The wife and I were cleaning up this afternoon outside and I spotted a very large spider hiding under a log. It's the biggest spider I can recall seeing out here. The wife of course could have won the 100 yard dash at the Olympics when I pointed it out to her, so to help out I caught in a jar. Not sure if this is a big wolf spider or not. That isn't an optical illusion, that's a dollar bill just under the jar. He (or she) was pretty cooperative when I let it out when I relocated getting a few decent pictures before it found a small crevice under a rock.

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Vaya con Dios

Whoa Nellie! That's a biggin ... Glad to hear it wasn't aggressive.

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I'm with the banned ...

Outside the house they are cool. Inside my house isn't so cool. I try to round them up to get them out but they are also FAST. They don't need webs because they are able to catch all they need to eat. For some reason, they REALLY like to get in my house.

Looks like a wolf to me also. We had one that I found in the garage as a pet for about a year. One of the kids left the top loose and it got out never to be seen again. You want to see something move like greased lightning well this is it. They are non aggressive and don't build webs. They are hunters. Nice specimen.
DW

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"NUTS"

Wolf Spiders Live and let live!

medxam

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Doc Garrett
Dead Man's Doctor

They like to eat roaches. So, I let them be. Dont mind them in the house.

Yes they are great Roach hunters. You definitely do not want to be bit by one!. Nasty festering bite. Beneficial though.

Also do not smash a female in the house when she is carrying her youngsters.!! One smashed one turns into 100's of little ones!
We had a house in the woods, they were everywhere! Never saw a roach. They are quicker than the eye.

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Still Running Against the Wind

Looks like a big old wolf spider to me too.

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James
On the Llano Estacado

Normally I'd say kill it with fire, but in this particular case...

I sent out the pics to the American Arachnological Society (who knew there was one) and I got an answer back pretty fast from one of the arachnologists there who stated it was a Carolina Wolf spider (the name is apparently misleading since they are found all over the US) and that it was in fact a male. Apparently its the largest Wolf spider in the US and that the females actually get bigger, a lot bigger (my wife was pleased). I also found out that the best time to look for them is at night with a headlamp, because their eyes have a reflective compound which allows light to be shone directly back on the exact angle from which it came, and the eight eyes forms a reflective diamond.

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Vaya con Dios

I have had wolf spiders living around my house every year for the past 25 years. Usually only one. They like to build their web in door frames like upper garage door frames and other exterior type doors. I love them! Just today I was observing the wonderful web a wolf had made in my little exterior courtyard. Leave 'em alone, they're helping you!