This is a pic of the coyote I took in early Dec while deer hunting at our farm in WV. This was the very first coyote I have ever seen. We have had them showing up over the last 5 years or so, but it is very rare that we actually see one. I have heard them before, and hoped that one day I'd get to see one and maybe even harvest one. I was pretty pumped up to say the least. It was a female, and I don't know whether she would be considered small or big, but I'm having her mounted. She had a beautiful coat and should be a nice addition to my collection. If I had to guess, I'd say she was between 35-40lbs. Does that sound about right?
The funny thing is....I had never seen one or even thought I'd seen one, and as soon as she popped over the hill I knew instantly that it was a coyote, even through fairly heavy brush. I made up my mind immediately that I would try and take her. I ended up waiting until I had a good clean shot so there was no way I could miss. The shot was about 90yds with my .280. I shot her through the mid section so I wouldn't tear her up too bad, and it didn't. The yotes have been becoming a small nuisance over the last few years to the livestock on the farm, and the farmer couldn't have been any more happy to see me harvest her (and especially that it was a female). The only bad thing is.....now I might be hooked on hunting them, and we don't have very many. I guess that just makes it more of a challenge!