Black Coyote

[ishoot4thrills]

I've seen two. Could've shot one with a rifle while deer hunting several years ago but it was early and I didn't want to spook any deer that may have been close by. Now, I wish I would've shot it.

[Sixby]

I've never seen one in Oregon,Co0lorado, Nevada, CAlifornia, Arizona and that includes years of predator hunting and looking at thousands of coyotes. I have seen from almost white , silver, grey and red to dark grey.
I suspect you have wolf croses and if a dna test were taken that would probably show this to be the case. If the female is a coyote the pups are usually small too. I would imagine a female coyote in heat would be an apt mate for a young wolf looking to start a family.

God bless, Steve

[ChristopherO]

Coyotes are fascinating creatures.  I was a diehard dog hunter before becoming fixated on traditional bow hunting. There are quite a few black coyotes killed every year.
And, yes, I agree with KS Trapper, coy dogs do exist.  January 2000 I called a 50 lbs coy dog to my buddies bullet.  Medium hair length and colored like a domestic dog with the face and tail of a coyote.  It was running with a full coyote, probably a female considering her size and time of year.

[Keith Zimmerman]

Hmmm.  No wolves in PA.

[K.S.TRAPPER]

Believe me there are plenty caught each year in multiple states in all directions just because you don't see them dosent mean there not there.  Are they crossed up probably most of them with dogs but there are black species of animals in all types of breeds deer, fox, coyotes, raccoons, opossums even squirrels. I see them every year on trapping sights. I've caught a few but can't catch a white one to save my butt.

Tracy

[maxwell]

Saw one on my property a few years back reminded me of the Walt Disney evil wolf trotting along in the woods.  Certainly acted like it had some place to go.

[CoachBGriff]

A local guy here in NW MO had one at my taxidermist's house a couple of years ago.

[Grizzbear]

Saw one in southeast south dakota last year. Beautiful

[Tom]

Several have been killed here in western Va, unfortunately not by me but someday would really like to have the hide of one tanned to hang with the red foxes I've killed.

[Michael Pfander]

The most recent DNA research shows a couple of interesting things about wolves and coyotes.  1.  Black fur is dog DNA. and 2. Most coyotes over 55 lbs. have dog DNA.  Most mono color phases have to be selected for.  Nature doesn't do it as a rule.
MAP

[K.S.TRAPPER]

I believe it, but I would have thought the weight would have been lower that's pretty big. I've caught hundreds of coyotes and checked there weights and it takes a special coyote in this area to hit 40#. I've only done it twice since keeping track many years ago one was 41# and this guy was 49#

   

He looked like he had been at the all you can eat buffet all week and felt heavier.

Tracy

[zepnut]

Never seen a black one. Beautiful animal.

[Izzy]

Super cool. I want one in the man cave. I've never seen one in the wild.

[Caughtandhobble]

Cool, I have never seen a black coyote. Heck, I never even seen a picture of one before this thread.

I use to hunt coyotes quite a bit. I even have a deer stand called the "Coyote Stand". My oldest son and I have put an arrow thru more than a few Coyotes.

[BAPilot2]

Black coyotes are a "Melanistic" (melanism) color phase of the animal.  Similar to albinism but not as rare an occurrence as the albino color phase would be.  The black color expression would be a recessive trait that could be expressed within a whole litter of puppies if a black male and a black female coyote were to breed.  The same would hold true if two albino coyotes were to breed, all their pups would be albino.

Black coyotes are no different than Black Panthers, which are melanistic cougars, and or, jaguars.

[Cyclic-Rivers]

I would love to see one one day.  I have seen a lot of Darker ones but never black.

[Lonehowl]

I hunt coyotes a lot...Ive seen a couple blackies, but whitys are more common it seems. Not albinos, just white fur. Here is one I "harvested":

   001  by  Lonehowl , on Flickr

[Jerry Russell]

Seemed a bit rare years ago but I see them shot and trapped in Georgia very often.  I shot a monster black one last year with my bow and never recovered him.  I get 2-3 on trail cams every year. They are cool.

[larry]

40 pounds is pretty much the average for coyotes around here

[johnnyk71]

buddy of mine killed a HUGE one a few years ago. taxidermist told him he'd have given him $500 dollars for it... if he hadn't thrown it in the ditch! he was sick about it!   :rolleyes: