Saw a Melanistic Coyote Today

HunterDave · #1 12-12-2019, 09:26 PM

A few weeks ago a landowner told me about a “really dark” coyote that they had seen in their field. Today I drove there and put out bait to start a new bait site. After dumping the bait I decided to drive the edge of the tree line to have a look at tracks, fence crossings, etc. About 300 yards out in the field something caught my eye and sure enough, a melanistic coyote. This would have been about 300 yards as the crow flies from where I just dumped the bait. Hanging snares on Saturday or Sunday. Already looking forward to my first check.

H380 · #2 12-14-2019, 07:21 AM

Good luck Dave , send us some pics ..

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Tfng · #3 12-16-2019, 10:39 AM

When’s check day Dave?

HunterDave · #4 12-16-2019, 12:37 PM

I think that I'll make a special trip and drive up there tomorrow. That way I can finish hanging snares at the one side of the bait site. I rebait Wednesday and Thursday afternoons so I'm leaning towards checking/hanging snares tomorrow and rebaiting Thursday. It'd be dark by the time that I got there if I checked Wednesday anyway.

LOTS of well worn trails! Ten snares on one side of the bait site and seven about 300 yds away in the windrow of trees by a dead pit where they are crossing. Regardless if I get the melanistic one of not, I think that it'll be a good check.

FishOutOfWater · #5 12-20-2019, 10:38 PM

https://youtu.be/vcGtmPV5U34?t=90

I'd love to own a garment trimmed out with that fur, it's gorgeous IMO.

HunterDave · #6 12-21-2019, 12:18 AM

Quite a bit of brown on the one in the video. I caught a male last year and a female two years ago with no brown whatsoever. I just sold the male and it was really jet black. This is the female (also for sale

) that is more silvery. The picture doesn't do it justice.

kingrat · #7 12-21-2019, 04:27 AM

Nice I wouldn't of sold him

Marty S · #8 12-22-2019, 07:26 AM

I met a guy yesterday st Lloydminster that had just caught one. He was wondering if it had any value? His thinking was because red/cinnamon coyotes are cheap at auction, the blacks might be no good in price too? But i assured him, at NAFA there were always novelty people looking for them and paying decent money comparative to good coyotes. Im certain FHA will do the same.

Skin them complete for best chance at $$$$ at FHA. This is one place that FHA has always excelled, in the complete taxi skins. NAFA seemed to generally care less about complete skins with the exception of wolf and wolverine, bear and cougars, aside from private orders.

204ruger · #9 12-22-2019, 07:53 AM

Nafa definitely wasn’t into selling one off items. I know a guy sent in a black coyote and got 36$ for it.

HunterDave · #10 12-22-2019, 10:48 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 204ruger

Nafa definitely wasn’t into selling one off items. I know a guy sent in a black coyote and got 36$ for it.

x2 I think that Gibbs talks about this in one of his videos. Rare and unusual colours don't sell for much due to there being so few of them. Much better to sell whole to a taxidermist or tanned to a collector.

bushbug · #11 12-22-2019, 03:23 PM

Just for the record NAFA didnt dictate prices the BUYERS did

204ruger · #12 12-22-2019, 04:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bushbug

Just for the record NAFA didnt dictate prices the BUYERS did

So how is it fur harvesters is supposedly better at getting good money for one off items. Pretty much same buyers there as at nafa.

Probably the way fur harvesters markets them to the buyers/industry!?

HunterDave · #13 12-22-2019, 06:00 PM

This is a really good video about coyotes at NAFA, grades, etc. It was made by AO member Gibb. At the 11:47 mark he talks about black coyotes sent to auction.

https://youtu.be/qsN5lghk1Fw

204ruger · #14 12-22-2019, 07:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HunterDave

This is a really good video about coyotes at NAFA, grades, etc. It was made by AO member Gibb. At the 11:47 mark he talks about black coyotes sent to auction.

https://youtu.be/qsN5lghk1Fw

Point is there’s no talk about black coyotes. Unless I missed a hidden message at 11:47 of a 11:49 long video.

HunterDave · #15 12-22-2019, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HunterDave

This is a really good video about coyotes at NAFA, grades, etc. It was made by AO member Gibb. At the 11:47 mark he talks about black coyotes sent to auction.

https://youtu.be/qsN5lghk1Fw

CORRECTION........Black coyotes at the 7:40 mark.

Marty S · #16 12-22-2019, 11:19 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 204ruger

So how is it fur harvesters is supposedly better at getting good money for one off items. Pretty much same buyers there as at nafa.

Probably the way fur harvesters markets them to the buyers/industry!?

They offer such items as taxi items.

If you throw taxi items in the bulk, wrong buyer gets it or potential buyer didn’t even see it unless it was in the sample, which it wouldn’t be because buyers if seeing one taxi item in a sample of lot of 100 items, could say there should be 10items in the lot that should be taxi.

I’ve bought lynx out of FHA before that were skinned taxi, and I paid for a taxi item price.

Skin the odd big skunk,fisher, otter, badger etc. Especially the big, most impressive skins for taxi and you may will be rewarded.

Skin average, common skins for taxi and likely you will just fantasies about the big money!

Marty S · #17 12-22-2019, 11:58 PM

Fantasize!

Mind you, even taxi people often like volume.

Saskfly16 · #18 12-23-2019, 03:32 PM

Would not send him to FHA if you have a line on a taxidermist. Hell call around or post or on the internet.

One thing I always like about FHA was there lot size compared to NAFA. For example 50 beavers a lot vs 200 at NAFA. I truly belief that helped the price. With the new order of things FHA is not going to be able to offer smaller lot sizes and move the volume. Wait and see if it affects the average.

Sorry to hijack the thread but if you catch any unusual animal your best bet is a private sale.

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