Predator Hunting > Predator Biology
Increased coyote numbers and fox hunting practices
uncle buck:
What I have noticed is that when I use cable restraints along the shorter end of stubble corn. I actually end up with a critter in all let say 6 restraints I have along the side of the field.. This is between the field and let say the briars and the growth. Once we get snow the predators start to travel further out away from the sides of the vegetation... They miss all of the restraints... The snow melts then they start to travel again right on the edge of the fields again and our catches start again. So snow makes them travel a few feet farther out into the field.. They come along the edge but not on the true edge.. As of yet our coyotes catches with restraints have been in wooded areas that enter the fields and not along the fields... Just say the corners with a trail.. We set it right where the trail begins or right where they cross through a tree line to another field.. Nothing what so ever along the fields.. I have learned to look across the field and find the tree line that is right in line with the tree line running in the other direction... I could walk over 500-600 yards and place restraints along that tree line... When you have to check many restraints you want to save some steps... So again they come along the tree line 500 yards away cross a field that is about 150 yards wide and cross right at the tree line that is in line with the one that is hundreds of yards away... I call it the Inverted T.. What I like is that how I get some coyotes by when they come through the tree line running in the other direction.. Now if I could find some chuck holes in that field I could kind of figure out where they would head to the chuck holes and catch them in the field.. Also our catches drop down on full moon nights or week and wow does it pick up the week of the new moon. Also rain... wow we even get a few coon then too...
Hern:
numerous mink dens... and just as you say, there in the snow you can see where a fox has stuck his snout in each and every one of those holes.....that stream bank/mink den situation is a very similar situation
I have seen tracks of Reds, Greys and Coyote follow shoreline of lake, swamp, pond, crick or river checking out Muskrat holes, Muskrat trails, Muskrat huts and Muskrat feed beds.
Everything on the menu for a Canine.
In the early '90's, an archery hunter ask me to catch Coyotes where he hunted. He claimed every morning inside the woods line/edge of field, Coyote would chase and catch Squirrels early morning until 9-10 am. The action was messing up his Deer hunting. I never would have known or thought of that and was thankful for the tip.
Long story-Short...Next weekend, I made 2 double sets about 400 yards apart and caught 8 Coyote on that property. (Of course I used Squirrel for bait)
Hern:
Scott says-
Ernie, it is my opinion that coyotes move on when hunting gets tough. They push deer out of an area. Rabbits hole up quicker. Kinda like when we over hunt a place. I think the know this and move from area to area. If I have coyotes behind the house they stay for 5 to 7 days. Then they are gone.
Here's something I heard from Slim Pedersen and my experiences (my area) too...
Coyotes move into and live in corn fields and rise their families there around my neck of the woods. When the corn is harvested and many 100's of acres or miles of corn disappear in a day or two, Coyotes move away, into thick creek/river bottoms, slashing, thickets or other unharvest crops nearby.
Normal agricultural practices, normal hunting seasons for Small Game, Archery to rifle Deer season, trappers and predator callers coming and going regularly all force Coyotes to move and adapt.
When trappers and predator callers follow/scout Coyote signs in these smaller areas and find fresh sign, they set traps or make a few stands calling.
By that time, Coyotes moved away slowly from all the fresh human activity in this new area. Will they be back? Yes, No, Maybe. All depends on how badly were they spooked and how far they had to move to find another undisturbed area and how long before they are forced to move again.
QUATTRO:
Lots of good info was shared on this thread and its almost a year old but yesterday I happened to read something that made me think of the original post I made that started this. A month or two ago, Hern had mentioned a book on coyotes to me that he thought was a worthy read. So, I ordered the book and I have been reading it on and off when time permits... got to the chapter on "Interspecific Interactions" and more specifically the part on the interactions between Coyotes and Red Fox..covered a lot but one finding stuck out to me based on how it related to what I originally posted..the passage was preceeded by a question posed by the author, Gerry Parker, which was answered by findings from a study done for a period of 5 yrs by scientists from the Dept. of Wildlife in Maine, The University of Maine and MCWRU. The question was, " Given the very real competition between coyotes and red foxes, what are the managment implications for red fox in the Northeast? Here is the answer stated in the book: " The presence of resident coyotes in Eastern Maine limits the available habitat and carrying capacity for red foxes; however, the ability of foxes to persist in boundary areas prevents complete displacement from regions occupied by coyotes.".... The next part of the answer is what really got me to thinking about how it related to my original question....the answer continues with: "Management for red foxes should be reevaluated in areas of eastern North America where coyotes have become established. Coyote induced declines in red fox densities may require reductions in allowable fox harvests in some areas. Effects of coyotes on fox numbers will vary according to the density of coyote territories and the availability of refugia from coyotes"...So, I understand this was a study done years ago and in another state, but thought it related pretty well. Obviously, as the last line of the answer says, it is all dependent on the coyote numbers and also the available "refuge" areas for the red fox to thrive. Still an interesting finding. Thanks for the suggestion Hern, great book by all means.
Misterjake23:
What's the name of that book? It confirms what we've all been saying. Reds and coyotes have a difficult time getting along!! If the coyote population takes hold like I anticipate it will, I wonder what the likelihood would be to have a season bag limit in red fox???
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