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Description
A long overdue picture of my coyote pelt.

As the title says, he's a big one--65" from nose to tailtip, which means he's literally as long as I am tall. He's not mountable, but he does have all four of his feet and all claws. Missing his metacarpal pad (the big one on the "palm" of his paws), but I don't mind. As you can tell from this picture, he's just stunningly handsome, and will be made into a personal headdress.

I realize that turning pelts into headdresses is becoming somewhat of a "trend", but this goes beyond that for me. More than turning it into a headdress, this pelt actually has a lot of significance for me.

Prior to purchasing him, I'd been on the market for a coyote pelt for quite some time. I had found one ebay seller who carried quite a few for very good prices, and they were all the result of population control. (I didn't want to buy from a trophy hunter, and as much as I love coyotes, I realize that in some areas they are quite the nuisance.) Some of them "spoke" to me in some way, and this guy was one of them, but he was hardly the loudest voice. His size also intimidated me a little--I wasn't sure what I would do with a pelt that huge.

Then one night, I had a dream. In the dream, it was December 21, 2012, the supposed end of the world. The idea of the apocalypse happening in my lifetime had terrified me ever since I heard about it, and in the dream, it scared me still. The road outside my apartment was packed solid with the cars of people trying to flee, so I couldn't go back to my parents' home.

The apartment complex was deserted, with many of its doors unlocked and standing open, and I took it upon myself to explore. This commonly happens in my dreams: I find myself somewhere and simply wander alone, investigating the area. I didn't hesitate to barge into people's abandoned apartments, and no one was around to stop me.

Periodically in my wandering, I would remember the date, and begin to worry over what may be to come. The panic would grow until it woke me, and I would lay in bed panting for a time before falling back asleep. When I returned to sleep, though, I found myself in the exact same dream, frequently at the exact point I had awakened at. I'd never had this happen before, but it wasn't unwelcome. I was enjoying exploring the different rooms.

My wandering led me to one set of rooms a few buildings away from my own, where I discovered a room full of pelts. One wall was simply covered in them, hanging from the wall. There were all sorts of animals there--tiny ermines, raccoons, dappled lynx--but mainly, the pelts were those of wolves, red foxes, and coyotes.

And hanging up with them was this pelt.

Someone had reshaped its ears and face, and added leather straps in various places--made it into a simple headdress. I recognized the pelt as this one by the white spot between its shoulders. Figuring that it couldn't hurt to wrap myself in something familiar, I took the headdress down from the wall and tied the straps under my chin. Instantly, I felt calm and safe, as if something powerful had wrapped me in a protective embrace. The feeling was indescribable. From that point on, I no longer woke myself with panic; I slept through the rest of the night undisturbed, walking through the abandoned apartment complex with my coyote protector.

When I woke the next morning, the first thing I did was pull up the ebay listing on my computer to confirm what I already knew: That the pelt in my dream was indeed one that I had already seen. At that moment, I knew that I had to bring this pelt into my home. So I did.

I've had him since the second week of December, and he's been invaluable. Just as in my dream, when I put him across my back, I feel calm. More than once, when I've felt overwhelmed or upset, I've gone to him. I curl up on my bed and lay him over me, and just like that, I'm soothed. He's a strong protector--definitely loves to cuddle--and I'm glad to have him with me. There is definitely a powerful spirit in that hide.

I post this now because I get the sense that the time to sculpt him into what he was in my dream is coming close. It hasn't felt "right" just yet to work on him, but earlier this evening, I felt a powerful sense that the time was near. I'm a little nervous, because I want him to look perfect and don't know if I've got the skills yet, but I'll just have to do my best.

Description
A long overdue picture of my coyote pelt.

As the title says, he's a big one--65" from nose to tailtip, which means he's literally as long as I am tall. He's not mountable, but he does have all four of his feet and all claws. Missing his metacarpal pad (the big one on the "palm" of his paws), but I don't mind. As you can tell from this picture, he's just stunningly handsome, and will be made into a personal headdress.

I realize that turning pelts into headdresses is becoming somewhat of a "trend", but this goes beyond that for me. More than turning it into a headdress, this pelt actually has a lot of significance for me.

Prior to purchasing him, I'd been on the market for a coyote pelt for quite some time. I had found one ebay seller who carried quite a few for very good prices, and they were all the result of population control. (I didn't want to buy from a trophy hunter, and as much as I love coyotes, I realize that in some areas they are quite the nuisance.) Some of them "spoke" to me in some way, and this guy was one of them, but he was hardly the loudest voice. His size also intimidated me a little--I wasn't sure what I would do with a pelt that huge.

Then one night, I had a dream. In the dream, it was December 21, 2012, the supposed end of the world. The idea of the apocalypse happening in my lifetime had terrified me ever since I heard about it, and in the dream, it scared me still. The road outside my apartment was packed solid with the cars of people trying to flee, so I couldn't go back to my parents' home.

The apartment complex was deserted, with many of its doors unlocked and standing open, and I took it upon myself to explore. This commonly happens in my dreams: I find myself somewhere and simply wander alone, investigating the area. I didn't hesitate to barge into people's abandoned apartments, and no one was around to stop me.

Periodically in my wandering, I would remember the date, and begin to worry over what may be to come. The panic would grow until it woke me, and I would lay in bed panting for a time before falling back asleep. When I returned to sleep, though, I found myself in the exact same dream, frequently at the exact point I had awakened at. I'd never had this happen before, but it wasn't unwelcome. I was enjoying exploring the different rooms.

My wandering led me to one set of rooms a few buildings away from my own, where I discovered a room full of pelts. One wall was simply covered in them, hanging from the wall. There were all sorts of animals there--tiny ermines, raccoons, dappled lynx--but mainly, the pelts were those of wolves, red foxes, and coyotes.

And hanging up with them was this pelt.

Someone had reshaped its ears and face, and added leather straps in various places--made it into a simple headdress. I recognized the pelt as this one by the white spot between its shoulders. Figuring that it couldn't hurt to wrap myself in something familiar, I took the headdress down from the wall and tied the straps under my chin. Instantly, I felt calm and safe, as if something powerful had wrapped me in a protective embrace. The feeling was indescribable. From that point on, I no longer woke myself with panic; I slept through the rest of the night undisturbed, walking through the abandoned apartment complex with my coyote protector.

When I woke the next morning, the first thing I did was pull up the ebay listing on my computer to confirm what I already knew: That the pelt in my dream was indeed one that I had already seen. At that moment, I knew that I had to bring this pelt into my home. So I did.

I've had him since the second week of December, and he's been invaluable. Just as in my dream, when I put him across my back, I feel calm. More than once, when I've felt overwhelmed or upset, I've gone to him. I curl up on my bed and lay him over me, and just like that, I'm soothed. He's a strong protector--definitely loves to cuddle--and I'm glad to have him with me. There is definitely a powerful spirit in that hide.

I post this now because I get the sense that the time to sculpt him into what he was in my dream is coming close. It hasn't felt "right" just yet to work on him, but earlier this evening, I felt a powerful sense that the time was near. I'm a little nervous, because I want him to look perfect and don't know if I've got the skills yet, but I'll just have to do my best.