This coyote headed up a hill and began digging and pawing the ground. It looked like any other hunting session, only there was a little more “pulling” than usual. When it finally looked perfect, the coyote circled around and then curled up comfortably. It had not been hunting at all — it had been digging a little hollow and moving the grass around into a comfortable place to rest!
Rainy Day Stretch and Shakeout
28 Nov 2011 1 Comment
in coyote behavior, resting, video
Coyotes are not put out by the rain at all. This one stayed out in the rain for over two hours before slowly and casually walking on.
Sleeping In A Fallen Tree
20 Dec 2010 Leave a comment
in coyote behavior, resting Tags: coyote behavior
This looks like a perfect resting spot — a few moments of shut-eye before heading in for the day. The huge trunk on which the coyote rested was about six feet off of the ground below.
Sleeping and Resting Right In The Open
15 Jul 2010 5 Comments
in coyote behavior, rest and sleep, resting
Several times I have watched a coyote settle down in a spot, look around, and finally curl up for some sleep, right in the open. It is not exactly in plain view since the coyote is so well camouflaged — it would be very hard to detect that a coyote were there if you had not seen it go there in the first place. However, a few days ago I actually discovered this coyote sprawled out asleep in the wide open. By zooming in with my lens, I could see that the coyote opened one eye and was aware of me from quite a distance, but it did not raise its head. It did not move at all! I’ve put three zooms in here to show how absolutely hidden the coyote is — but the coyote is there!!
Hunkering Down For Rest
16 Jun 2010 Leave a comment
in coyote behavior, rest and sleep, resting
Where do coyotes hunker down for their rest? It appears it is right under the open sky in plein air, and not necessarily in the bushes!! I followed a coyote for about ten minutes as it hunted, it moved on a little, it sat and watched, and then it moved on some more, repeating this sequence. I moved on, too, behind it. Then it sat down and glared at me a couple of times: “yea, what do you want.” I was getting ready to abandon the coyote when it moved one more time, so again, I peeked over at it. At this time of year the grasses are very tall and I could not see through them very well. However, I could barely discern that the coyote had stopped where another coyote was already lying down — I could just barely make out the ears. This second coyote did not get up. Instead, the first coyote lay down right beside the first!! My own wanderings and observations had obviously ended for that day!
I’ve heard that coyotes actually only use their dens for the first five weeks or so of life, and that slowly they move further and further off from the den area for resting. My thought is that, by varying resting and sleeping locations, the coyotes are actually keeping fleas from building up in an area. These coyotes do have fleas because I’ve consistently seen them scratch themselves.
All In An Hour: Snippets of Coyote Behavior
20 May 2010 Leave a comment
in avoiding humans, coyote behavior, coyote reactions to dogs, hiding, hunting, resting
- shy coyote flees
- coyote avoids being seen
- tongue out
- antagonistic dog & walker pass below
- grunting verging on a barking session
- coyote spots squirrels
- a bent tree looks easier to climb
I was able to see some interesting behavior today — all within about an hour! Each of these observations coincides with one row of three photos above.
I saw a shy, yearling coyote join its mother on a lookout rock above a trail. But the young one didn’t stay long: its self-protective instincts are strong. A dog walker and his leashed dog came in their direction. The walkers did not see the coyotes, and even if they had, they were 50 feet below the ledge where the coyotes were and could not have reached the coyotes. The minute the young coyote saw them, it took off, lickity-split, and I did not see it again. I’ve seen this coyote flee quickly when it thinks it has been seen!
The other coyote stayed relaxed and calm, watching the occasional walker go by below. This coyote was actually on the edge of another, higher, less used path. Today, someone came walking along this path. The coyote bolted into the shadows only 5 feet away, but it did not run off. The walker walked on without ever seeing the coyote. The coyote watched the walker leave, and then it went back to its previous resting spot.
I noticed tongues today — tongues sticking out. I have noticed this before in conjunction with both dogs and coyotes who were concentrating intently on each other as they tested each other face to face. I wonder if there is a correlation with concentration and possibly even making a split-second decision? The coyote in the 3rd photo appears to be just “licking its chops”, I think.
Coyotes are extremely attuned to the dogs and walkers that have confronted them. Coyotes have the same anger and fears that humans have. Few humans are willing to recognize this, but one only has to observe to see it. So when a woman and her unruly, unleashed dog walked by on the path below, this coyote became very agitated. This dog has chased the coyote, and the woman throws stones at it. First the coyote stood up to watch the two approach. When they were directly below, the coyote began grunting its displeasure and almost began a barking session. The coyote was preparing itself for the habitual antagonistic behavior from the dog and walker. The woman and dog walked on without going after the coyote, so the coyote calmed down and remained in this spot a little bit longer before moving on.
I then followed this coyote a short distance as it poked its nose into the ground now and then. While it was doing so, I noticed two squirrels playing at the base of a tree. Just as I was wondering why the coyote had not seen them, the coyote did notice them and ran to the trunk of the tree. It sat there a few minutes, but obviously could not climb straight up a trunk, as the squirrels had.
Maybe this had inspired this coyote, because then I watched it climb a tree! This was not a totally vertical tree. Rather, it had grown at an angle such that a coyote could walk up it and search for squirrels. There were none. The coyote in the tree was about ten feet off the ground.
Pesky Gnats
27 Mar 2010 Leave a comment
in coyote behavior, resting Tags: coyote behavior
These photos show gnats surrounding this coyote who is attempting to relax. The coyote observed them a few times, and batted some away with its snout, but otherwise put up with them.
Morning Rest with One Eye Open
05 Feb 2010 Leave a comment
in coyote behavior, resting Tags: coyote behavior, coyote resting
Here is a typical coyote morning for a coyote who likes to stay out in the open. For the most part, coyotes retreat under cover once dawn has broken. But some, including this one, enjoy the open. Mornings can be a time of rest after some pre-dawn hunting, but if resting takes place in the open, one eye has to be kept open!
So, I came upon this coyote watching a group of dogs and walkers go by — they were on a path far below as the coyote watched from a perch high above them. I do not know if the walkers saw the coyote. As dogs and walkers moved out of sight, the coyote disappeared from its perch, and then soon reappeared on another hill on the other side of the path, where it could see the dogs and walkers exit the area. Once the group was out of sight, the coyote felt safe enough to settle down for a couple hours of rest, as seen here in the photos.
Occasionally this coyote eyed dog walkers in the very far distance — you can see this by where the coyote is looking — it was a calm observation because of the distance. But when two large dogs in the mid-distance began growling and running at each other — they seemed preparing for a fight — this coyote sat right up at full attention and watched intently until the altercation settled down. Coyotes don’t like commotion, I’ve noticed. When the dogs left the area, the coyote resumed its rest before shaking itself out and heading over for one last lookout from a rock. Then the coyote was gone. Few people, if any, noticed the coyote and not one dog was aware of it way up on the hill.