Coyote vs Wolf: How to Tell Them Apart When Hunting

I live in Iowa, where hunting coyotes is a year-round open season with zero bag limit. They can be harvested however you want, whether by trapping methods, archery gear, or firearms. Overall, most people don't see or have a huge problem with hunting coyotes or how they are harvested — but what about wolves?

While I can hunt coyotes year-round (and this is true in many other states, too), wolves are a different issue. It's important not to mistake a wolf for a coyote, so knowing the difference before taking your shot is crucial.

Today, we talk about coyote hunting, and we help you understand the differences between coyote and wolf if you hunt in areas where both animals can be found.

Coyotes are Nuisance Predators

As I mentioned, most people see coyotes as nuisance critters that are rarely afraid to come in close contact with small family pets or livestock and, therefore, would rather them be hunted than not.

While these feelings are pretty much a "general" feeling across the board, the same cannot be said when it comes to hunting or harvesting wolves.

Wolves have a ghost-like ambiance to them and a mystical and magical charisma that people have fallen in love with. Wolves have been at the forefront of hunting and non-hunting communities for a long time.

What About Wolves?

Should wolves be hunted, or should they be left alone?

As the wolf populations started to decline over the years, and we saw they were on the verge of being wiped out, we knew something had to be done. We banned hunting and started repopulating and reintroducing them into wild places.

They have since started to thrive and reproduce in their new habitats, expanding their territories further and further. This has been a wonderful thing to see and hear stories about the wolf thriving once again.

But this also brings about the question of "Should we hunt them now?"

How to Know the Difference

In areas where both coyotes and wolves live, you may find yourself in a situation where you have to tell them apart from one another — especially in a hunting situation.

There are some general and, for the most part, fairly easy ways to distinguish the two apart from each other.

Size Differences

The number one way, in my opinion, is the size differences. Generally, a coyote will be much smaller than a wolf. This may not always be true, though; if you have a very large male coyote compared to a small female wolf, they may look to be about the same size.

However, overall, wolves will tend to be larger (depending on location) and can range from about 70 lbs up to 150 lbs or more. In contrast, most coyotes (again, depending on location) will weigh in closer to 40 lbs up to about 60 lbs.

I have personally shot coyotes on both ends of that scale, with my first coyote weighing in at around 65 lbs. A few seasons later, I shot one that was only in the upper 30's to low 40's range.

Differences in Build and Color

If you cannot tell if it's a coyote vs wolf based on body weight and size, you can look at overall body build.

Coyotes tend to be leaner with a less blocky head, whereas wolves will be much beefier and have a larger head.

Another fairly easy way to tell them apart is their coloration. While both species can come in a wide variety of color combinations, generally, coyotes will be a mixture of reds, browns, and grays.

I have personally seen an all-white coyote, as well as a white and black coyote, which goes against their norms — but these color combinations could be due to them breeding with domestic dogs in their areas or recessive genes that pulled through.

Wolves, on the other hand, will usually be white, black, gray, and combinations of these colors.

Track Sizes

Another great way to tell whether you are in wolf or coyote territory is to look at track sizes.

A coyote track will naturally be much smaller than a wolf track as they are generally smaller in overall body size and weight. Their tracks will also be different.

Generally, a coyote track will be roughly two inches in size, while a wolf can be between three to five inches in size.

Pack vs. No Pack

I think the biggest giveaway to tell which animal you are looking at or hunting is this very obvious indicator: are they in a pack or not?

Wolves, unless it's a lone wolf, will be in packs ranging from about 4-12 wolves per pack. They will live, travel, and hunt together in this pack.

However, coyotes are much more solitary animals and will usually only be seen in singles or maybe pairs. This is not to say you won't see coyotes in larger packs. Especially if there is a fresh kill nearby, you may very well see multiple coyotes together at one time or could even see a family or pack working together to hunt larger prey animals, much like wolves do, but this is far less common. 

Predator Hunting is Necessary

For me, hunting predators is necessary to keep populations in check. Much like we hunt deer, turkey, waterfowl, or any other game species, so too, do we need to hunt predators.

If we do not hunt them, they have free range to grow their numbers rapidly because no other animals are hunting them to keep their numbers down or in balance. This goes for wolves and coyotes but can extend to predators such as mountain lions or bears.

If the predator populations are not kept in check by hunters, other wild game animals will start to disappear due to predators overhunting them.

In Iowa, as I mentioned earlier, there is an open season and no bag limit on coyotes, but this is because of our state's sheer number of coyotes. This is vastly different than states that have smaller population sizes when it comes to hunting wolves. These states issue a certain number of tags that allow them to be hunted to manage the populations the right way. 

Be Sure It's a Coyote vs. Wolf Before You Shoot

Always check with your state for the rules and seasons around hunting coyotes and wolves. Then, use the insights we shared today to correctly identify a coyote vs wolf before taking your shot.

For many hunters, you may never be in an area that is home to both of these animals. However, animal identification is crucial no matter what you hunt, whether it's deer, elk, turkeys, or squirrels. You also need insights into where you can find the species you're after and the best time to hunt them.

HuntWise can help! Our hunting app provides information about what you can hunt in your area and when. You can also use species-specific insights to find the best location and time to get out for a hunt.

Whether you're planning a coyote or wolf hunt now that deer season is coming to an end, or you're thinking ahead to your hunt planning for next season, check out HuntWise. Download and explore it free for your first week!