Most common is sarcoptic mange. It is a mite that digs into the skin. Wild canines and felines can get it, coyotes for sure. There are medications for it if your domestics get it, wild dogs it’s pretty much fatal, and painful.
I’ve shot the western states from northern border to southern border and I’ve shot coyotes in all those states that had it. I came in a week or so back from a run in Wyoming and in Montana and some shot dogs had mange. I don’t recall a year where I didn’t see it somewhere. Coyotes spread it to each other by contact. Often it’s an indicator of overpopulation of coyotes in that area.
It’s a terrible slow death disease and yes people can get it as well if not careful. Scabbies is a form of it on humans. Early stages some people don’t recognize it particularly this time of year when coyote fur is breaking down anyway.
Osky
Thank you for explaining this desease I learned a lot
Rick
You bet. The picture above is a crazy severe case, I think the coyotes in the northern states would have frozen to death before getting that bad.
The vast majority I’ve shot or trapped/snared that had gotten mange, it started at the base of the tail. There was a guy a few years ago who shot a coyote, real pretty as you walked up to it, but when it was picked up the opposite side was terribly infested and bare. That was a rare one for me at least that didn’t have damage at the tail but elsewhere.
Be careful if you have your dog nearby, keep distance, you don’t want it getting to it.
Osky