Windwalker7

It is a black coyote. Yes they get big here, inthe east. Up to 70lbs. There are black ones too. By the way, dogs like huskys, akitas, german shepards, etc..., don't have those yellow eyes. It's a black coyote. My nephew shot one in Maryland that looked just like it.

ShadowAce

People, just because the animal is a different color than normal, doesn't mean he's mixed! There are lots of variations of color in nature. I guess the black whitetails that have been posted the last couple of years were "deer-dogs"?

nubo

Yep!

Wolf for sure .

nubo

YooperMike

Coyote for sure. Wolf mania is getting out of control. There are so many color variations in these animals. I saw a black wolf (and a white one) in Canada and it would dwarf this coyote. Look at how many color variations BLACK bears have. If someone takes a blond bear, its not a grizz-black is it?

pa_yote_hunter

i say if not a coydog then its just one big male coyote!

Spiffy

Coyote. to smal to be a wolf. If it is it is just a pup.

mlo3135127

I am not trying to be rude or anything, but it just blows my mind how little some guys know about wildlife. Wolf? give me a break!That is a COYOTE!Coyotes have differnt color phases just like the red fox does. One fox pup from the same litter can be allblackalthough it is not nearly as common as with the coyote. I caught two black coyotes last year. Here is a picture of one. As for Coydogs, there are so few that its almost a myth.

doughboysigep

I'm goin' with mountain lion!!!!

to continue this topic head over to the Northeastforum!!!!

I have seen dark/mottled collored "coyotes" where I hunt. We always have called them coy-dogs. Basically coyotes that don't "look" like coyotes. Some say that they don't exist, but I think they can/do interbreed some (dogs/coyotes)

Windwalker7

Saying this coyote is a cross between a coyote and dog,just because it is black,is like saying this squirrel is a cross between a white rat and a squirrel, just because it is white.

Bill Yox

Having seen as many as I have, this isnt even a vote, to me its obvious...its simply an eastern coyote in the black phase. We see plenty of them, even though this color seems to be less frequent then any other color phase. Many other black phase animals have the familiar white chevron on the chest too. Black squirrels, bears, black muskrats and most mink all have the white, even if its just a spot. As for dog crosses, I seldom see them here, but then again, others have covered this well already. The real problem stems from folks using the slang "coydog" or "brushwolf" in error. A true cross, like Charlie said, is when an amorous male dog breeds with a female coyote. This can happen when coyotes are new to an area and theres feral dogs present, most of the time. The resulting offspring arent sterile, but will cycle at the wrong time of the season for pups to survive or other male coyotes to breed with the resulting female cross breds. They also have patches ofcolor from the dog, or long haired "socks" from other breeds, or floppy ears or dark eyes, for example.

The coyote pictured is so typical of an eastern coyote...heavy build, wrists and heels that are sturdier than western coyotes, and a heavier head which sometimes makes the muzzle appear shorter. Eastern coyotes usually have a muzzle length of about 4 1/4 inches from the eye to the nose tip, and run about 42 inches nose to base of tail, on the carcass. (remember, Im a taxidermist, Ive mounted too many of these!)

As we have mentioned in so many other posts just like this one, the color phases of grey, brown, blonde, a true red and various black colors is common. The black coyote actually has dark black tips on dark brown or smokie grey hairs, with charcoal or grey underfur, with black and/or brown highlights. The hackles, legs, ears, face and tail are usually the darkest. The eyes are usually hazel in this color phase. You can tell immature wolves or coyotes right off, as they usually still have a blue-grey eye.

I dont wanna come off sounding like a know-it-all, or offend anyone else based on their opinions posted here. I just know this animal all too well. Heck, I could talk about windwalkers blonde squirrel too, Ive seen enough of those, and could tell you where a live one is today!

By the way, as an aside...I often see where guys say to sell animals to taxidermists (as we are too dumb to know what the fur prices are, lol) because many taxidermists like to collect odd color phases. Well, black coyotes are a popular one, so if you get one you arent interested in, the fur value for the market is zero. But guys love to mount them, and they will bring a better price then about anything else you might catch right now. Its best to freeze them whole or sell as is, no skinning. Some guys dorsal cut them, others still do them trapper style, cased, with all parts intact. I know theyll easily go over $100 this way. Hope this helps a few of you out!