Suddenly Focused
07 Feb 2012 Leave a Comment
in coyote behavior, curiosity, video
This coyote became suddenly absorbed by something interesting in the distance. Whatever it was, it did not seem to warrant becoming apprehensive over. It must have been something more amusing than threatening or dangerous, because the coyote then sat back and relaxed for a moment, watching a moment longer before continuing its trek. By the time I stopped filming, whatever it was, was gone. Coyotes tend to be very curious about what is happening in their territories — they like to know what is going on and will often investigate if they can’t figure it out from afar.
The coyote was also licking its chops as I filmed. My original posting mistakenly stated that moments before the coyote had found a mole. It turns out that was a totally different incident. So, then why is the coyote licking its chops? Your guess is as good as mine. However, I have noticed tongue activity as a communication device, for instance, a slight licking of the upper lip is a sign of submission and non-confrontation. Then again, maybe there were residues from a previous meal still sticking to the coyote’s muzzle!
Scouting Around A Log
15 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
in coyote behavior, curiosity, foraging, hunting, Uncategorized, video Tags: coyote, coyote hunting, coyotes, urban coyotes
A coyote stops at a log to scout for a possible meal. The scrutiny was intense and thorough, but yielded nothing! I didn’t start the video until most of the exploring was already over, but you can see from the stills I took before the video that the coyote was all over the log. I didn’t see any digging, just poking and sniffing, so I assume it was scent and not sound that drew the coyote to the log.
Coyotes Like To Check Things Out Thoroughly
04 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
in coyote behavior, curiosity, exploring, hunting
Here a coyote is stretching up high to check out a tree stump — coyotes are very curious and inquisitive, and they can be very purposeful. They normally trek along, sniffing at ground level or at eye level, but I also have seen coyotes climb the lower branches of trees when they’ve seen a squirrel there, and I’ve seen them jump high onto an unlikely rock ledge to check out a sound, smell or something they saw. Here, the coyote headed for the tree as if it knew what might be there, and scrutinized it intensely — he seemed to know exactly what he was looking for at that particular spot. He spent over a minute engaged in this activity. However, he left as empty-mouthed as when he arrived. I later checked out the tree stump for myself. There were two large hollows where the coyote had been exploring. One was about a foot deep and the other was about two feet deep. Each was about 8 inches across. Nothing was in those hollows — and they were too close to the ground to serve as wise critter nests.
My thought is that the coyote had found something very interesting there before, or maybe another critter had recently visited this spot leaving its scent there? Seeing this coyote check out the tree reminded me of how keen the memory is for canines. My own dog remembered the exact tree, way off the beaten path, in a heavily wooded area that we had visited only once a year or two earlier. At that time, a raccoon had run to that tree for protection. My dog had followed and watched the fellow watch him from the crook of the tree. Memory of the raccoon incident, and its exact remote location in the middle of nowhere, from a single incident long ago, astonished me because I had totally forgotten about it until my dog ran up to that tree again.
Why Isn’t Mom Around?
14 Jul 2011 2 Comments
in care for the young, coyote behavior, coyote living areas, coyote reactions to dogs, curiosity, dog reactions to coyotes, family interactions, individuality, pupping
Hi Janet:
Last evening my husband, Bud, and our dog were walking on the nearby trails and saw a coyote pup about 150 feet ahead zigzagging back and forth on the trail. He stopped, remembering that I had told him that coyotes are very protective of pups. Our dog has a bad sense of smell so didn’t notice the pup. Then another pup comes out of the blackberries and then a third. They were very curious and moved about 50 feet down the trail toward Bud and still our dog did not see or smell them.
Bud was delighted but also concerned and was ready to turn around when the little yapper dog who lives much further up the hill but next to the trail saw our dog and came down the trail full throttle and barking loudly. He was not at all interested in the pups but he did scare them and they dashed into the blackberry bushes. Bud continued up the trail and only when he got to the spot they disappeared into did our dog smell them. He then went nuts of course.
Is this normal for pups to be exploring without an adult near? We knew that there was a den closeby that area because of the amount of scat on the trail. We have noticed pup scat lately also. We also suspect there is another den about half a mile from this one. How much area does a group of coyotes claim? Or do they claim it at all?
We have many black-tailed deer in the area and many fawns each spring. I have been curious about the possibility of coyotes killing very young fawns that are left in hiding while their mothers graze elsewhere. I have never seen any evidence of this happening. Does it?
Thanks for all you do for coyotes! Ginny
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Hi Ginny –
Thanks for sharing your concerns — it’s a very interesting situation. From my own experience and from what I have read, coyote pups are keenly watched by their parents — either by one or by both parents. Even if a parent is not apparently around, the parent/s are always close by and ready to defend the pups if necessary. I should add that I have seen a mother coyote keep an eye on her brood from a huge distance away — she kept an eye on them as she relaxed in the sunshine. And then I saw her dash off in their direction, but I do not know why. Mothers do leave their pups when they go off to hunt, but she tucks them away in a safe spot where they normally stay.
Other possible explanations for pups without a parent close by, include an overtaxed single parent who happens to be in hot pursuit of prey nearby, or a parent holding off another dog which had chased it in hopes that that dog wouldn’t find the pups. Worse would be if the parents have been injured or are ill and unable to defend their brood, or if they’ve met an untimely death.
More than likely, the pups just strayed from where they were supposed to stay put. But it wouldn’t hurt to check on them.
Maybe you could take walks in that area of the woods for the next few days until you can figure out the situation? Whatever you do, don’t get too close to the pups and don’t try picking them up — a parent coyote may come out of hiding to ferociously defend its young. If you continue to see the pups without a parent, you have a dilemma: I’m not sure the pups can survive without their parents, however anything you do to interfere is going to alter their natural lives forever.
If you see the pups alone again, you could call the humane society. If they are progressive, they would help raise the pups in such a way so that they won’t become habituated and so that they can be released again into the wild. Most humane societies are not equipped to do this.
You could also leave the pups to see if they make it on their own — maybe the humane society could suggest a way for you to help these pups without actually intruding on them or overtly interfering so as not to habituate them or alter their wildness?
As for the fawns, coyotes tend to look for the easiest prey to catch. Voles and gophers work fine in my area, but they also eat skunks, raccoons and squirrels here. Yes, coyotes are known to prey on newborn deer. I’ve read where newborn deer are protected by their lack of odor — I don’t know how much protection this offers against coyotes. But also, coyotes are known to be very individualistic in their behaviors and just because coyotes in one area eat certain prey doesn’t mean they do so in other areas. So to find out what yours specifically are up to and what their eating and preying habits are, you would need to explore for such activity.
You said there was another den only half a mile away from this one. A coyote family normally has more than one den which it moves the pups between. Moving the pups diminishes flea infestations and also it serves as protection against predators.
Also, it is not unusual for coyotes — including very young ones — to be curious about walkers and dogs, and follow them. However, a parent — if he is around — may decide that this kind of behavior calls for disciplinary action: see Charles Wood’s posting More Dominant Male/Father Coyote Behavior .
I hope this helps a little. Please let me know, and please keep me posted on what you find out! Sincerely, Janet
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Thanks for your reply Janet. Bud went to the same spot tonight and didn’t see the pups. There is a lot of underbrush and blackberries everywhere along the trail except where it has been removed as invasive species. Coyotes are not seen often because of this. Lots of people let their dogs run loose on the trail but Bud did not see anyone else yesterday although it is a fairly large, heavily wooded area with several trails.
Regulars on the trail only see coyotes a few times a year. Most of the trees are deciduous so I really tried to spot them during the winter but no such luck. I think they are very used to the dogs and walkers and so know where to locate so they are not within view. We will keep an eye on the situation as best we can. The city only removes invasive species by hand so they do not have funding for much work. They primarily remove the holly trees hoping to attract songbirds. There are some songbirds there but also in residence is a Cooper’s Hawk(s) who dines on those same songbirds. Ginny
What To Do With A Long Strip Of Tree Bark?
15 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
in coyote behavior, curiosity, exploring, playing Tags: coyote behavior curiosity
If something like this were to appear in your path, you might be inclined to look at it, grab it, move it and then, after some thought, abandon it as not being too interesting after all. A good long bored yawn might cap off the “encounter.”
Checking Out the Crook Of A Tree Stump
08 Jan 2011 Leave a Comment
in coyote behavior, curiosity, hunting, playing Tags: coyote behavior
“Something must be hiding in here which might be good to eat or fun to play with.” The stump was explored, but nothing of interest was found.
“Youngster Gets Bold, continued” by Charles Wood
30 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in coyote behavior, curiosity, family interactions, reactions to a human
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- Approach
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- EyesonMe
From Janet: I’m wondering if the youngster is more curious than “confronting”? The youngsters here, at 18 months, still don’t have it in them to confront — but they are curious sometimes and have approached a little because of this.
It may be that the youngster was being curious as opposed to confronting. The Approach picture in this post was taken just prior to the YoungsterContronts picture in my previous post. It really is hard to infer intent, state of mind. What does the body language in Approach communicate? I am not at all sure. Does the raised tail suggest anything? The picture EyesonMe was taken a few minutes before the youngster came down the road. The look it was giving me seems as it should: no warmth. When the other day I saw one youngster emerge from the brushy den area and then quickly retreat, I waited an hour for it to “get curious” and pop its head out again. In vain I waited. In Spring 2009 I was taking pictures in their field and noticed a young one about 10 feet away spying on me from the brush. I was startled and it startled and ran off. The big trouble this year started when a new pup did the same. Dad showed up shortly after the pup fled. Dad first sought out the transgressing pup and then hurriedly returned and went ballistic on my dog and me. How Dad had handled the pup I couldn’t see. What happens in dense brush stays in dense brush.
Part of my inclination to infer that the youngster on Wednesday was confronting comes from the contexts of the particular road the youngster used for its approach. Both Mom and Dad use the same road to approach me aggressively. The parents will go down that path half way to stand and stare. Also, they will lie at the half way point on that road. It is a good vantage point to track me along the river or when I am on the east-west road with the bridge. Either Mom or Dad will take that half way position and watch as I leave. Once I leave for the other side of the river they retreat from that position. Also, Tuesday night Mom charged my dog and me down that road, came all the way to us at the fence and ran back and forth, did some dirt scraping. The youngster took the same path Wednesday evening and was moving at a half trot even after my dog alerted. It was a stealthy choice of an approach path considering where I was standing Wednesday night. I had to carefully study the area my dog was looking towards in order to see movement in the dim light. I believe the youngster halted because I lit it with my flashlight, an aid to get my camera to focus. In the dim light, looking through my telephoto lens, I thought the approaching coyote was angry Dad and wanted to stop him. Its demeanor suggested Dad, and I wasn’t certain of which coyote it was until I got home and enlarged the photograph. All in all, I am predisposed to think of that particular path as one which my coyotes use for signaling displeasure. These preconceptions of mine make it hard to not assemble a “story” that in actuality may not be at all related to the actual intent of the animal. Either way, as a challenge or curiosity, the youngster was showing some new independence. I left because Mom and Dad may have not liked that and it was dark enough for all of them to become really unpleasant. It is the case that when the parents come down that road towards the fence it is always to warn and watch.
I’m wondering if at 18 months your boys are a little slow? It is so cute that they seem to be mamma’s boys. One difference may be that they don’t have (or do you?) coyote rivals that dispute with your pack? I’m waiting to see how the two boys eventually separate from each other and their mom. Are there other females around to entice them away from Mom come January? I can’t wait to find out. I wonder if another male will solicit their mom and chase the boys off.
That was a great link to that Carol Kaesuk Yoon article. I’m heartened to read that coyote watching is “like working with a ghost species.” You have such great opportunities there, always something new with great pictures
From Janet: Yes, the situation I’ve been observing here seems very unusual. There is no dad, and there are no other coyotes close by who might challenge these youngsters. They live in an idyllic haven and have not HAD to grow up. These particular youngsters have been “allowed” to be “slow” in growing up. I, too, am particularly interested in dispersal time and mating season and what this will bring in the way of new behaviors. The pup of the year before dispersed in November, at the age of 20 months — will it be the same with these? That pup either followed his own instinctual timeline or may have been booted out because of conflicts with these younger siblings — I’ll never know the exact reason.
Posting written by Charles Wood. Visit Charles Wood’s website for these and more coyote photos: Charles Wood. His work is copyrighted and may only be used with his explicit permission.
Another Toy: A Smelly Sock!
20 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in coyote behavior, curiosity, playing
Coyotes, like people, are curious about the unusual. So, when a single dirty sock was found, it was examined, toyed with, marked by urinating on it, and then abandoned. Why was this single sock in a field in a park? I doubt that it had been dropped there by a human because it was not close to a trail. My suspicion is that the coyote found it elsewhere beforehand and brought it to this spot where it would come across it again. People leave clothing out in bags for charity, old clothes are dumped in the garbage, there are homeless camps. I know that dogs very often like smelly objects, such as human shoes and socks. Coyotes also like smelly objects, and a dirty sock would have fit the bill!
Chewing A Bush
07 Sep 2010 Leave a Comment
in communication, coyote behavior, curiosity, family interactions, group activity
This coyote had just fled from a dog and walker when I took the first photo — it had run to this location where it stopped and sat down, I think it stopped here by pure chance. I thought to myself, “I’ll have to move, there is a branch in the way”. But then, the coyote started chewing on the branch, so I did not move. It chewed pretty intently and I watched. Then, it stopped and looked intently off to the side. A second coyote appeared slowly from where this coyote was now looking, intruding on whatever pleasure the first coyote had found. Maybe it was trying to figure out what was so much fun. As the first coyote watched, this second one went straight to the same branch and sniffed it.
This behavior may have revealed a hierarch. The first coyote watched intently at first, and then turned its gaze away. But when the second coyote finally moved between the first fella and his branch, the first guy flinched and snapped — I was able to see the bared teeth. The first coyote then continued moving forwards whereupon the second one followed, as if he had been cued to do so. But first, guy who came in later, the second fella, backed up a little in order to try biting the bush for himself before moving on: “I wonder what is so neat about this branch?” Mmmmm.
So the second coyote may have been either “herding” the first one to move on and then “trying” the branch as it did so. Or, it may have come over with the intention of taking over what the first coyote was doing. In both cases the second coyote seemed to be displaying some dominance. In both cases, the second coyote was calling the shots, unless, of course, the first coyote had engaged in the chewing with the intent of luring the other one over. It’s fun to speculate.
Perplexed And Fascinated By A Sibling’s Activity
31 Aug 2010 Leave a Comment
in coyote behavior, curiosity, family interactions, group activity
I watched a pair of siblings actively descend a hill. But the similarity in energy and activity stopped there. The first to arrive on the trail stopped to wait for the other. When the second one arrived, he did not turn or wait for the first one at all. He ran straight for a bush area where he energetically sniffed, jumped about, pushed his way through. He remained in this spot engaged in this activity, while the first coyote watched, perplexed and fascinated by this siblings activity. The activity and the watching lasted for four full minutes.
