The Size of Coyotes

[My442]

I live in Mass., and have been using a few game cameras on my property. I get the normal animals here: Turkeys, deer, fox, raccoons, skunks.

However, over the past few months, I have gotten pictures of coyotes....BIG coyotes. They look like a large German Shepard, and I estimate their weight to be in the 70-80 pound range.

Sometimes, I get as many as four in a picture.

It appears that they are some type of hybrid.

 

[EddieWalker]

Not sure of the weight, but from what I'm seeing in the pictures, I'd say closer to 30 to 40 pound coyotes. Nice thick coats on them and they sure look healthy, but I'm not thinking they are all that large.

Eddie

 

[Tomtint]

We have plenty of them here in SE Mass. They are eating well and are at the top of the food chain here. I have a 100 lb Doberman and 3 of them showed up last weekend, before I could stop. My Dobe he ceased them off the property. I'm guessing they were in the 45lb range ea. this is the time of year they are more active here and I will make sure there are a few less next year.

 

[Western]

Not sure of the weight, but from what I'm seeing in the pictures, I'd say closer to 30 to 40 pound coyotes. Nice thick coats on them and they sure look healthy, but I'm not thinking they are all that large.

Eddie

X's 2. The fur on a coyote can really throw off a guess on weight, get it wet and it's a big rat:laughing: I think between 30-40# also

Did a search for Mass, since I was thinking your dogs may be bigger than ours, not the case.


Excerpt from: Eastern Coyote in Massachusetts
A coyote is typically 4-5 feet in length, from snout to tip of tail. Their snout is long and slender, and their ears are pointed and erect. The pelts of coyotes in Massachusetts range from grayish-black to blondes, light tan, dark tan, red or even all black. Females weigh an average of 33-40 lbs and males are slightly larger (average 34-47 lbs). Coyotes can attain weights of 50-60 lbs. Because of their thick fur, weights of coyotes can easily be over-estimated.

 

[BuzzardA91]

That's about the size I get on my trail cams in northern ct. On a rainy day the same will look small and thin. I have an 80 pound blackmouth curr for a dog and she is twice their size.

 

[nybirdman]

We have been living with coyotes in Northern NY for many years.We call and hunt them with hounds.
The local hound guys killed 57 just in our area.I have seen many dead&live coyotes.Average adult females may-be 35lbs,males maybe 40-45lbs.We have taken one at 53lbs(male).I have heard of 60lb coyotes but they are rare.On another note;a local college did a DNA test with donated liver samples.
Results were;no dometic dogs as some assumed,but they have crossed with wolves.At the Adirondack Museum in Blue mt.Lake ,NY they had what they thought was the last Red wolf shot in the Adirondacks it turned out to by a wolf/coyote hybrid. Their long fur makes them appear much larger than they really are.Our colors vary also ;from almost a dirty white to reds,blondes and black.I have a very light colored one mounted if you would like to see a picture.My son has a black in the freezer waiting to be done.

 

[tractchores]

I'm in MA too and also have trail cams. We have 3 coyotes that come by almost nightly and they're much larger than what I've seen in the past as well. They appear to be about the size of a husky and I'd say they're on the larger end of what I've seen in coyotes (maybe 50 - 60 lbs). They haven't gotten winter coats here yet. If I get a second I'll post some of the pics of them. Luckily they are very well behaved and though I have pictures of them on the lawn they are so scared of people that they bolt at even noises inside the house and we've never seen them when outside.

Have you seen any bobcats on your cams? We caught one here and it was also on the alrge size for bobcats, looked like it was about 4' long.

 

[westcliffe01]

I can't speak for size, but the number of coyotes seems way up. On the farm, they have adaped to almost exclusively nocturnal behaviour. I just bought a Gen 3 night vision scope to help deal with that... There have been groups of over 10 on the property at a given time and different groups entering from north / south and west sides of the property. I expect to spend a lot of time camping out this winter to engage them when they are out.

 

[RobertBrown]

Game cam pics can be deceptive. Especially with the infrared. Shoot one and then weigh it.

 

[Will_C]

I shot a 46lb. coyote two years ago, and all the local trappers, taxidermists, etc. said it was a large one for here in the Southern Tier of NY-out of 10 they see, maybe 1 would be larger.

Will