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Coyote Identification, need a little help.

8K views 32 replies 15 participants last post by  Jeff Midguard 
#1 ·
I posted a thread about a month ago about a Black
Coyote that I caught on my Trail Camera. Well after
about a month of hunting and looking for this particular
"one", I got (her) this morning right before first light.

In the month of on and off all nighters, between work,
Ive seen about a 1/2 dozen and never saw any trace
of the Black one til early this mornin.
What I was wondering was, can any of you coyote
hunters tell me if this one is full blooded? I do know that
it's an "old" one and most or her teeth are either worn down
or broken off. And with dragging her out about 225yrds to my
4 wheeler, I'm guess'in she weighs about 60-65 lbs.

I know they say the black one's are a mix between the Red,
Grey and Brown coyote's and that's how they turn out black.
But I'm just not sure if it's full blooded, as if it is, I intend to
do a full body mount. If it isnt, I plan to have the coat hanging
in my den. I do have more maybe detailed pics if needed
for identification. I'd sure appreciate any and all comments
to verify if she is full blooded.
Thanks in advance guys.
 

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#2 ·
Scruffy! What did you do to Scruffy!

My neighbors dog looks exactly like that but bigger; his is part wolf, part German Sheppard.
 
#3 · (Edited)
Scruffy! What did you do to Scruffy!

My neighbors dog looks exactly like that but bigger; his is part wolf, part German Sheppard.
Oh no, don't tell me I went and shot "Scruffy"!!!:eek::D

To be honest, this one looks like it may have sheperd or summtin mixed in it. I'm just "somewhat" at a loss on this one. I do know that it's mostly coyote though. And the dew claws it has looks just like what kind my sister's wolf has on him!:confused:
I'm just not sure?
 
#4 ·
I am gonna guess a coy but with what I wonder. I think mabbe a lab of some sort mixed with wit it. I know that is one big yote, you get any pics of thhe head by any chance?
 
#6 ·
"The wolf (including the dingo and domestic dog), coyote, and jackal, all have 78 chromosomes arranged in 39 pairs. This allows them to hybridise freely (barring size or behavioural constraints) and produce fertile offspring." - Wikipedia article suggests there's no reason why this can't be any kind of mixture of dog and coyote, since they're technically the same species - sort of like mixing different breeds of dog. When I first saw the picture, my first thought was, "that thing's part German Shepard."
 
#7 ·
I haven't hunted coyotes for several years, but I think you bagged a coyote/dog mix. A friend and I hunted them for several years, our favorite way to hunt was to get up before dawn, drive the country roads. One morning about dawn we saw what we thought was a coyote out about two hundred yards. I had a coyote call and blew it. The animal didn't move and I scoped it with my rifle with the crosshairs on it. It was a mixture of natural coyote color with black mixed in. My friend said you better not shoot, that may be someone's dog. So I didn't. About a half mile down the road was a farm house with lights on and I stopped and knocked at the door, a farmer came to the door and I asked him if he had a large dog with mixed black and tan fur. He said, "Oh my gawd boys I hope you killed that SOB, he's killed three of my lambs this month he's ninety percent coyote and wild as they come." I'm still glad I didn't shoot. My luck would be the animal I shot would have a collar on.
 
#8 ·
I am gonna guess a coy but with what I wonder. I think mabbe a lab of some sort mixed with wit it. I know that is one big yote, you get any pics of thhe head by any chance?
Sure do and will try and get them on here in a few.

looks more dog/wolf hybred to me, need to see head to better ID.
Yep...

"The wolf (including the dingo and domestic dog), coyote, and jackal, all have 78 chromosomes arranged in 39 pairs. This allows them to hybridise freely (barring size or behavioural constraints) and produce fertile offspring." - Wikipedia article suggests there's no reason why this can't be any kind of mixture of dog and coyote, since they're technically the same species - sort of like mixing different breeds of dog. When I first saw the picture, my first thought was, "that thing's part German Shepard."
Kinda what I was thinking..

I haven't hunted coyotes for several years, but I think you bagged a coyote/dog mix. A friend and I hunted them for several years, our favorite way to hunt was to get up before dawn, drive the country roads. One morning about dawn we saw what we thought was a coyote out about two hundred yards. I had a coyote call and blew it. The animal didn't move and I scoped it with my rifle with the crosshairs on it. It was a mixture of natural coyote color with black mixed in. My friend said you better not shoot, that may be someone's dog. So I didn't. About a half mile down the road was a farm house with lights on and I stopped and knocked at the door, a farmer came to the door and I asked him if he had a large dog with mixed black and tan fur. He said, "Oh my gawd boys I hope you killed that SOB, he's killed three of my lambs this month he's ninety percent coyote and wild as they come." I'm still glad I didn't shoot. My luck would be the animal I shot would have a collar on.
Well with this one, my Rott was terrified of it, litterally and thats the first thing I looked for in the scope, was a collor, but knew it was the one that my Trail cam had snapped a few pics of and it has been on it a few times since (thinking trying to get it's self a deer. And Ive been watching 5 deer all winter & spring and one smaller one is gone..due to this coyote/mix, hard to say.
 
#9 ·
Here are a couple head shots. I was talking with my neighbor last night and he said he saw this one at his deer feeder a couple of days ago right at first light and wasnt able to get a shot off on it.
 

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#11 · (Edited)
I can't help a bit on the ID but what a great story. To capture the coyote on the camera and then successfully hunt it down is a great tale. Well done Zane and great photos.

Todd
Thanks Todd, when I got it back to the house I had my driveway stuffed up a bit with neighbors going by to have a look. Like I told them, aint no big deal, just another coyote but bigger and black and told a few that I had a picture of it from about a month ago, then thats where the idea to get pictures of it with the picture from my trail camera. And then it did make me think abit, and yep, to get it on the trail camera and then actually get a shot off..it was a good feeling. I know I've about wore myself out on the coyote huntin these past few weeks, But I knew it had to still be in the area and it just needed to be DEAD!
But I think this thing "could" have been a bit vicious due to it's size...I know when I brought it back, my Rott didnt want any part of it, no sniffing it or anything. She just stood back and looked, thinking she has encountered it in the past maybe?
 
#12 ·
I can't help a bit on the ID but what a great story. To capture the coyote on the camera and then successfully hunt it down is a great tale. Well done Zane and great photos.

Todd
I think why I was so motivated to try to get a shot on it was I showed the pic from my trail cam to a friend, and he said "that aint nothing but a D@#% dog"...needed to find out for myself I reckon.
 
#13 ·
Looks like a dog to me but could be a hybrid. If it were me I'd bury the thing and forget about it. The ole 3 S's shoot, shovel and shut up.
 
#14 ·
Zane, that is a wolf hybrid. I will almost bet on it. Look at the spaceing in the back teeth. I have had three wolf mixes and they where all the same way. I will post pics of two of em and you can see the similarieties in shape and color. These two pics are of Roscoe, he is a Wolf Austrailian shepherd hybred and too smart for his oown good. I also had a rott wolf mix and a lab wolf mix. I have to find the CD with the rott and lab on them but I will post them as soon as I find them. I will put money on it that the one you shot is a wolf mix just on his size and head structure and the size of his paws.
 

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#15 ·
Zane: I know nothing about DNA or how many chromosomes a coyote or dog has, but I do know that a coyote tracks in a straight line with one foot right behind the other. If you can still find her track and if it is one foot behind the other it is a coyote, whereas a dog track is staggered with one foot behind and slightly along side another. I learned that years ago as kid while trapping coyotes so as not to make a set and catch a dog.

Also those teeth don't look so worn down to me.

Ron
 
#16 ·
Hard for me to believe that thing has much 'yote in it! Looks more like a dog-wolf mix to me.

Recently, they discovered red wolves living here in SW. Florida and they thought they were extinct up until someone caught pictures of them. My point is that there may be some wolves around up there in Ohio that are breeding with ferrel dogs.
 
#17 ·
I would have liked to have seen the ears but the rest tells me its a coyote and black isn't nearly as rare as some think. Depends on your locale. We have them in my back field between my house and the Wisconsin River. Most look like German shepherds as far as coloring goes but quite a few are more black than brown and some almost all black. How heavy was yours, it looks to be pretty good sized.
 
#18 ·
I would have liked to have seen the ears but the rest tells me its a coyote and black isn't nearly as rare as some think. Depends on your locale. We have them in my back field between my house and the Wisconsin River. Most look like German shepherds as far as coloring goes but quite a few are more black than brown and some almost all black. How heavy was yours, it looks to be pretty good sized.
Old Grump, your right on the money there. I had the Game Warden come out today and he was 99.9 and (1/2%) :D that it's coyote.
And on his scales it weighed in at 63lbs.
It's going to make for a nice coyote (fur) wall hanger!
 
#19 ·
Hard for me to believe that thing has much 'yote in it! Looks more like a dog-wolf mix to me.

Recently, they discovered red wolves living here in SW. Florida and they thought they were extinct up until someone caught pictures of them. My point is that there may be some wolves around up there in Ohio that are breeding with ferrel dogs.
Yes Snakedriver I think your right on that one. So VERY true!
 
#22 ·
How many Red Wolves were reported? More than one pack?
Red, the red wolves were spotted here around in town scavenging. At first it was thought that they were coyotes, but several pictures taken by people around town convinced the experts that in fact they were red wolves because of the distinct markings. They're protected from being shot now because they were thought to be extinct and are extremely rare.

Here's the story with some pictures: :)

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/dec/01/wolf_spotted_north_naples_gated_community/
 
#23 ·
Red, the red wolves were spotted here around in town scavenging. At first it was thought that they were coyotes, but several pictures taken by people around town convinced the experts that in fact they were red wolves because of the distinct markings. They're protected from being shot now because they were thought to be extinct and are extremely rare.

Here's the story with some pictures: :)

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2007/dec/01/wolf_spotted_north_naples_gated_community/
Snakedriver, thanks for the link to the story.
That's extremly interesting.
 
#24 ·
Snakedriver, thanks for the link to the story.
That's extremly interesting.
Zane, some of the experts are not convinced about the red wolf claim by others, but rather say it is a wolf-dog-coyote hybrid. That is even more pertinent to your critter up there in Ohio. I've never seen huge paws like that on a 'yote. Looks more wolf-like to me. :)
 
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