Black Coyote Rug Mount, an Unusual Addition to any Trophy Collection!

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I have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of my Coyote rug and it's finally here.

I took this big dog back almost a year ago. Here's a link to the story.....Trophy Black Coyote, That's One Big Dog!  He was a rare black color phase with an excellent coat for a Florida coyote. Most of the coyotes here have a thin mangy coat and are not very suitable for mounting. Actually, just seeing one is quite an accomplishment. They are one wary critter.

As soon as I got a look at this black coyote I knew I had to have it mounted. I do a little taxidermy from time to time but have never tried to tackle a rug project. I decided to send it out to a professional. I did the skinning and fleshing myself to save a few bucks but if your not familiar with the process, it's better left to a professional. Skinning the toes and splitting the lips and ears is quite a chore, let me tell ya! After that, the skin has to be salted and dried properly before it can be sent to the tannery.

The rug came out great and I was happy with the work of the taxidermist I chose. He did exactly what he said he would do and it was completed in a timely manner.

If I had it to do over again I probably would have selected a different color for the felt, The gray on black was o.k. but I think I would have liked a tan/chocolate better. I also feel the manikin for the head that was used was a bit smaller than it should have been and more narrow than the real thing but I'm pretty picky and it's probably as good as you could expect.

Here are some pictures of the finished product.

Good Huntin'

Larry Stephens