How big are coyote?

[ApexerER]

I have only ever seen fleeting glances of coyote in the woods. I arrowed one today while it was stalking turkey. When I walked up to it I was surprised how small it was. My golden retriever is more than twice it's size. I can't imagine it weighed much more than 30lbs. Is that normal or is it a little one. I sure couldn't imagine it being much of a threat to a healthy deer...how big do they get?

[turkeyfeathers]

Looks like a normal sized female or young male. So that's probably average in size.  Get an old girl and you'll know it. An alpha male and you'll really know it. Buddy and his son catch some nearing 50 pounds trapping each year. Nice job !!!!

[Pygmy]

You shot a pup...I would be surprised if it weighed over 20 pounds.

Even an adult female might be twice that size, and adult males can go 50 pounds plus.

[Buckmaster7600]

I have shot a ton of coyotes and only 1 over 50lbs, he was 52 and huge!


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[Will_C]

I shot a 46lb male a few years ago. My trapper buddy who catches quite a few each year, said that is about as big as any he catches.

Will

[stoneam2006]

Bigger one in pic was 35 lb female other was 28 male

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[Bowguy 1]

The NJ fish n game did DNA tests on the eastern coyotes since they're so big compared to western ones n they behave differently from packing, rallying deer, etc. They found wolf dna in the specimens tested which explains some but normally Wolves kill coyotes so the breeding musta been not extremely common but it did obviously happen. They published their findings in the hunt digest a few years back. Most guys I know snare 50 pounders but the largest I've personally taken have never been weighed but maxed out at maybe 40 lbs. One even got choked out crawling through a fox set, snare was not even over second ear. Not sure how it managed this but was a decent dog. Biggest I've heard of was 70 but I never saw it only heard from reputable trapper. Still not sure about the honesty in that but guess it possible. Size wise an adult deer/coyote is much more close than a wolf/moose or elk. The guides up north tell me the wolves hamstring the moose n elk n wait for the animal to stiffen up (the leg) than take it down. Yellowstone animal population has plummeted in my understanding so the packs there are doing a bit of damage, guess coyotes can damage our deer herds. They def go after the fawns n that is enough