No, I haven't seen it all.

[snafu]

I never believed a pr of coyotes. Let alone a pr of Red fox would keep back a yearling pup. I've observed over a couple thousand coyotes & hundreds of Red Fox over many yrs. I never personally seen such a thing. So of course, that was my school of thought on that matter at that time.

A few yrs back, I did observe this behavior of both canines. Over the same season as luck would have it. Some hunters are not too interested in canine behaviors. Their behaviors is what holds my attention more than anything. Over the yrs, I've held off killing many predators. So I could observe & learn from them. After all they are good teachers if a hunter pays attention.

[snafu]

One early am, I seen a group of 5 coyotes slowly traveling the foothills. They all were in a loose line. These coyotes were around 1/2 mile out in the field from the gravel road. So I held tight & watched. Turned out the lead coyote was a female, the rest were males. This happend around the latter part of January.

Female would stop, all the other coyotes would stop. Retaining their distance from her & amongst themselves. She peed then moved forward. Then all the males advanced forward. Each taking a turn smelling her pee, then peeing on the same spot. What was interesting during this whole ordeal was. Not one male broke rank. But stayed in a loose line. I drove on.

[Okanagan]

Good stories from good observation.  Coyotes are the most fascinating animal I know of  to watch.

Similar to your string of coyotes, in Feb. my son and I were doing a tour of big game wintering areas in WA State one year, his farewell present to me before he got married.  South of East Wenatchee one dawn we sat on a rimrock cliff in snow and watched some coyotes on the next broad sage flat bench below us toward the Columbia River.   A pair trotted and moseyed southward, with another coyote following 20-40 yards behind them.  When the following coyote would get too close, the dominant and slightly larger one of the lead pair would whirl and charge at the follower.  It would wheel and run away, then begin following again when the lead pair moved on.  Of most curiosity was yet another coyote that followed the whole bunch of them 150-200 yards behind.  It looked younger.  I'm not as good as identifying age and sex as you are.

One of the valuable things to learn is to read animal body language, especially in relation to others of the same species.  Coyote stance alone says to other coyotes "check this out, personal threat, danger, go ahead, come this way, go another way, go back, wait, run for your life," etc.   When you see a single coyote it may tell you if another coyote is near, where the other one is, and whether to shoot now or whether it is going to give you some time.  I've learned that if I shoot a "sentry" coyote, it confuses the others looking to that one for guidance, and ups chances at shooting a second coyote. 

[snafu]

Yeah they are an interesting critter, Okanagan. As for telling sexes from long range? I tend to wait until they pee. Of course even some males will squat like a sissy  Otherwise if their sex is unknown. I'll take a stab at it. Body size, shoulder & neck girth/mass, head width & muzzle thickness. Not to bad of field guides of the unknown.

Not etched in stone. But what I have observed with Red fox. Other than looking betwixt their legs to determine sex is. A females forehead has a shallow/tapered slope vs a males forehead which is more abrupt or steep. Also males tend to have a slightly broader head & muzzle.

Getting back to coyotes. I've seen numerous tresspassers on a known pr's territory. These tresspassers when bedded down or on the move. Almost constantly pan around 360. Unlike the local pr which tend to pan around 180, most of the time. I suspect the tresspassers are on the look out for the local pr. Some may ask how do you know a pr's territory. Well I've hunted the same areas days in a row, years in a row. Once I've identified a local pr. All of the following days throughout the Fall & Winter & into next season. I note, where they are seen & where they are not seen. Which gives me a good idea of their home range.

On the average, few local pr's tresspass onto neighboring pr's territory. When/if they do on rare occasion. They tend not to go in very deep. Of course different territories have over-lap areas. I call those areas, no mans land. That area is where I often see the yearlings hang around. In the latter part of the yr.

[snafu]

A few more observations.
When a pr is on the move traveling. Almost always, the female is the lead coyote. If/when she checks up, the male will move up near her or even advance. Once the coast is clear. The female will most often take the lead again.

I've come to the conclusion, most everything is based around the female's intent. Where she goes the male follows.

Local pairs & wind. Say the wind is out of the North. The local pr will have prefered & secondary bedding areas. When ever they are seen on those North wind days. Then it is smart for a hunter to note that. Because they will often use that same bedding area again. When the wind is out of the North.

[FinsnFur]

Good reading
I've seen females leading around the males to, and not only coyotes. People do it too.
But opposite of Okanagan I've learned and read instances where shooting the trailing coyote first in a double situation, increases the odds of the other one being called back. I always figured it was because the less timid was leading...so thats why they are able to be called back or at least stopped.

[JohnP]

We are still in the process of moving into our new place plus being in PA for two weeks.  I have an interesting story about this that I'll post over the weekend. 

[snafu]

One of my mentors told me many yrs ago. I had since forgot. But he reminded me again a few yrs back. When encountering a mated pr. Shoot the female 1st. Doing so, you stand a better chance of shooting the male.

When I was younger. I most always shot the male or the largest of the two. Which often was the male. Only once(that I recall). Did I see the female momentarily wait for her downed mate. All other females took flight for the hills.

[Okanagan]

Good reading
I've seen females leading around the males to, and not only coyotes. People do it too.
But opposite of Okanagan I've learned and read instances where shooting the trailing coyote first in a double situation, increases the odds of the other one being called back. I always figured it was because the less timid was leading...so thats why they are able to be called back or at least stopped.

Jim, I didn't explain my meaning very well.  IME what I called the sentry is the trailing coyote, so we are agreed on which one to shoot.  I called it a sentry because I have seen one coyote out of two or three that will pull up while the other(s) keeps coming.  It is even more noticeable when the closer coyote is sneaking through cover and especially if it is approaching through low ground.  Usually the trailing "sentry/watcher" coyote stops on a higher spot where it can see the source of the call sound and also be seen from the low ground or sneak brush its partner is going through as it approaches closer to the call. 

As long as the more distant watcher is facing the call sound, the sneaker/approacher(s) will keep closing in on it.  If the watcher turns broadside that is an alert/caution sign to its partner.  If the watcher turns its rump toward the call sound as if leaving, but stays there, it is a danger signal to the partner and tells it to abandon the approach and escape.

Shoot the trailing one that is giving signals to its closer partner and it confuses the close coyote.  When I shot such a watcher that had posted up on a hog back ridge opposite to mine, its partner in the swale below and between us rapidly swung its head back and forth from where the sentry had disappeared to me.  It was obviously confused and trying to figure out what was happening and looking for some signal from its partner.  Easy shot.  I shot the more distant one, then stood up to see into the swale even though I had not seen a coyote there but the watcher had tipped off that another coyote was sneaking closer down there.  Wish I was always that good at reading the critters.   

[snafu]

Interesting Okanagan. Eye contact & body language play such a large role in their lives.

I've snuck in on bedded prs. As I slowly prepared to go prone. Getting ready for the shot. I've made the slightest of a noise on the hard pack/crusty snow. Only to see one of the pr, jump up & run hard in the opposite direction. Then within a mili-second or two. See the other coyote do the same. Even though the 2nd coyote didn't hear my noise.

I view their hearing 1 notch below that of an owl. Impressive.

When coyotes bed down. 99.9% of the time. They will put the wind at their backside. Leaving the front cone/opening of their ears. Either facing down-wind or an angled down wind direction. Which results in my opinion. That their hearing is mostly un-distorted from wind interference. Even in high winds. Only time (which was a handfull). I've seen a coyote face into a wind, when bedded down. Was on mild warm Sunny days with little wind.

The higher the wind, the more in alignment a bedded coyote. Will face to it's down-wind. This is important to know for a few reasons. Because if a hunter walks into an area with "the wind in their face". They stand a chance for a coyote up a head to see him/her. When stalking a bedded coyote or walking into a place to call. Walking in from the down-wind/(wind in my face). Is my very last resort.

Whether a coyote is up or bedded down. They inherently pan around to their down-wind & cross-wind areas. From where they are at the time.

[FinsnFur]

  This thread just gets better and better. 

[JohnP]

Many years ago a friend of a friend asked me for some help.  Seem he was writing his thesis for his doctorate in animal behavior with an emphasis on canines, specifically coyotes.  We had located an active den and kept an eye on it at least eight to ten hours a day taking turns.  As he pups got older we decided to start calling and see what the bitch would do.  From about a mile away we stared on jack in distress and sure as heck momma started to the call.  We waited until she was about twenty-five yards way from the call and shot at her, with the intention of missing but hitting close enough for her to realize she was the target.  She bolted and ran away from the den and didn't return to the den for over two hours.  A few days later we observed her and pups outside the den, turned on the caller and was somewhat surprised on what she did.  She rounded up the pups and drove them back into the den.  She also ran off and again did not return for  considerable amount of time.  All the while she was gone none of the pups ventured out of the den.  It was our belief that associated that sound with danger and passed that info on to her offspring.  Amazing creatures.

[snafu]

Interesting JohnP.

Myself & my old hunting friend were watching a litter of Reds one evening. 2 pups out side were near my truck. After a short while, 2 quick barks came from within the den hole. Instantly those 2 pups stopped what they were doing & shot down the hole.

[FinsnFur]

Thats really interesting John. Puts a whole new spin on "educating coyotes".

Interesting JohnP.

Myself & my old hunting friend were watching a litter of Reds one evening. 2 pups out side were near my truck. After a short while, 2 quick barks came from within the den hole. Instantly those 2 pups stopped what they were doing & shot down the hole.

Snafu, we cant even get our children to respond to disciplinary commands like that! It always amazes me how much more advanced the canines communication system is then us humans. I wonder how they actually teach the pups. We yell at the kids and then hand out spankings...

[snafu]

Well Jim, just my opinion. But I put my money on vocals, eye contact & body language.

Something else I have stated before. I believe canines can "reason" to some extent. All be it, primitive. Reason none the less. I've seen domestic dogs do things, I know full well. That were never taught to them. I do not believe wild canines are any different in learning. I also believe there is more to just "positive vs negative" experiences. When it comes to their behaviors.

An example. I've watched both a Red Fox & a coyote one time. During a harsh Winter. Hold an ear of field corn upright between their front paws. Then peel down the husks & eat corn off the cob.

[FinsnFur]

An example. I've watched both a Red Fox & a coyote one time. During a harsh Winter. Hold an ear of field corn upright between their front paws. Then peel down the husks & eat corn off the cob.

Yeahhhhhhhh, but they saw somebody do that, dont ya think? 
I'm just kidding, and do I find it quite intriguing how they actually teach their young.