The same animal, whether from a ranch or city, learns and adapts to its given situation, each of which is unique. Each coyote reacts to what is presented to him/her. Hearing about different reactions and behaviors in different environmental situations gives us insight into the whole animal. Yes, I like it all up. As Lou says: “It’s great — it really is — how you like it all up. I think it’s important for your followers to realize that coyote live sometimes in polar opposites behaviorally. A Range Roaming Ranch Living Coyote is vastly different than a SF Park or City Coyote. But there are also parallel behaviors…and it’s all applicable and helpful learning to coexist with them. Keep roaming and looking.”
Hi Janet.
I wanted to share with you something I’m experiencing and sorting.
While out on ranch patrol recently the dogs and I experienced a pack of coyote rush in that was very fast and direct. I’ve never quite had that. It was…different. We’ve experienced scores of coyote encounters and as a pack we keep our center and via pack go fwd. The local coyote learn to respect us and more importantly….this time of year coyote pups learn about working dogs.
We are usually known by local coyote. This encounter..felt like new pack. New Coyote. New Behaviors.
I don’t encourage people with pets to do what we do. We are on vast properties where there are horizons to dodge. To learn. To evade and develop avoidance behaviors. My dogs an coyote skirmish quite a bit. But it’s canine name calling. Until recently.
The coyote clash we experienced was fast, intense, direct and bold. And it seemed..real numbers. Instead of a parent pair and yearling or two…it seemed like 5-7 rushing in very hard.
My pack reacted in coordinating our center and moving together fwd. On these ranges, the lesson and coexistence is loosely coyote have horizon or hills. Dogs have center. Converge is costly. The coyote master this lesson and so do my dogs. It’s worked many years.
Except these coyote barely acknowledged my pack and only grudgingly gave way mainly because I stepped fwd loudly..and they had pups to keep in hills.
The next few days of patrols are revealing more.
The Eve before our patrol…the night was full of coyote yips and vocalizations. Hours off and on. To the point the ranchers 3 dogs were very agitated and scented the air growling at distant hills.
The Rancher thought 2 packs of coyote fighting.
Next morning was my pack clash. And later that day a dead cow.
Also seen…1st time here ever…flocks of Ravens.
Trail Cams in wooded sections, 4 different wolves.
There is alot to sort here. But so far…we have found…
The cow died of acute stress related pneumonia. This happens more lately with weaker cattle. There is a connection with wolves moving thru and cattle stress. They don’t hunt the cattle as they seek elk and deer. But…they affect them. They move a lot. And some of the weaker develop pneumonia. They can’t keep up. Become isolated and more stressed and drop.
The trail cams reveal wolf movement weekly. And…another connection.
When wolves nocturnally move thru ranches..the local coyote are extremely agitated. And vocal. Which local ranch dogs hear. And join vocally.
The coyote are locally turning into 1st responders to wolf movement in hills.
Also very likely the coyote and wolves skirmish. Wolves will kill coyote any real chance. Coyote counter terrain allowing. 2 or 3 coyote will chase a wolf or 2. And scatter with a full wolf pack.
So…imagine all this activity going on…also with pups in tow…
And then here I come with my pack in patrol.
The new dynamics of wolf and coyote relationship and skirmishes means we are likely meeting coyote with new behaviors. It’s similar to cattle. Cattle after wolf encounters are way more skittish of ranch dogs. They are more combative of all canine.
It’s a sorting that varies…canine to canine..pack to pack.
But out here it’s very much pack to pack and intense in the dark hours.
Ironically…the rancher now values the coyote as extensions of wolf alert and values them. He realized they never bothered caused fear or stress among his herds.
Wolves ARE NOT hunting cattle here. But they do radically change behaviors in cattle and coyote. And do cause some stress in weakened individuals.
The coyote…as always..are a gauge of land by behaviors.
Ravens too. NEVER had flocks gather here. Until wolves recolonized. It’s just change and nature. And interesting.
Sorry for the ramble. ALOT going on. I’ll need more coffee and cake and thinking time.
Till Next Time
Lou
My dogs are trained to wait and stay out of way while vet does autopsy and professional tracker determines the events. It’s very much like a crime scene but no criminals.
Coyote aren’t culprits. And neither are wolves. But the Landspeak must be understood to realize…what wolves mean for the land. And how they affect..cattle, coyote, dogs, elk, deer, and how coexistence can keep being the goal. It’s a new balance not yet achieved.
But trying.
PS-coyotes seem blameless when wolves roam and rule lol. But wolf packs create a very intense coyote.
Ravens.
(Not crows)
We have never had flocks of Ravens here utilizing land like this. (Field of voles)
But since wolves returning..so did Ravens. Ravens don’t hang too long with Coyote. Coyote are too fast and opportunist. Tweak a coyote tail…you might be lunch. But they follow wolves and tease them too.
If you slow vehicle the slightest..the raven explode in erratic evasive flight patterns. This tells me they are hunted by humans and very wild.
If one is going to delve into the canine behaviors of your own working dogs, local coyote packs and regional wolves, I do advise the following.
A dependable high mileage vehicle and body. Care for both.
A LOT of time in contemplating thus mentioned canines realizing you need more time and patience and coffee and cake.
Endless hours out there in Landspeak and studying hints.
Accepting in the end we know very little but can witness a lot and share that while minimizing conflict.