcupines
muskrats
raccoons
otters
weasels
bobcats
beavers
badgers
ringtails

My personal bet however is the coati.
http://www.hikearizona.com/dexcoder.php?dex=2&PID=87

[Tough_Boots]

I would bet major money that he did not see a wolverine. What about a marmot? Though that would be a little out of place, too.

[Charger55]

My personal bet however is the coati.
http://www.hikearizona.com/dexcoder.php?dex=2&PID=87

I initially thought coati too, which is why I showed him the pictures. I figured they have that exotic look that would confuse someone who didn't know what they were and having them saying, "Are those weasels? Raccoons? Crazy monkey dogs?" I've never been fortunate enough to see one in the wild. Do they tend to be noisy?

[The_Eagle]

@rlrjamy
Wrong Wolverine Bobby

[nonot]

Javelina move in groups and make sounds. About the same size...

[chumley]

Anybody own one of the Arizona Place Names books?

There's a road in Apache Junction called "Wolverine Pass Road" that leads up toward the Goldfield Mtns right near Bulldog Wash (east of Usery Pass). I've looked at different topo maps from yesteryear, and don't see any actual geographic feature titled "Wolverine Pass". BUT ... if there's a road named for it, wouldn't it make sense that there's a pass in those mountains with the same name? And wouldn't it also make sense that a pass would only get that name if there were actually wolverines spotted there sometime long ago?

I still go with no! Its much more likely that a rock formation resembles a wolverine in the area.

[fricknaley]

How about a badger? I've seen one of those here. Sorta, kinda similar.

[JoelHazelton]

three large, very noisy creatures, which he later indentified as wolverines, came barreling through the bushes behind him.

I'm with Nonot on this one- Sounds a lot like Javelina to me. Also, even if they were in AZ, Wolverines don't travel in packs. It wouldn't make sense for him to have seen 3 of them barreling through the bushes.

[Ckzona]

If you would have said he spotted up in the white mountains i probably would look into it more but the desert?? I highly doubt it and im no wildlife biologist.

[te_wa]

Peccaries (the ENGLISH word for javelina) are diurnal this season. Coatis are diurnal all year. both are known to be nocturnal in the heat of summer. this behavior is called "crepuscular"

I would suggest that since he saw them at night, it would be easy to confuse coatimundi with badger or wolverine. racoons also fight over scraps and they are larger than you might think.. i swear a racoon i saw up close was every bit of 50 pounds.

[juliachaos]

I highly doubt it and im no wildlife biologist.

I asked someone who is.. his response (over a couple correspondence):

No chance. No wolverines, though I would love it if we did. Pound for pound they're one of the toughest animals in the country. They're cool animals. But, not here. Also, they're generally solitary. And making crazy noises; makes me think of a pack of coyotes or javelinas...javelinas particularly when he says barreling through. Total javenlina behavior. Coons and coati also possible, but they're not so noisy. Coati are groupers, coons not as much; though they're a little bit of everything. I say javelina!

Oh, wolverine species name...gulo gulo. Cool one.

My last thought on it would be no way in the desert. It wouldn't be beyond all possibility that one was up on the Rim or White Mountains, but not the desert. I wouldn't be surprised if historically they were in the Zona mountains where we have conifers.

[PaleoRob]

Badgers are the closest physical match, but behavior-wise it sounds like Javelinas.

[azbackpackr]

Oh please. Spare me. Sounds just like javelinas. And if disturbed, yes they will go berserk at night, even though they are diurnal.

[Charger55]

Consider yourself spared... I'll chalk this up as a case of mistaken indentity and present my findings to my co-worker tonight. Thanks to everyone who provided intelligent insight into this Wolverine caper.

[big_load]

Another vote for javelinas, based on the behavior. I've seen plenty of badger diggings, but it's awful hard to catch one in action. I'd say practically no chance of wolverines, although it would be nice to have them reclaim more of their former range.

[azbackpackr]

Yeah...love it if they would move into Sedona.