coyote size?

rjh

Member
The coyotes by my house are really big. I shot a small female and she was probanly 45-50 pounds and she was the smallest one I have seen. I had a picture but it was on my phone which went out. although I have her skull.I don't want to make inflated claims but our yotes being as big as wolfs but they are big. I have three 100 pound plus dogs and the yotes are smaller than them but I would say they look like german shepards. I almost wonder if they are hybrids. How big do yotes get in illinois. They have a ton of cats and rabbits to eat and we also have alot of deer so I know they eat good. Maybe they just look big cause of the fur.
 
Do you own a fairly accurate scale of some sort? Try weighing some of those 50 pounders and see what you're left with. It can be enlightening...
 
I don't have any idea how big coyotes get in Illinois. Maybe you do have some XXL sized coytes running around? Do what GC says and take a scale and weigh a few coyotes. It is easy to overestimate the weight of a coyote, most people do until they weigh a few.
 
Generally the coyotes are small around here, like most of the West. However, there is a parcel of land in the valley that has been protected for several generations. Adamant non-hunters (almost anti-hunters) own a 800ish acre parcel of PRIME, PRIME, PRIME land; timber, swamps, farm, berries, fruit, saltwater marsh, wetland, hayfields, and beach. Coyotes have lived, reproduced, and died, without ever leaving the property. Coyote paradise. Food sources galore! The property manager is an acquaintence, he said there's no way he could get me in there, not even with a bow, but he said something interesting along that line... He said the coyotes living in there were huge, like wolves. He said 50-60 lbs. (In an area where they probably average 35lbs.)

It could be a local phenomena.
 
This topic comes up often,and is interesting to say the least. Ive talked to and hunted with guys from all around the country,and most coyotes, seem to vary little. Males average 25 pounds,females 23 pounds,with of course some that go a few pounds heavier or lighter. Most of the coyotes I shoot in Arizona are right in that ballpark, although I have killed several that push the 40 pound mark,and I will tell you, they look BIG, compared to what I call normal. Then there seems to be pockets, where the coyotes do average 15-20 pounds heavier than what we would call the normal weight range.
Byron South has verified 50 pound coyotes in his particular part of Texas,and Ive heard of some in the NY state area,and in Penn state. Why? your guess is as good as mine. I do know that a coyote in Arizona,usually weighs about the same as one taken in Minn,or Indiana,or Florida or Wyoming, just seems for the most part, they are pretty similar in weight throughout the country,except those few odd areas. As the one guy mentioned,a scale can make a dramatic difference in the true weight,as compared to when hoisted and given a swag:)
 
I took one down in 37A that was over forty I did not weigh him but he was a monster for that area.most are like you said Chile arond 25-35 lbs. 35 being the large ones.I now have a hand held scale just in case one of these pop up this coming /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif season.
 
Hey rjh

I sent you some pics, and even on a scale they can weigh well over 50 lbs. in the Northeast /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Largest I ever saw weighed was 63 lbs. He only had 3 legs, and was perfectly fit otherwise. Until it hits the scale its all supposin' as GC said.

Largest coyote contest winner in my neck of the woods is rarely UNDER 50 pounds.

But lots of regular sized coyotes running around here also. To me regular is 25 to high 30's. In the 40 pound range, I will allow braggin', and if you hit 50 pounds, drinks are on me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Doggie, you'll have to forgive me, but I just blew coffee all over my monitor while reading your post:)....I shot one down in 37A, that was over 40 pounds, although I didn't weigh him:)
 
I'm with chile, I use to take a scale and tape out and weigh and measure all the dogs we got. In AZ a 40lb dog is a toad. Almost all the adult dogs we took weighed 24 to 28lbs. The largest 2 we took were from the San Carlos rez. Both of them were right at 40lbs. Total weighed ower time was about 40 dogs. At the same time I kept a log book for one season and we averaged 11.5 dogs called in per day and killed only 2.5. This was back in the late 70's. We did good on the calling but got the fever when we tried to shoot them.
Rick
 
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Biggest I've killed to date. A male, weighed 50lbs on a scale. I'm 6'3" 220lbs for comparison.
 
I get cracked up every time I see a "coyote weight" thread. It's the same ol' thing all over again. While you western fellas have coyote hunting like most easterners can only dream of (and yes, I've hunted both), you are still going to have to come to terms with the fact that, for whatever reason, eastern coyotes (in general, on the average) are larger than western coyotes (in general, on the average).

I weigh nearly every coyote I shoot. If a coyote around here doesn't weigh at least 30 lbs it's considered to be on the scrawny side. Mine average around 36 lbs with many going in the 40's and throw in the occasional hawg. In the next county south of here a friend and a nationally known trapper trapped a 68 pounder. Got a pic around here somewhere, but I ain't lookin.
 
Quote:
Doggie, you'll have to forgive me, but I just blew coffee all over my monitor while reading your post:)....I shot one down in 37A, that was over 40 pounds, although I didn't weigh him:)

Pretty funny huh. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif I didnt have a scale all i can say is he was big /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/confused1.gif any body missing a german shepard? /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smiliesmack.giflol
 
Largest I have ever actually seen killed here in northeast PA was one my dad shot, 53lbs. Adult females typically run in the mid thirties and males in the mid forties here on average. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
i think an acurate scale would be one of those fishing scales. The ones that you hold and hook the fish to and it dangles and weighs it. Mine goes up to 50 pounds so it should be farily acurate. I have never gotten a coyote but if i do, i'll let you know on the wieght.
 
204, pm sent

We have come a long way since I came to Predatormasters. Used to be fellas would bash you when you talked 50 pound dogs, now with the magic of the internet, you can see things you KNEW didn't exist /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Good hunting, Sleddogg /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
 
rjh;
Weigh all of mine, males average 31 to 37lbs
females 22 to 28lbs. My biggest male this year
44lbs. Yours in the city tend to be a little larger.
DNR did a study a couple of years ago and their
largest was 45lbs. My area is about 15 to 20%
coydog and it gets up to about 40% coydog around
Peoria. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grinning-smiley-003.gif
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