Missouri deer hunter bags mystery coyote-type animal

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- It could take up to six months before conservation agents figure out what a Missouri hunter shot when he thought he was bagging an unusually large coyote.

The man -- who asked officials not to disclose his identity -- was hunting for deer Tuesday at Franklin Island Conservation Area when the animal came into range.

The Columbia Daily Tribune reported coyotes are in season and the man had a permit, so he shot what he thought was a state-record coyote.

But when it weighed 81 pounds -- seven pounds more than the national record -- a Cooper County conservation agent ordered it taken to a regional office for testing.

Experts say the animal could be a wolf, a large coyote or a hybrid animal with characteristics of both.

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Information from: Columbia Daily Tribune, http://www.columbiatribune.com