COYOTES

Legendary animator Chuck Jones brought to life the Looney Tune® cartoon classic Wile E. Coyote and Road Runner. Day in and day out, Wile E. Coyote arranged elaborate plans to capture and eat the elusive Road Runner. Much to Wile E. Coyote’s dismay, Road Runner always managed to evade him. Many times, Wile E. Coyote became a victim of his plots. Hence the constant anvil dropping on his head.

Unlike the cartoon, real coyotes are cunning, vicious, and determined. Coyotes are opportunistic omnivores. They will hunt and eat everything from Elk down to small rodents. Even your cat or dog isn’t safe from coyotes.

COYOTE LIFE

Coyotes can be found throughout Central America, through Mexico, and fan out through the United States into Canada and Alaska. California has significant coyote fossil findings in the La Brea Tar Pits. Their tenacity is testimony to their presence today.

Coyotes can look similar to wolves and domesticated dogs. But there are a few key differences that will tip you off that the questionable canine you’re watching is a coyote:

• Coyotes run with their tail down, wolves run with their tail straight back, domesticated dogs run with their tail up
• They have large, triangular ears, narrow muzzle
• Prefer to hunt alone and at night

The average lifespan of a coyote is six to eight years. Mating occurs between the alpha male and alpha female in the pack during the months of February, March, and April. Generally, the alpha male and alpha female pair for life.

DIGGING DENS

Once mating has occurred, the female begins denning in March. Denning can be simple reuse of an old den or the digging of a new den. The female is in charge of cleaning the old or digging a new one. Her male guards the territory while she is preoccupied with denning.

Denning is a strong instinct in ALL coyotes. Even lone males and unbred females will instinctively den during March. A den’s location is always near food and water sources. A den will consist of one entry and one exit. Sometimes with a depth of six feet underground. It is normal to have more than one den.

Having multiple dens give the coyote a safe alternative, should it become compromised. It may also provide a cleaner environment from a flea infestation, or a new den is moved into when the pup’s growth requires the next stage of learning.

AND BABIES MAKE FIVE

After a feverish completion of a den, the female will enter and await the birth of the pups. The average litter is between five and seven, and the gestation period is 60-63 days. During this time, the male continues to protect the territory; and hunt for himself and the female.

After killing prey, the male will bury it near the den site. During her “break” from the pups, the female will look for the buried kill or hunt close by the den for dinner.

VOCAL STYLINGS… ALL IN THE FAMILY

As early as the first week of life, pups can have distinctive vocalizations. Beginning with grunts, then moving to whines, yips, barks, and howls. Vocalizations are part of coyote life. From a young age, pups continue to grow their repertoire in style and volume. Other important communication styles within the coyote group are facial expressions, body language, and eye contact.

Check out this great YouTube series by Tory Cook of MFK, here, And Tory Cook’s, Made For Killing game site here. Tory spent many hours compiling footage on the coyote lifecycle. Informative and interesting.

For many, coyotes are seen as nuisances. But within nature, coyotes play an important role in the balance of the bio-ecosystem. Hunting of coyotes, when needed, assists owners in the protection of livestock, as well as keeping the coyote population in check.

Stay tuned for further incites on tips and tricks for successful coyote hunting.