I have always been curious about
big coyotes. Twenty five years ago, when they first showed up in Southern Ohio, I got a call from a farmer friend who declared, "I've shot a wolf! It must weigh a hundred and fifty pounds!" When I got there, he was dragging a 40 pound class coyote behind his tractor.
Hunting, fishing, trapping... it's all the same. People have a horrible time estimating the weight of something they have captured. And since bigger is better (and in ordinary circumstances considerably more dramatic) large animals of any species tend to get overestimated.
So I am conducting a quest for coyotes that exceed 45 pounds. Originally I was going to start at 50, but any coyote over 45 pounds is a BIG one in my book, so I'm lowering the bar to that point.
Here are the rules. You need a picture of the coyote on a set of scales, then you need a close-up picture of the reading on the scales. (At least close enough so you can see the numbers.)
If you have a set of hanging scales that exceeds 45 pounds, or you can get your coyote to a certified scale, so much the better. But I know not everyone can do that. So to assist in this project, the following is a demonstration of how to weigh a coyote on a set of bathroom scales. Granted, bathroom scales are not the most accurate measuring devices in the world, but if we don't make some small allowances here, nobody will be able to participate.
Weighing a Coyote with a Bathroom Scale.1.)
Using a standard bathroom scale, set two cans on the scale where your feet would ordinarily be. (Note: I tried this with one can in the center of the scale, and it didn't work.) Put a board or two on top of the cans, this will give you a platform to lay the coyote on.
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2.)
The set up ready for weighing.
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3.)
Lay the coyote on the boards and balance it so that its feet don't touch the floor.
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4.)
Get close and take a picture of the reading on the scale. (You may have to set your camera for "macro" or close-up mode. There should be an indicator on your camera that looks like this:
to indicate macro mode. If you've never learned to use this feature, the time is now. The reading in this instance is very close to 40 pounds.
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5.)
Remove the coyote from the platform, and again shoot a close up reading of the scale. The reading this time is approximately 11 pounds. You subtract the two and you have the weight of the coyote. In this case 29 pounds.
If your close ups don't work out so good, don't worry, just write down the readings accurately and include them with your photos, as long as we have half an idea what the scale says, we'll be okay.
Even if you don't catch any coyotes over 45 pounds, this method will help you determine, within a relative degree of accuracy, what your coyotes actually do weigh.
Now, we'll just sit back and wait for this thread to fill up with 45 pound plus coyotes. Everyone is welcome to participate here. If any of you registered members want to document some else's coyote, that's fine as long as you've got the pictures to prove it.
And please tell us when and where the coyote was caught.
(Edit: This topic was first introduced December 2007. It was reopened October 2008 -- Hal)
Good Luck.
Hal