What is an average distance between an adult coyote's front and hind legs?

[ivarhusa]

Guys,

What would you say is a typical/average distance across a coyote, front legs to back legs? I am looking for a way of estimating (until a range finder gets purchased) how far a coyote is from me, based on how it looks in my crosshairs.

Out at the rifle range, I determined that the distance between the thickness changes in my duplex reticule covered exactly (well pretty darn close to) 6" at 100 yards, when dialed in at maximum magnification (in my case, 12x).

Here is what I expect to see at "some distance" away:



Note that I am trying to show (in my crude sketch) that the transition from thick to thin (both sides) exactly spans the "wheelbase" of this coyote.

If I take the wheelbase of a coyote to be 24", when you do the math, that would place this coyote at exactly 400 yards (6"/100yds=24"/ X,   solve for X). Is 24" a good estimate for this distance?

Observing that a coyote in profile doesn't fill the space between the reticule changes is a sign that the coyote is at least 400 yds away.


What do you think of this approach? I fully expect that others have done something like this already, making this idea not all that original. Have you done this for coyotes?   I recall an old Redfield scope that had "brisket" lines, and a post in view, that would read ranges out on deer-size critters. That was sort-of my inspiration.

(I was reluctant to include head and tail in "picking a width", because of the variations in the way they are "held" by a critter (up, down, turned).


Ivar

PS and sorry I am  not to be looking at an in-the-flesh coyote, and making this measurement myself.  I was headed hunting this morning, but the rain discouraged me (and LastCat).

[clindsayrun]

I'm not going to attempt to actually answer your question, because I don't know.

I just wanted to point out that this seems to be a really intelligent way of determining range. I don't think that I ever would have thought of this...but now that you've put it out there I'm going to look into it.

[runamuk]

That is probably a good estimate... I have an aussie shepherd who is roughly the size of a big coyote and he is close to 24"-26" "wheelbase" he wasn't real cooperative...lol .... My chow who is a shrimp is 19 at the shoulders and her shoulder to hip measurement is 20 1/2 ..... coyotes are less square so if you know and average shoulder height I'd say add 2-3 inches to get the point of shoulder to point of hip....

just my suggestions... and I like your idea.... I also need a range finder

[jjhunter]

I think the depth of a coyote's chest is a much better ranging/hold-over reference.  I have used it for years with great success.....same thing with deer. 

[ivarhusa]

OK,jjhunter, I like your suggestion, but what then would be the depth of a coyote's chest?

My first surmise would be about 16".

Using that number, a coyote whose "chest depth" spanned the "full reticule" would be 266 yds away (6"/100yds=16"/ X yds).  That is a pretty useful number, and could be used to augment an estimate based on "wheelbase".

Ivar

[DOUBLELUNG]

I think the depth of a coyote's chest is a much better ranging/hold-over reference.  I have used it for years with great success.....same thing with deer. 

I agree.  However, since I had a cased pelt here, I measured it - 19.5" wheelbase.  Probably a little shrinkage when tanned, I think 20" would work as a guestimator.  

I have a Burris fixed six on my go-to .30-06.  It subtends 18" duplex to duplex at 165 yards, and duplex to intersection of the crosshairs at 330 yards.  I used that for years to determine that if a mule deer buck's brisket depth subtended at least from the duplex tip to the  intersection, I was good to go to hold dead-on (i.e., less than 330 yards range).  About 5 years back, I found a Bushnell Yardage Pro 800 rangefinder someone had left on a hillside in WY, so now I use that - but I don't think I would ever have bought one for rifle hunting big game.

[JoshT]

I think the depth of a coyote's chest is a much better ranging/hold-over reference.  I have used it for years with great success.....same thing with deer. 

I've found that 12" gives pretty good results here (that's fur to fur... they're much smaller than that if it's actuall back to brisket)... I used this system with my Leupold for years... it was 3" from the center to the point on the duplex... if a coyote fit... it was 400 yards. This system wasn't fool proof... but it worked pretty well. And, if I sighted my rifle in about 1"-1.5" high, depending on cal., the point of the duplex was pretty close at 400... so it was a good system all-around.

[jjhunter]

I always figured 12" (7" kill zone) for yotes and 20" for deer.  It has always served me well in the past, especially for hold-overs to 500 yards. 

[Bofire]

 :)I'd guess about 12 inch vertical, but that includes hair. I think vertical "kill shot" is more like 4-6 inch.
Carl

[ivarhusa]

OK, guys.  I think I will agree that 12" is a better number for this purpose.

For my rifle, then, were the coyote subtend the full vertical extent of the duplex reticule, it would be 200 yds away.  Similarly, if it subtends half that (from crosshair to reticule), that would be 400 yds.  That is a long ways away.

Quite by coincidence, my rifle has a 12" drop at 400 yds (zeroed at 250 yds).  This is serendipitous, in that for a 400 yd shot, I would put the duplex thickness transition at my intended impact location. Sweet!

Here is about what my sight picture would be at 400yds.



The center of the crosshair is at the very top of the image, in my attempt to show this 'to scale'.  The distance from the 'duplex point' to the center is intended to equal the brisket depth of the coyote.

Ivar

PS The coyote image was not 'mine'.  I borrowed it form the web.

[uncoolperson]

mil dot?

[JoshT]

OK, guys.  I think I will agree that 12" is a better number for this purpose.

For my rifle, then, were the coyote subtend the full vertical extent of the duplex reticule, it would be 200 yds away.  Similarly, if it subtends half that (from crosshair to reticule), that would be 400 yds.  That is a long ways away.

Quite by coincidence, my rifle has a 12" drop at 400 yds (zeroed at 250 yds).  This is serendipitous, in that for a 400 yd shot, I would put the duplex thickness transition at my intended impact location. Sweet!

"The beauty of the plan is in its simplicity dude" -Walter Sobchak