# Coyote or German Shepherd



## J_vuks (Feb 5, 2020)

Hey guys, so I was wondering if you can tell me if this is a coyote or German Shepherd?














I caught it on my trail camera and I have neighbors that have German Shepherds but I also have a lot of coyotes and I can’t tell the difference on this one.


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## Shane'sDad (Jul 22, 2010)

coyote..


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

coyote


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## Kahrg4 (Dec 19, 2012)

Coyote


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## Petra's Dad (Jan 6, 2020)

Coyote.


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## Pytheis (Sep 23, 2016)

Coyote


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## Benjaminb (Aug 14, 2017)

Coyote


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## tim_s_adams (Aug 9, 2017)

Coyote or coywolf, hard to discern size correctly from the photo. Definitely not a GSD!


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## Aly (May 26, 2011)

Coyote. Looks just like the ones I saw regularly around the barn/pastures in CA. And a dead ringer for the one I saw trotting down the middle of a DC street a few years ago.


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## KarmaPuppy (Nov 22, 2019)

100% yote.. in need of a dirt nap


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## Jenny720 (Nov 21, 2014)

100% coyote


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## Kari01 (Sep 7, 2018)

I also think Coyote! Where in the US are you? It looks pretty large!


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## J_vuks (Feb 5, 2020)

Kari01 said:


> I also think Coyote! Where in the US are you? It looks pretty large!


It’s my upstate house, it’s in the Catskills in NY


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## Kari01 (Sep 7, 2018)

Interesting  I think I read that the Northeastern coyotes are the largest in the country, hard to tell how big it is from the single shots though. I'm hearing coyotes here in the Midwest just about every night. It's mating season!


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## Lexie’s mom (Oct 27, 2019)

That’s a decent size coyote, we have packs of them howling and Fozz sometimes would join and they would stop and listen, it’s funny. Thank goodness for the fenced yards!)


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

KarmaPuppy said:


> 100% yote..* in need of a dirt nap*


Why?


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## KarmaPuppy (Nov 22, 2019)

Sabis mom said:


> Why?


I'm a hunter, and have had a few barn kitties vanish in the mouths of these animals. So i am not a fan of them


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

When we eradicate predators like coyotes we cause explosions in rodent populations and hasten the spread of disease and the destruction of vital grasslands. 
Especially as a hunter it is vital that you respect the need for these wonderfully adaptable animals. 
I'm sorry for your kitties but for the animals it is not personal. It's just nature.


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## crittersitter (Mar 31, 2011)

That's a coyote. You can tell from the head and high back.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

It is sad to think about kitties being preyed upon.Around here there are plenty of farms and plenty of barn cats,most of which are feral and will have litter after litter until disease comes along and decimates the overpopulation.Or the coyotes get some of them.The cats keep the rodent population under control and mostly out of stored feed,coyotes help to control mice,bunnies(I know,adorable!),cats.So they do some good along with the bad.Controlling the coyote population is a tricky situation.Killing them is a very temporary fix as it leaves more sustenance for the others resulting larger healthier coyotes,larger healthier cubs...a 'catch 22'.
We've had feral cats take up residence in our barn occasionally.So of course I feed them and set up a box and blanket for them.Then one day they are gone.Hopefully off to a neighbor's barn but who knows?I miss them even though I know it's a temporary stay.


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## KarmaPuppy (Nov 22, 2019)

Sabis mom said:


> When we eradicate predators like coyotes we cause explosions in rodent populations and hasten the spread of disease and the destruction of vital grasslands.
> Especially as a hunter it is vital that you respect the need for these wonderfully adaptable animals.
> I'm sorry for your kitties but for the animals it is not personal. It's just nature.


Oh i agree its nature, but less of them in my area means more bunnies and deer for me to fill my and my family's belly. as for the rodents, that's why i have kitties.  I have just seen what happens when these things are not kept in check. Not to mention these animals are very smart and are not easy to shoot


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## Kazel (Nov 29, 2016)

Sabis mom said:


> When we eradicate predators like coyotes we cause explosions in rodent populations and hasten the spread of disease and the destruction of vital grasslands.
> Especially as a hunter it is vital that you respect the need for these wonderfully adaptable animals.
> I'm sorry for your kitties but for the animals it is not personal. It's just nature.


I believe in keeping the populations in check if possible and keeping a healthy dose of fear of humans in them. Keeps them and us safer. We had one area the coyotes got so overpopulated all we were finding were dead fawn carcasses and nearly zero deer, we didn't bother hunting there since the numbers were so low. The ranch owners got together and had a pretty big coyote hunt inviting people out and really reduced the population and now the deer are a bit higher back out there. 

Although yes it can be tricky since reducing numbers can increase litter sizes. But keeping hunting events seems to be pretty successful in keeping numbers lower as long as they're regular and not intermittent and helps keep coyotes away from houses and such.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

Here's an interesting article about coyote behavior that may surprise some of you.





Using Coyotes to Protect Livestock. Wait. What?







extension.oregonstate.edu


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## KarmaPuppy (Nov 22, 2019)

Let's all just agree to disagree. Some of us have come from different lifestyles/ways of life and have different view points on this particular issue.


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## dogma13 (Mar 8, 2014)

We all have different perspectives and experiences.That's what makes for an interesting discussion.Animal behavior is endlessly fascinating.


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## Clgkag (May 1, 2014)

J_vuks said:


> It’s my upstate house, it’s in the Catskills in NY


The northeast is also experiencing a rapid growth of coywolf populations. Canadian wolves are coming down and breeding with coyotes. Think larger coyote/small wolf that isn't as afraid of man.


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Clgkag said:


> The northeast is also experiencing a rapid growth of coywolf populations. Canadian wolves are coming down and breeding with coyotes. Think larger coyote/small wolf that isn't as afraid of man.


Coywolves are a direct result of human interference. We have only ourselves to blame for that particular issue. 
People need to understand that as we decimate natural areas in order to build, we displace and disrupt animal populations. Humans have forced cross breeding by skewing natural populations, the argument of predators overkilling in invalid. WE cause the imbalance, not them. Without prey there are no predators, and coyotes are not really into big game. Pastures, crops, roads and housing change patterns and decrease habitat. Of course deer will inhabit areas devoid of predators, and then we complain about deer destroying crops, orchards and gardens justifying the need to hunt them. Its a vicious circle.
The whole concept of "I want to live in the woods, but please dispose of the wildlife" disturbs and confuses me. 
Yes we all have different views and opinions, I can respect that without understanding it. All life has value and the coyote is no less important then I am. I have had issues and run ins with them over the years, but still respect them as beautiful, adaptable inhabitants of the planet. They are highly intelligent and while I am in favor of hazing to keep the peace I believe they could teach us a thing or two about acceptance.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

Coyotes have front upper leg joints that are below their bodies. German Shepherd joints are above the bottom edge of the body line. I read that somewhere and can’t find it now, but I have also noticed it by looking at dogs and at pictures of coyotes.


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## Petra's Dad (Jan 6, 2020)

LuvShepherds said:


> Coyotes have front upper leg joints that are below their bodies. German Shepherd joints are above the bottom edge of the body line. I read that somewhere and can’t find it now, but I have also noticed it by looking at dogs and at pictures of coyotes.


Here's an article talking about that..





__





Hiking with Chuck - Are You Sure it was a Coyote? How to Tell a Coyote from a Dog.


How can you tell the difference between a coyote and a dog? This page will tell you what to look for so you can be sure of what you saw.



www.hikingwithchuck.com






Looking at the photo it's elbows are definitely below the body line.


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## LuvShepherds (May 27, 2012)

That was it, thank you.


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## Buckelke (Sep 4, 2019)

coyote, relatively healthy looking one. 

nice trail cam pic.


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