Never saw such a thing in 35 years of hunting

[sjemac]

Thanks for the info everyone.
I heard a radio piece about the coy-wolf thing in eastern Canada and north eastern US. I think the piece was in response to that woman being killed by Coyotes. It substantiates everything Sjemac says with genetic proof of interbreeding. It was a while ago now so a little tough to recall but it sounded to me like massive population expansion in those areas from the time of the original US colonies wiped out the eastern wolf. It was an area where coyotes did not occur. The result was a hybrid critter.
The interesting thing now is the clash of populations now happening in the north eastern US. The researcher said the well established coy-wolf (his term) is now comming into contact with the eastward expanding western coyote with the area of contact being NY state and there-abouts.
To the original poster: I doubt the pack behaviour is new. I think it was a feature of both species since time began.
Question: What is the size difference? The radio guy said that it was not uncommon for eastern coy-wolves to go to 50 lbs. I don't think many western coyotes go beyond about 35. Sjemac, your expertise on the western version would be welcome here.

The biggest (out of a few hundred) that I worked on a decade ago on PEI was 55 lbs (estimated weight since the hide was off when it was submitted and hide weight and water loss weight due to drying can be significant -- our formula was designed to estimate on the low side) and we had many in the mid to high 40's. Our average was about 35 lbs which is higher than the average for western yotes (about 25lbs). One thing to factor into that, is that the majority of trapper/hunter killed and submitted coyotes are young of the year and considerably smaller than fully adult yotes. Adult yotes averaged in the low 40's. They are noticeably bigger and thicker animals than the western animals. I have the skull of a big Alberta yote, the 55 lb PEI yote and a Alberta wolf skull. The Eastern yote is intermediate in size and robustness to that of the western yote and wolf.

My buddy who is a taxidermist on PEI has had a couple of yotes in the 60's come onto his scales in the years since then.

 

[Foxer]

Wolves hunt like that - i haven't heard of coyotes doing it.

 

[ruger22]

perhaps some coyote mentoring is in order...

Guys perhaps some coyote hunting teamwork/mentoring is in order...

If you are looking for a partner for your area post it.

If you are having some success show another guy.

 

[tracker]

Curoius... care to enlighten us with your source on that? Shakespeare perhaps? To eat or screw, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler to take some mangy 'yote, or wait upon fortune for a happier meal, and in that end my hunger. To shag, to pass it up but no in one hump I may by my loins increase my harvest as I do rear them as my own.

Any of this ringin' a bell?

The heavist coy-dog we scaled was 65+lbs and we have shot many in that weight range. We scaled all the heavy dogs and opened every dogs stomach to see what they were eating. The yotes these days are way more aggressive than back in the 70's. We have shot all black, straw, grey, red like a fox in colours and seen one all white. A study on coy-dogs was done at the Univ of Guelph that claimed the yotes were screwing dogs to get that big and maybe after the love making they ate their partner? If you think these yotes, coy- dogs are not that aggressive then tell that to the parents of the 19 year old killed this year in Nova Scotia.

 

[lucky72]

we really need to do a job on those coyotes.

 

[Andy4802]

rlg have you been taking any pics? This is my first year hunting coyotes and i would love to see what the local beasts look like. i'm next door in Hudson... supposed to head out for a hunt tomorrow.
i didn't see a single deer this year, but i saw plenty of coyote tracks.

 

[RobSmith]

I don't have a picture handy, but they look like a mid-sized grey to brownish dog. In fact most people I know wouldn't know how to make the difference between a stray dog and a coyote.

rlg have you been taking any pics? This is my first year hunting coyotes and i would love to see what the local beasts look like. i'm next door in Hudson... supposed to head out for a hunt tomorrow.
i didn't see a single deer this year, but i saw plenty of coyote tracks.