How to find Coyotes & Wolves

[Artemus]

I love your Canis Latrans photos DAA! Any tips on how I can find them more often?

Moderator note: This thread was created to split this discussion out of the Wildlife thread: http://backcountrypost.com/forum/index.php?threads/wildlife-photos.120/page-5#post-18218

 

[DAA]

Seeing coyotes is mostly a matter of locating areas with good numbers and then pinpointing smaller core areas. Snow on the ground makes determining coyote numbers in the area a 30 MPH affair. I can bomb down a dirt road that fast and get a very good idea of the numbers in the area from tracks in the snow (yes I can "usually" positively ID coyote tracks from others at 30 MPH).

Without snow, I can still get a good feel for how many are around just by driving the dirt roads and observing scat (dirt roads are often territorial boundaries and coyotes mark boundaries with scent posts - scat). With decent numbers verified I take short hikes to look at tracks and locate travel routes to pinpoint core areas (take a bearing on each set of tracks - if you find multiple sets pointing to or from good structure it is likely a core area). With experience, you learn to recognize "structure" in the terrain that is likely to hold coyote during the day and concentrate attention on these likely looking spots. Structure can be as subtle as a patch of slightly taller sagebrush in an otherwise featureless ocean of sagebrush or as obvious as a pinion wooded hillside providing thermal cover overlooking prime rodent habitat.

Once a core area (the place a coyote or pair of coyotes spend the majority of their time) has been locacted, I can often get the coyotes in front of the camera using a predator call (prey distress sounds). Getting them close enough and then holding still long enough for good pictures is quite a challenge though. It always feels real good when everything comes together for a good picture this way.

Sometimes I just get lucky and get good pictures from the road too though . But, only once have I gotten a good coyote picture like that when I wasn't actually out actively looking for coyotes to photo. In other words, I get lucky that way usually only when I put myself in good coyote habitat and have my eyes peeled for opportunities.

- DAA

 

[Artemus]

Excellent knowledge DAA, thanks!

In my experience, coyotes often leave scat sign on trails and on roads and even on top of prominent rocks. Heck they will even successfully top small rocks. Anything to make it more obvious to the competition that they were there and probably still are there and own this territory. Fox, weasels, wolves and maybe bear do the same thing. What clues or knowledge causes you to believe that the road is often an actual boundary vs. just a path of travel? I once was solo car camping in the Swell and had a Pronghorn buck, during rut, walk up to 30' from me in my camp chair, rub his horns and cheek glands on a juniper sapling, paw the ground, then defecate and urinate in the hole and walk off in triumph. So maybe it's not just predators. If he had a middle finger he would have used it! We know that the animals follow the roads and paths for the same reasons we do - because it is a faster and safer path to move and you can see farther ahead and behind? I am curious if they are marking a boundary vs. a path.

Secondly, this core area is a great way to put it.... How often have you found this core area to be the site of a den/birthing place? I believe that coyotes don't typically den up for long periods of time except during birthing. They sleep out on top of the snow, under the starts (or under thermal cover as you call it) even in Yellowstone where it is often way below zero Farenheit.

Do you have the same experiences in tracking Vulpes Vulpes - the Red Fox?

 

[DAA]

What clues or knowledge causes you to believe that the road is often an actual boundary vs. just a path of travel?

A number of factors. Both first hand personal observations and research. The coyote is one of, if not the most studied animals in North America. For a number of reasons, but primarily the economic impact coyotes have on agricultural producers and the fact the the Fed. gov't largely took over control efforts after Richard Nixon banned the use of compound 1080 in 1972 (Ronald Regan later reintroduced it's use on an extremely limited basis). Suffice to say, there has been an ENORMOUS amount of research done on the coyote. I have a library of this research material. I even have some pure raw data from studies that haven't been completed or written yet - provided to me directly by people involved. It's well documented that coyotes territories are freqently bounded by roads when present. Some of the raw data I have is GPS tracking data from collared coyotes on the Idaho National Laboratory reservation (a close friend is involved - there is some really fascinating stuff in that GPS data!). That data clearly shows territorial coyotes on either side of certain roads rarely, if ever crossing those roads - obviously separating their home territories. And, it is something I have observed in behavior numerous times over the years.

Worth noting, also present in that GPS data is a particular alpha female who, during denning season, made daily trips across multiple other territories to a water source. She never used the same route twice in a row, but always went in as straight line/short a path as possible after entering those neighboring territories. Part of what makes this so interesting, is that there was another water source MUCH closer to her den, but apparently she didn't feel safe visiting it for whatever reason, so had to take great lengths making an 8-9 mile round trip to get water for her pups every day.

All that said... A territorial boundary is almost by definition also a regular travel route. The reverse is not true though. Many regular travel routes are NOT related to spacial distribution. The amount, distribution pattern and relative age of scat and tracks along a travel route are what I go by to decide if I think it's a boundary or not. When I see a lot of tracks both old and fresh, going both directions, a lot of scat, over a distance, with regular marking stations where there is fresh scat on top of old scat on top of really old scat, I think I'm looking at a boundary. Just a few tracks, mostly headed in one direction, with a few scats here and there, I think I'm probably looking at a garden variety travel route.

And all that said... It is very important to note that in the fall of the year when numbers are highest, about 70% of a typical exploited (hunted etc.) coyote population is made up of non-territorial transient coyotes (note - there are very significant differences in the population dynamics and spacial distribution patterns of exploited vs. non-exploited coyote populations!). The only truly territorial coyotes are the breeding alpha pair that control and defend a territory where they raise their young. They may have one or two betas from previous litters (usually female) they allow to live in a territory with them, but strange coyotes (either sex) aren't welcome. The degree of territoriality varies significantly with time of year, being greatest during the mating/breeding/whelping season when an alpha won't tolerate a strange coyote anywhere within it's territory. Mating season is about a month away now, coyotes are just starting to pair up now and starting to show more interest in other coyotes. A month ago, they might chase an intruder off from their core area, but probably wouldn't have bothered with coyotes on the fringes. Later when pups are in the ground, either parent won't tolerate another coyote anywhere near the den.

Secondly, this core area is a great way to put it.... How often have you found this core area to be the site of a den/birthing place? I believe that coyotes don't typically den up for long periods of time except during birthing.

You are right, coyotes do not use dens or live in holes or caves except during whelping season. Once pups are able to follow on hunts the den is abandoned. And even during denning season, the adults don't spend much time in the actual den. But during denning season, the area around the den is the core area. And this is also when it can be easiest to locate that core area, if you know what you are doing and so inclined. Personally, I tend to just leave them alone altogether during denning season though. Disturbing the den area has a very high chance of causing the female to relocated her pups to a new location - I'd just as soon not put the stress on them at that time.

The rest of the year the core area tends to be anywhere within the territory offering good cover, near food resources. And this may or may not be near the denning area - often it is not. Food resources and their location may change a good bit through the year and the core area frequently changes to follow suit. But in many habitats, the core remains fairly constant. Just depends. Also very worth noting, is that unless the habitat or environment changes, once you have pinpointed a core area, it is likely to hold coyote at that same time of year every year. Primo habitat will always fill back in with coyotes if the current alphas get killed or relocate - it goes back to that 70% transient population, some of them eventually become territorial alphas. I have a lot of places I don't have to do any scouting, I KNOW before I get there pretty much exactly where the coyotes are going to be hanging out.

And "just depends" is probably the single most important thing to really understand about coyotes. They are extraordinarily adaptable. There simply is no such thing as "always" or "never" with coyotes. They are very individualistic and will do what they need to in order to survive. You can never be too sure just what they'll do!

Fascinating critters, I think...

- DAA

 

[Nick]

Wow. Great post, Dave. Thanks!

 

[Artemus]

Fascinating critters, I think...
- DAA

Nice essay Dave. I am an amateur wolf researcher and lover which would be one of the only North American mammals to give the coyote a run for "most studied". It is fascinating the corollaries between what you are teaching us about the behaviors of the "barking dog" and the behaviors of the "grey wolf". I would love to compare the GPS data you have and the little I have been able to locate from Dr. Doug Smith and his gang in Yellowstone. I am really interested in canid movement over distance in both the short term (daily) and the long term (across seasons). As you probably know a wolf (and probably coyote) can get up in the morning and lope for 20 miles and take a nap and do it again before dark. Makes us long distance'rs seem amateurish. You know one of the captured wolves in Utah a few years ago had a Yellowstone radio collar, eh? So, interested in a data dump/trade? I am also wanting to expand on what you were saying in your post but what does the community wish? Do you want us to wax on in this thread, or go offline, or start a new Coyote/Wolf discussion thread? Mr. Admin Nick?

 

[Nick]

Do you want us to wax on in this thread, or go offline, or start a new Coyote/Wolf discussion thread? Mr. Admin Nick?

New thread created. Wax on!

 

[Artemus]

New thread created. Wax on!

OK, Admin solved that ... . Thanks kemo-sabe (sp)! More tomorrow. I did too much vert. in the moutains today hunting face shots to talk much about camera hunting canids at the moment. Time for vitamin I and bed.

 

[gnwatts]

We have always had a number of coyotes living below our house in Carbondale, Co. We overlook a 40 acre dog park (yes, a dedicated dog park where our canine friends can run off leash), but at night the coyotes take over, living in the riparian habitats that border the field (where water ditches are that run all year). We get serenaded often in the winter, and i love to watch them hunt in the early morning as the sun rises, walking on the crusty hardened snow, and then they pounce through the snow to below to pick out a mouse. The ranchers have seem to come to a working relationship with them (lots of cows near by, sheep too), I hear an occasional gun shot at night, but not too often. I usually see them in pairs, but this one was alone, not 50' from me:

 

[Artemus]

Apologies Dave,

I've been looking for the Yellowstone wolf GPS studies showing short term and long term migration that are stuck in my memory but my records aren't in as good a shape as I thought. But I am still looking...


In the meantime, have you been following the exploits of OR-7 the lone wolf that moved over the border from Oregon into California a year ago and now has GPS logged over 2,000 miles traveling around California ostensibly looking for a mate or a pack? He has even been seeing traveling with or in close proximity to multiple coyotes which would be very unusual. In Yellowstone, the coyote population has greatly decreased since the wolf headcount has increased. Wolves do not generally tolerate coyote competitors.

A news article. And another. Apparently he even has a web site...

I have been following a wolf study you might be interested in. It is a very long term study (50 years) of the wolves on Isle Royale in Lake Superior. This is a conveniently isolated but inhospitable island and the study is conducted in the depths of winter. The purpose is to track, long term, and study the interaction of wolves and moose and the predator/prey relationship.

The story of the study is perhaps best told by the project leader, Dr. John Vucetich, in a daily blog format from the field. It is part of the Scientist at Work blog at the NY Times. Highly recommended. The NY Times is behind a paywall but you can read at least 10 entries or articles for free and if you simply move to a different computer or wait a month you can read 10 more. Dr. Vucetich’s daily entries were from last year and are in reverse time order here (note they cover two pages).

This is a very entertaining and interesting read for anyone interested in canid behavior in the wild and how animal behaviorists conduct their research. An overview of the 50 year study can be found here.

An interesting insight from his observations: He recorded a large number of foxes during all his surveying and flying. He says there was an overabundance of foxes because snowshoe hares were just passing the peak of their 10 year old cycle.


At my home at 6600' in the Wasatch we are experiencing something similar. We are just past the peak of a population explosion of Mountain Cottontail and there is a related (resultant?) peak in the number of the Wasatch Mountain Red Fox, Vulpes Vulpes Macroura.

In the driveway...

 

[Nick]

Interesting. There's a spot I've camped at many times along Hole in the Rock Road. The first time we camped there we were overrun by rabbits. They were everywhere. Ever since, the rabbits are gone, but the coyotes are everywhere. Makes sense, just never put 2 and 2 together...

 

[DAA]

Very interesting stuff! I had not heard about the California wanderer. I'll have to catch up on the linked reading when I get a chance - thanks for posting them.

A lonely lone wolf consorting with coyotes does not surprise me at all. The record is full of anectodal evidence and stories of similar taking place a century ago as wolves were extirpated. One anectode about this in particular that I like is based in the Abajos/Indian Creek area where a single female wolf was known to live after all the other wolves in the area had been killed. Two trappers working the area reported seeing her with coyotes and finding her tracks mixed with coyote on many occasions. And both report that she had several litters with coyote males and that for a couple decades the coyotes in the Indian Creek area tended to be much larger and had larger feet/leaving larger tracks than coyotes in neighboring environs.

And of course there is the whole genetic mess with eastern coyotes and red wolves. I don't have my arms around it and really don't think anyone does (strong opinions not withstanding...). But it does appear that "eastern" coyotes have an awful lot of wolf in them and the red wolf has an awful lot of coyote in it.

- DAA

 

[Artemus]

the Fed. gov't largely took over control efforts after Richard Nixon banned the use of compound 1080 in 1972 (Ronald Regan later reintroduced it's use on an extremely limited basis).

Back in the day, years ago, it used to be legal to put out these partially buried mini-"bombs" that had a trigger wire sticking up out of them and were baited. When a coyote or other was attracted to them the wire was disturbed the little device would puff out what I had thought was cyanide. It caused a violent and immediate death. I thought they were outlawed. As a backcountry dog-accompanied user and an animal lover I was paranoid about them. I believe the BLM allowed them and since banned them. I think, but do not know for sure that the only control methods on coyotes now are paid government and private hunters collectin a few dollars per coyote. Is this 1080 the stuff the little mini-"bombs" puffed out? Do you know if anyone is still allowed to use them and could I encounter one with my dogs do you think? I did lose a dog in the northern Wasatch backcountry in the late 80's to a baited carcass but I am pretty sure it wasn't one of these little devices. It was almost certainly a carcass with poison.

 

[Artemus]

A lonely lone wolf consorting with coyotes does not surprise me at all. The record is full of anectodal evidence and stories of similar taking place a century ago as wolves were extirpated.

As you say we know that wild wolves and coyotes can mate and bear offspring in the right conditions. It also seems that they won't do that (at least the Grey Wolf and Coyote in the mtn. west) except under special conditions - no other wolves around and desperation on the part of the wolf. Where the wolf population is healthy they are intolerant of coyotes as shown in the last few years in Yellowstone where the coyote population is drastically reduced due to wolf predation and pressure.

 

[DAA]

Defnitely, coyote/wolf reproduction is something requiring special circumstances. Like you said, Yellowstone is a good illustration of the norm. It's much the same with coyotes and red fox. When looking at new ground, if I see a lot of red fox sign, I take it as prima facie evidence that there aren't many coyote around. Because where there are a lot of coyote, the reds dont's stand a chance.

Back in the day, years ago, it used to be legal to put out these partially buried mini-"bombs" that had a trigger wire sticking up out of them and were baited. When a coyote or other was attracted to them the wire was disturbed the little device would puff out what I had thought was cyanide. It caused a violent and immediate death. I thought they were outlawed. As a backcountry dog-accompanied user and an animal lover I was paranoid about them. I believe the BLM allowed them and since banned them. ... Is this 1080 the stuff the little mini-"bombs" puffed out? Do you know if anyone is still allowed to use them and could I encounter one with my dogs do you think?

You are describing an M-44, or "coyote getter". They do deliver cyanide, not 1080. The modern M-44 is spring loaded to deliver the cyanide capsule. The older ones used a pistol case to fire the cycanide pellet. Not so many years ago, I used to see M-44's deployed in huge numbers over vast areas. Regulations and restrictions on their use has been steadily tightening for years though. Accelerated by highly publicized citizen and domestic dog cases. I don't see them being used nearly as much as I did even five or six years ago. They are still legal though. I'm not familiar with the various state, federal and specific agency laws and regulations. And I don't know what the current BLM regulations and restrictions on their use are, but I know for an absolute fact that they do still get used on BLM land in at least some circumstances as I saw them deployed on BLM land very recently. The people I know who use them are federal employees.

Anyway... The chances of encountering them are a lot less than used to be, but they are still being used so it could still happen. But, the chances of you encountering them and not being aware of their presence in the area is just about non-existent. The regulation of their use include very clear and prominent signage. In years past, when M-44's were used by more people and in more places, the signage requirements were not always met. But these days, after the law suits and lost jobs of recent years, I highly doubt anyone using M-44's is going to be lax in clearly signing the area. If you see a poster on a fence post or tree with the word PELIGRO on it in huge letters, there are M-44's about and you should take due precautions. There definitely HAVE been cases of people and domestic dogs running afoul of these devices, so I don't want to downplay the danger too much, but, from my experiences and observations, you have nothing to worry about, just pay attention to the warning signs.

Is this 1080 the stuff the little mini-"bombs" puffed out? Do you know if anyone is still allowed to use them and could I encounter one with my dogs do you think? I did lose a dog in the northern Wasatch backcountry in the late 80's to a baited carcass but I am pretty sure it wasn't one of these little devices. It was almost certainly a carcass with poison.

As explained above, the 'getters deliver cyanide, not compound 1080. Compound 1080 is a very, very different beast... It's a poison that has to be ingested to do it's work. As such, typical application used to involve poisoned baits - small chunks of cut meat that could be swallowed whole by a coyote. An entire carcass laced with 1080 left as bait would be pretty unusual and a very inneficient use of materials. It would be enough meat to kill all the coyotes in a large agrea, but would only attract and kill coyotes close by. Unlikely to have been done by a professional, even when 1080 was legal to use in such a manner. But by the late '80s, it wouldn't have been legal and it is highly, highly unlikely that carcass was laced with compound 1080. It's use has been extremely restricted since before then. Getting and using the compound requires lots of credentials and lots of jumping through regulatory hoops. And, even then, the devices and application methods allowed do NOT include lacing baits or carcasses anymore. The most typical use for coyote control is putting collars full of compound 1080 around the necks of sheep. The idea being that only "guilty" coyotes are going to be biting into it.

Compound 1080 is legendary in the annals of coyote study and control. It is unique in that it is the ONLY method of coyote control that has EVER been successful in reducing coyote populations in an area over time. When you stop to think about all the time, money, effort, ingenuity etc. that man has put into trying to exterminate coyotes on this continent, that is really a pretty astounding thing to contemplate. Despite all the scorched earth methods, the bounties, the traps, the other poisons, the development of habitat, the countless dollars and man hours that have been put into destroying the coyote, his range and abundance have continued to do nothing but increase. There are far more coyotes today, and their range is far more extensive today, than it was the day Columbus first gave his germs to the natives on the east coast. The resilience and adaptability of the coyote is simply astounding. I firmly believe that should man ever get around to destroying life on this planet, only coyotes and cock roaches will remain and the coyotes will be eating the cock roaches. The ONLY thing, that has ever actually worked to make coyotes go away, is compound 1080. It came with lots of unintended consequences and disastrous side effects though, so it was banned outright in 1972 and it's use has been severely restricted since. I, for one, hope it never makes a comeback nor a "safe" but equally effective method ever found.

I go into this much detail on 1080 mostly because, if you google it, you'll find mostly misinformation, disinformation and outright lies. Without a pretty good background knowledge, for the uninitiated, I think it would be almost impossible to pick out the pepper from the fly shit.

- DAA