Behavior

[snafu]

One Winter during breeding season I was out hunting coyotes on snow cover. I seen around 1/2 mile away 5 coyotes walking in a broken line along a fence line. I figured they either were a Family group that had not dispersed yet. Or a nomadic group of singles looking for a mate. I thought I'll wait until they bed down. Then go in for a kill shot. Instead I chose to just observe them. Turned out the lead coyote was a female, the other 4 were males.

They all remained spaced a part pretty evenly. When the female stopped to pee. They all stopped behind her w/o breaking rank. When she advanced forward. So did all of the males. Each one stopping to pee on her urine mark. None of those males ever broke rank. But waited their turn. Seeing this behavior was so interesting. After observing awhile longer. I gave them all a free pass for the view. I moved on looking for a lone bedded coyote.

I thought afterwards. Those males must've been aware of the dominant/submissive pecking order within their group.

[snafu]

Both coyotes & the Reds spend the vast majority of their time. On the down wind slopes of hills, ridge lines, fence lines & any other structures that offer them a wind brake area. While there, whether they are up & around or bedded down. They spend the majority of their time facing either down wind or a cross-wind angle.

When bedded down the Reds tend to be heavy sleepers(eg; often dismissing ambient noises) vs the coyotes. Coyotes when bedded down will often raise their head & pan around. Whereas, the Reds rarely do. Coyotes are very light sleepers, very light. When bedded down on the down wind. The stronger the prevailing wind is. The more in-line with that wind. Their face will be pointed to their down-wind. The wind direction...(Worth noting). As when a hunter is walking in to a stand area. Or when sneaking up on a sleeper, that hunter has seen from a distance.

Whether I'm walking in to a stand area or sneaking in on a sleeper. The wind in my face option, is my very last personal choice. For obvious reasons.


Coyote on the down-wind slope. Traveling cross-wind.

[snafu]

My old hunt area. One part of that area has an old rail line. Along that line is a short narrow strip of timber. Which can only be viewed from the gravel road from the North, looking South. When the wind was from the South. Occasionally, I would see one of the local coyotes on that territory. Bedded down on the very outer edge of that timber strip. Over consecutive years I managed to kill a few of them.

Coyotes more so than the Reds. Have preferred bedding areas when the wind is from a specific direction. I've used this behavior of theirs against them.

I've spotted many coyotes laying on hillsides/or below ridgelines. If the wind shifts directions during the day. A coyote will often move a little ways(generally within 1/4 mile) of the original bedding spot. Then bed down again, out of the wind.

Flipside to their behavior is. A Red will often just stand up & turn/rotate a little bit. Then lay back down so the wind is at their backside. Also the Reds tend to stay in one small focal spot when bedded down for the day.

When on hilly terrain. Both canines will (most often) be found on a hillside vs flat/bottom ground. When bedded down for the day.

[snafu]

Another coyote hunter argued the point. His coyotes behave differently because his hunt area has more timber.    Last I checked, coyotes were coyotes 

[FinsnFur]

Interesting finds

[snafu]

Seeing how I'm not a wild canine nor speak their language. What I do with my observations is average them out. So I understand their behaviors more accurately. (Best as I humanly can anyway).

[FinsnFur]

Im stepping in what your spillin

[snafu]

Worth noting...Coyotes specifically, will spend the vast majority of their time on the downwind areas. Down wind of a ridgeline/hill top & any other structure that offers them a wind brake area. Typically the up-wind is mainly used as a transition area. From one down-wind area to the next.

Also worth noting...They will on rare occasion bed down out on an open flat area(no ground cover or hill). Regardless if/when they do. They will be facing away from the prevailing wind 99.9 % of the time. (From what I have observed)

During daylight hrs when they are bedded down. Coyotes 9:1 on average, any given day. Will choose a cover area vs an open area to bed down.

[snafu]

"Cover" being ground cover.

[snafu]

Those who hunt Red Fox. If you haven't hunted them for long. You will eventually understand during day light hrs. Most of them will be holed up in a hard shelter. Such as a roadway culvert or a den hole. They spend most of the day sleeping in either. In Winter when the Sun is out & the wind is from the North/Norwest is when I typically see them bedded down outside of a hard shelter. However, I have on occasion seen them laying out on bitter cold overcast Winter days. Similar to the coyotes. Reds tend to hunt mainly during dark time hrs. Finishing their nightly hunt the next early am.

The area we live in. Is mostly low open rolling hills & flat land. There are quite a few Reds around. However, I have yet to lay eyes on one this Winter during the day.

Whomever said coyotes or Red Fox only use their den during pup rearing time. They are clueless.

[FinsnFur]

What have you noticed about Reds and Coyotes living together?

[snafu]

What have you noticed about Reds and Coyotes living together?

I've seen they do. We live in a small town. There is a nature trail(abandoned rail line) that runs through the outer edge of our town. One day walking our dog. Dog hit on some scent trails. Dog found an active coyote den & an active Red den around 1/4 mile from each other along that same trail. Both dens were on the high cut bank's. That were laced with weeds, brambles & thin timber. Both dens had the remnants of domestic cat & coon carcasses. This occurred during pup rearing time. I believe both canines came in to town & killed a few cats. Or the cats strayed out to far from town? whatever...

An interesting fact I've noticed. Red Fox specifically like to kill cats during pup time. The above is not the 1st time I've found cat carcasses @ a Red's den site in the Spring time months.

I've never personally seen the two canines meet up. However, a coyote hunter told me one day. He watched a lone coyote eye a pr of Reds. The coyote moved on & never bothered the Reds. One on one that may of turned out differently.

Another thing I've noticed over the yrs is. Since the coyote pop raised over the yrs. The Reds started denning closer to man. Farms, acreages & small town outer edges.