I believe that coyotes have certain behaviors that do not change no matter where you are. They may vary in size, color, and experiences, but thier needs remain the same. I think it is key for trappers to understand those needs, so they can capitalize on them at the set locations.

Breeding
Food
Water
Smells of thier own kind

Often the behaviors we see center around one or some of these needs. Whether a coyote is licking McDonald's wrappers in New York City or sneaking through sage brush in Montana he is still wired the same. He is a product of his experiences which to me is the only thing that may vary his behavior from the coyote next door, or across the country.

Thoughts?

I think this is true also.Naturally his individual environment will cause some changes........but basicly.....a coyote is a coyote.

A coyote is a very adaptable animal but yes his basic needs and functions are going to be the same.
good post

Do you think that coyotes speak different languages in different country's. Like would a Mexican coyote speak spanish?

Now that's funny right there I don't care who you are!

Does a Mexican coyote feel compelled to cross the border?

I thought a Mexican coyote carried others across the border...?

I think mexican coyotes bark with a little accent....but other than that they're the same........grin grin !!

WOW....

I only thought humans, monkeys, dogs, cattle, etc. centered around those behaviors.

Almost every mammal exhibits those exact things....We are like coyotes and monkeys, chickens, etc......find where all those things come together and you can catch every one....well 90 %...lol

Well it may be funny about mexican coyotes speaking spanish, but I will say that I do think coyotes speak a bit differently in many different areas. They do have slighly different voices as well as different howling patterns per time of day and where from as well as when they are hunting or not. Yes, some of this is because of people in areas or not, as well as no doubt genetic make up of the different subspecies, and I do not want to change this thread into a subspecies or not thing. Just wanted to point out that my experiences in many different states has made me very aware of different howling patterns. Wide open spaces say verses timber country and I would also have to include predominate prey they were seeking too.

Their hunting technique varies by area. Coyotes in this region will cooperate in hunting large game and even will hunt rabbits by a group of them fanning out to hunt thick cover.

I do not believe the small prairie coyotes hunt in packs but I could be mistaken.

Excellent point Wheelie.

Feel free to change the thread Slim. That sounds fascinating I just do not have the calling experience to add to it.

Yeah Slim, Please continue

Where I grew up in NW Iowa. Bareground, open land, no timber, I've only heard coyotes 3 times in my life where I grew up. One time was in June there was plenty of juveniles I could pick out.

Another time it was in November while coon hunting a farm place, 3 coyotes in the same section, with a huge draw coming through it, were howling. Could pick out an old, old male! His howls were almost cutting out on him! lol

Come to think of it, it's the same farm I caught my first coyote.

I have no intention of getting into the subspecies discussion, think that is all very counter productive. I think you made an accurate statement when you said that coyotes basically act upon the same instincts no matter where they live. I was only pointing out that they do sound noticably different in many areas with different voices.

I do not like the term pack in reference to coyotes, as they do not pack up and remain in a pack like wolves do. Yes the family groups stay together until late in winter and often sound like a pack, but they will not stay together once breeding season kicks in like a pack of wolves will do.

Coyotes hunting in groups of two to as many as 10 or more almost always fan out to hunt, and they are poetry in motion when they do too. I have been fortunate enough to witness them hunting through binoculars many times. They miss nothing! From a mouse to a deer, they find most everything in thier wake. But to get back to the voice thing, I have noticed that in timber country they seem to keep in contact more by yapping and howling than they do in more wide open expanses while they are hunting through an area, and I guess that just makes common sense too, but I have noticed the difference several times. And I will say that their voice patterns are much different when they are hunting than it is when they are just howling. In more open areas, they seem to key off each other with other ways besides just howling, and much of it must be body posture I suspect, but from a distance it often appears magical sometimes, almost like they have a high degree of esp with one another.

Mandatory here in Canada for coyotes to be bilingual.....got that french accent thing going !!

i hear coyotes every evening here, especially in the spring and summer months, and often in the winter.

right now, there is alot more yapping with a few howls mixed in. and this is concentrated in a small area. later in the year the howls will be spread out, sometimes miles apart it seems. they may not be talking to each other, but just howling at their own group.

any insight as to the reasoning of this? pups this time of year? or looking for mating partners later in the year?

thought I answered this once, but do not see it on here, so hope this is not a duplication.

yes it is partially pups this time of the year. later it will be family groups, and then during breeding season they are usually individuals seeking other coyotes in the area. After they are bred, it is usually a pair of coyotes seeking an area void of other coyotes to claim as their own territory. Normally when you hear more yaps than howls, they are probably hunting.

I hear lots of yote howling here in Vermont. Sometimes its howling but often it is the whole business howling and yipping.

The other night, monday evening at about 8:30, I heard a coyote barking. Not sure what it was barking at but it was close. I need to set a trap for that one.

When two or more coyotes are howling together, it is the female that does most of the yapping and less howling. I learned that while observing the ones I had in pens. Two or three coyotes can sound like ten or fifteen sometimes with all the yapping and howling intermingled. I honestly think when there are no people around, or when it is dark and they feel more secure, they sometimes just howl for simple pleasure.

Actual barks is a different story. Sometimes, depending upon the bark, they are attempting to scare something into running while they are hunting, and at other times they are warning some other animal to leave them alone, like say when a cow sees a coyote and starts to approach out of curiosity.

So when I catch an older woofy male he is warning me to leave him alone? I love it when they howl when I approach them.

Yeah Slim that dog was barking, a few times then quiet for a spell then again a few times. It was about 300 yards from us and I still yet to figure out what it was barking at, unless it was at a moose.

What type of lure do you recommend for summer trapping of these scoundrels. Last year I had success with gland lure and urine.

you got it K9
Nelly I have never trapped in Vermont or near there in summer time, but suspect that gland lure and urine are probably your best bets for summer time trapping, as they have lots of baby animals from mice to mouse to feed upon and they do eat a more varied diet in summer with lots of fresh vegetations of different types in different areas, so bait in the heat is usually not as appealing as when weather cools and young animals are closer to full grown.

Slim I've noticed the same things about the vocalization of the coyotes in my area vs other more open areas.

The area around here is more timber and mountainous. These yotes don't shut up. Constantly "talking". Now you go a little west of me. It is still a lot of timber, but less mountainous. Those coyotes "talk" a little less.

Move out into the farm country and those coyotes hardly "talk" at all.

It seems around here when one lets loose, they all let loose. They go at it for a bit, then you do not hear them again.

probably depends on what he's "saying". only once have i seen another coyote come in while one was howling in a trap. i haven't ever seen one in the same field as one that i had trapped. i don't think they hang around long waiting for the other one to "come on".

This is for Slim.

I have no idea if you get TRAPPER'S WORLD, if so, a few years back I had an article about the THE BEAN-STUBBLE SET my dad showed me in December, 1962. In the article, I show a coyote at one of those sets.

This coyote was a female and she lunged at me when I tried to shoot her. She lunged and tried to get my hand that held the psitol I was using. The only thing that saved my butt was the chain held. I use number 2 straight coil on all fox traps. The trap was a Montgomery 1 1/2 coil.

She kept howling and I could hear coyotes in the woods behind her howl back.

Now my question. Was she the ALPHA female?

I had never had a coyote lunge at me when I tried to shoot it. And she was super aggresive! This happened in late November.

like he said earlier ... they dont stay in packs ... im guessin an adult female and the pups were in the background .... as far as lungin at ya .... keep catchin em and ya will see it happen more ... i see it happen alot more during adverse weather conditions ...as in RAIN

Last year on my farm you could hear coyotes every night on my farm all spring and summer, later on in the fall the just talkin.South western pa farm country small wood lots and fields.I think that the huntin pressure shut them up, I dont know.

K9 - "Feel free to change the thread Slim. That sounds fascinating I just do not have the calling experience to add to it."

well, sheriff........you and I tried to go calling once with Slim in Iowa, but you kept yapping on that cell phone and screwed it up.......or maybe you'd have some of that calling experience!

That's one of the days you tried to kill us. I remember it well.

I'm not Slim but it has always been interesting to me the various personalities of trapped coyotes. Some meet you atthe end of the chain, some slink back or crouch, some bark at you. I am sure these personalities carry over and are indicative of dominance/pecking order.

Steven G Trosper

Do I get Trappers World magazine???? I wrote an article for the very first issue of that magazine several years ago already!

Coyotes are like all animals of higher intlligence in that each one becomes an individual, much the same as dogs, horses, and yes even people---some are timid, some are aggressive, some are all the levels in between.

However, I keep waiting for someone else to bring this up but none have as yet---pay attention to those that bark and howl a lot in traps---THEY ARE ALWAYS FEMALES, not aggresive old males. I have had an old male woof at me once or twice, but never bark or howl.

I honestly think the females are warning others in the area too when they make all that commotion, as I have noticed that the set and immediate area around the set will go dead for quite awhile after one howls and barks that much in a trap.

And k9 if I remember correctly there was lot of cell phone talking that day, but think it was the accuser doing the talking on cell phone, as well as waving arms and moving from one place to another while we were attempting to call. lol

"pay attention to those that bark and howl a lot in traps---THEY ARE ALWAYS FEMALES,"

Another fact that carries over from coyotes to humans. The ones yapping are always the females!

Yes I remember. Arm flailing and coyote calling just do not go hand in hand!

I thought it was just me.I've also noticed if you catch a female or females in an area,there's usually more coyotes to catch in that area or on the location I guess I would say.It seems if you set a location and only catch a male,it seems that spot doesn't produce much more than him.I hope I'm explaining this so it can be understood.I also had a few times witnessed where I've made sets on certain areas,and had coyotes visit my sets but not catch anything,then afetr some time,catch an old bristle brush furred female coyote caught then,a few days later it seemed like someone opened the flood gate and started catching coyotes and a few fox.It wasn't like she wasn't in the area because I would see her in the fields there a few times checking the sets.To me it seemed like this old female was keeping everything at bay while she was there,like guarding the area.I've had this happen a couple times.Any thoughts on this.

I have always said if you luck out and catch the old female first, you will probably catch most of the others in the area, but if you happen to catch the old male and one pup, the area will go dead. Much like humans, the female rules the family, and if she feels her family is threatened she will move the whole group to a new area.

Trapped an area in S.Indiana one year...hadn't been trapped in a number of years and then just for fox/coon..low fur prices.
Caught 5 males..never caught a female. First male I caught just about popped out of the stock #2 Monty sq jaw dogless that held him. Legit 42 lb.s..weighed him. Barked growled and howled his head off! Afterwards, the only other canine I caught that season was feral dogs. These feral dogs barked howled and carried on the entire time I was....remaking sets. Got a little scarey at time.
Time of the year was late December into early January.

the female rules the family huh?

well, in THAT area we're not like coyotes, at least in MY house!!!!!!!!

Steven Prosper.....check the last issue of Trappers World and the one that is coming out in a couple weeks.......Slim has an article in both issues......I know, he made me proof read 'em! LOL!

Coyotes really started populating here about 96,cuaght a few here and there before that while trapping fox over the previous 10 or so years,but now they seem to be every where,the last ten years have been a blast learning and trapping and callin'them,and I'm sure I've got alot more learning to put under my belt with coyotes,can't get enough of it.

Steve,had the same thing happen a couple years ago.As I pulled up to a large male that was snared I got off the ATV an I could hear a pack across the field barking an howling.This yote was very aggressive growling and lunging. I was snaring for live market, with a 6' snare an a 10' fight circle an a 4' catch pole you can imagin how this was going. I finally drove the 4 wheeler in the circle with him he just hid under it like a dog. I just got him secured an look fifty yards away an theres a large female caught an im thinkin I don,t need much more of this but she was just the opisit, never moved a muscle as I secured her. The ones barking in the back ground finally shut up but they did cause me to look over my shoulder a couple of times. Probaly caught the alpha,s an that caused all the noise. Only time I ever had this happen.

Yah, normally when you see several coyotes together it is the mated pair and spring pups, and the pups usually disperse in the fall and winter before mating season.

But in some parts of the country and for various reasons coyotes will pack up in groups beyond the pair and spring pups. There are lots of interesting studies out there on the subject done by biologists, but I suppose it really does not affect the techniques of trapping them. Just gang-set snares or traps and clean up!

A family group of coyotes ALMOST ALWAYS consists of more than just a pair of old coyotes with pups, and normally consists of one or two yearling coyotes assisting with the care and feeding of the pups.

and Yes I did attend the session put on at the Northwest Regional by biologist Bob Chambers, a very smart and nice man. Would be interesting to ask him about family units of cross bred coyote wolves to see what he has to say about social order and pack mixes of the cross bred animals.

We never know all we think we know when it comes to coyotes, and while doing predator control work in Montana I have shot from the airplane five adult males in one group one time, and four adult females in another group one time. Homosexuals? who knows about coyotes sometimes! There is no everytime or always when talking about them, it is always sometime or usually but not always or everytime.

I believe the proper term would be "Canidsexuals" Slim. Lets not give them more human traits then they deserve.LOL

Slim..in volume three of problems and solutions you mentioned dry females that will begin lactating milk to feed orphaned pups..how many times have you seen this in your travels?

Slim
Do you think the multi-colored Coyotes we have here in the east are from the Wolf or Domestic Dogs?
I know each season I learn something new about their lifestyle.

Bob

3n maybe three times for sure, possibly more, but none that I could confirm positively.

Bob, I am going to catch some more flack for this answer but I believe BOTH would be correct answer.

Turtle, don't you have some studying to be doing? lol

great thread thanks sir Slim

I am trying to ADC yotes from our preserve aand the surrounding area.

two season ago we caught and shot 31 coyotes, young and old and both sexs

last year we caught and shot 18, a large portion of these were male with a few younger females.

Several of the males were very large weighing in excess of 45 pounds
later in the winter they ran smaller

I had one dog growl and woof at me and he came to the end of the chain at me. A large male probably at the 45# mark.

At the same time I still caught 5 foxs in the same area

So the high volume of coyotes has not seemed to affect our fox population at least not in this location.

Whitetail deer do this,bucks will hang together through the summer up until they start rubbing velet off ther antlers and their breeding hormones or whatever ya want to call them start kicking in.I've seen many times 3,4 bucks together in the summer and some with awesome racks.Seen 4 bucks one time in a group and none had less than 8 points with wide spreads,I counted 12 points on one of them in the bunch with binocs,but anyway I see this every summer and usually the end of july till the middle of august.

Ok Nelly which one of them crouched creatures in that first photograph is the coyote?

In the arid Southwest, they have adapted to not having as much water.

They get their fluid from blood, the cactus plants and it's fruit, and the sotol plant.

And no, the sotol has not been distilled.

the better looking of the two Mr. Pederson..LOL

have always said if you luck out and catch the old female first, you will probably catch most of the others in the area

I went and checked my trapping journal for 1987. I'll be! I noted in the journal I caught mostly females the first two days at the farm I trapped coyotes on that season. I had never took that into consideration.

This was the farm I was trapping and the farmer wanted all the coyotes caught. I got tired of catching the smelly things and getting little money for them. I spit tobacco juice on one set that had held a coyote. The next day another coyote at that set!!!!

The reason I did not take the traps up was the farmer could watch me from his house and I had two days left before I had to go back to work. And he knew it.

The reason I wondered if Slim got TRAPPER'S WORLD is I have loaned all of mine to my nephew to read. So I was not able to check them.