This is topic Road killed coyotes? in forum Predator forum at The New Huntmastersbbs!.
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Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on April 09, 2007, 07:10 PM:
Okay! now remeber I've only been at this just under 4 years but It seems to me that this time of year I notice alot more road killed coyotes than the rest of the year . mating and denning being what I mean by this time of year.maybe this peculiar to my area or is there a reason for this. Ive been watching this about three of those four years and here in az. this seems to be the case. any one?
PM
Posted by onecoyote (Member # 129) on April 09, 2007, 07:34 PM:
That's intersting Paul. This time of the year road kills are normally hard to find? That's only my opinion, maybe others find it different?
Posted by Lonny (Member # 19) on April 09, 2007, 07:59 PM:
I rarely see any road killed coyotes until late July and into August. Most of these RK's look like pups who haven't had time to wise up to the ways of the world yet.
Posted by 6mm284 (Member # 1129) on April 10, 2007, 04:42 AM:
Also see most road killed in late summer and early fall, Attribute alot of it to juvenile coyotes and the fact this is when the numbers are the highest here.I think the number of road kills is a good indicator of the coyote numbers in general. Very few coyotes get hit and the more you see the more there probably are,thanks.
Posted by onecoyote (Member # 129) on April 10, 2007, 07:47 AM:
6mm284, When I used to go on club hunts and we'd seen lots of road kills or road crossers, we usually did very good.
I also agree you'll see more R/Ks in the summer when them young pups are out.
[ April 10, 2007, 07:47 AM: Message edited by: onecoyote ]
Posted by Randy Roede (Member # 1273) on April 10, 2007, 08:20 AM:
Paul, road killed coyotes here usually have two factors involved, food or water, cleaning up a road killed something, or the prey source getting down in numbers where the only substancial prey left are the ones that live where the coyotes like to come least, by the roads etc. With all the drought we have had and water sources being very limited traveling across a road to water will happen here every so often. The food scenario happens much more though.
Bugs , grasshopers on the roads makes them take some chances,at certain times of the year. Not sure about Arizona!
I would go out on a limb and say your prey base numbers are down and road hunting for road killed whatever happens more this time of the year. The safe haven for what ever prey you have left is proably there.
Posted by Randy Roede (Member # 1273) on April 10, 2007, 08:25 AM:
Remember those of us that live in the colder climates won't see as many road kills Nov. to Feb. due to the high dollar fur market LOL, and them getting picked up.Nothing funner than skinnin a road killed what ever!!
Posted by Rich Higgins (Member # 3) on April 10, 2007, 12:17 PM:
Paul, there are actually two annual dispersals, the traditional pup dispersal in late summer and fall and the yearling dispersal at the beginning of denning season. That accounts for increased transients at this time of year.
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on April 10, 2007, 01:46 PM:
Thanks Rich I was beginning to think I was crazy,every year at this time the road kill numbers really go up in my area. Ive been watching it closley and wasnt sure what the cause was. it seems reasonable that un paired animals may disperse to other areas looking for mates or areas of thier own.The numbers go up dramaticly just on the trip home from work I may see one a month during the rest of the season,as opposed to three or four a week during mating/denning.
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Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on April 10, 2007, 01:49 PM:
THAT'S IT! I'm relocating to Gold Canyon!
Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on April 10, 2007, 02:13 PM:
Come on up LB we could use a pro
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Posted by Paul Melching (Member # 885) on April 10, 2007, 02:15 PM:
or at least someone to get em out of the road
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Posted by Kelly Jackson (Member # 977) on April 10, 2007, 02:55 PM:
Rich Higgins - I have been seeing several groups of three's together for the past few weeks.
Do you think I am seeing mated pairs along with a last years female? Have not got to study them close enough to give size ref.
Kelly
edit to correct spelling
[ April 10, 2007, 02:56 PM: Message edited by: Kelly Jackson ]
Posted by TA17Rem (Member # 794) on April 10, 2007, 03:14 PM:
Sounds like Paul needs a coyote crossing guard. ![[Razz]](tongue.gif)
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on April 10, 2007, 03:23 PM:
Just a guess? A single female, in season a little late with two male pursuers.
Good hunting. LB
Posted by Clint (Member # 346) on April 10, 2007, 03:46 PM:
Paul,
those are all German Shepard's on the 60. ![[Wink]](wink.gif)
there arnt any coyotes out here.
Posted by Kelly Jackson (Member # 977) on April 11, 2007, 05:50 AM:
Lenard-that could be. I guess no way of knowing for sure. I was wondering how long the pair would allow another coyote, male or female to travel/hunt with them during this time of year.
Kelly
Posted by Rich Higgins (Member # 3) on April 11, 2007, 07:34 AM:
Dispersal isn't a driving force like some behaviors. If social status isn't contested, if social bonds remain strong and resources are adequate for the entire group, there is no need to disperse. The seven coyotes together toward the end of my video were called in and taped in May. I call those coyotes 3 or 4 times a year and often call them all in together. That is just one example. I call several places through the state where it isn't unusual to call in several coytes together at any time of year.
Posted by albert (Member # 98) on April 11, 2007, 07:43 AM:
I too have noticed an increase in road kill in late winter, early spring. Not only happens to coyotes but other critters as well. One the most noticable around here is porcupines.
Posted by Randy Roede (Member # 1273) on April 11, 2007, 08:49 AM:
Rich, I think at times an illusion the dispersal word puts in the mind of some ,is a world of pairs and singles no exceptions at certain times. Like you stated the number of coyotes together at any time of year varies with all sorts of things. A day in the airplane will prove it quicker than anything any time of the year.You'll see who, how many,where, and the why in a coyotes world. Early on I learned advice that included the words always and never in coyote calling to be taken with a grain of salt.
Posted by Wiley E (Member # 108) on April 11, 2007, 10:40 AM:
Rich: "Dispersal isn't a driving force like some behaviors. If social status isn't contested, if social bonds remain strong and resources are adequate for the entire group, there is no need to disperse. The seven coyotes together toward the end of my video were called in and taped in May."
In many habitats and different levels of exploitation, resources are not adequate enough to allow family groups of coyotes to remain intact.
Dispersal, in most habitats, is a driving force. If that was not the case, coyotes would not have expanded their range into the Eastern United States like they did which is unarguable.
Large family groups of coyotes that remain intact is usually a result of one of two factors. All adjoining areas are already occupied or the prey base level is high enough to reduce competition.
~SH~
[ April 11, 2007, 10:43 AM: Message edited by: Wiley E ]
Posted by Rich Higgins (Member # 3) on April 11, 2007, 01:06 PM:
quote:
In many habitats and different levels of exploitation, resources are not adequate enough to allow family groups of coyotes to remain intact.
That is true. I indicated as much in the paragraph that you quoted.
quote:
Dispersal, in most habitats, is a driving force. If that was not the case, coyotes would not have expanded their range into the Eastern United States like they did which is unarguable.
It is argueable if you consider dispersal to be a driving force such as mating and denning and territorial defense(when applicable).
Dispersal doesn't occur because the parents are suddenly and seasonally compelled to drive the pups away as so many seem to believe. Rather it is the final culmination of several factors that lead the pup or yearling or even two year old to wander off of his or her own volition. Coyotes do not share well, even between mated pairs and between parents and pups and between siblings, they are very competetive with food and establish feeding orders based on dominance with the ranking animals feeding first, until full, and then the next in rank etc. When prey base, carrion and other resources are low and not enough for all group members, the younger coyotes starve or wander off in search of food. That is a major reason for later dispersal. The social status and dominance issues are a major cause of dispersal as well. Young aggressive coyotes test and contest rank until they wander off as well. They naturally gravitate toward "silent areas" which indicates the absence of resident coyotes and that is how the coyote range expanded and took root in the east.
Posted by Wiley E (Member # 108) on April 11, 2007, 03:23 PM:
RH: "When prey base, carrion and other resources are low and not enough for all group members, the younger coyotes starve or wander off in search of food. That is a major reason for later dispersal. The social status and dominance issues are a major cause of dispersal as well. Young aggressive coyotes test and contest rank until they wander off as well. They naturally gravitate toward "silent areas" which indicates the absence of resident coyotes and that is how the coyote range expanded and took root in the east."
That's basically the same thing I said so let's reword this.
The driving force behind dispersal is prey availability until such time that mating and denning instincts take over.
Dispersal, in and of itself, might not be a driving force (coyotes striking out for new parts just because) but a lack of food is most certainly a driving force behind dispersal.
How's that?
I like your concept of "silent areas" and I would add to that "less desirable habitat" that may not hold coyotes every year for one reason or another. The prime habitat is usually filled first.
I get to see dispersal on a first hand basis year after year when we clean the coyotes out of an area then do the same thing the next year and the next and the next.....
I also get to see how quickly they fill these voids.
~SH~
[ April 11, 2007, 03:24 PM: Message edited by: Wiley E ]
Posted by onecoyote (Member # 129) on April 25, 2007, 07:46 AM:
Maybe I was unlucky, just came back from a speed run. left Carrizozo NM Monday morning. Went west on 60 all the way to Apache Jct. Headed home through Globe on Tuesday morning. Went through San Carlos, Safford, Lordsberg, Deming and points east, all good coyote country.
Never seen a road crosser and only one fresh R/K coyote on the San Carlos. Did see a R/K gray fox in NM. Where are all the R/Ks and R/Cs I'm suppost to be seeing ![[Confused]](confused.gif)
P.S. was on the outskirts of Gold Canyon, Lost Dutchman State Park etc. Found a place I'd like to move to, Tortilla Flat. ![[Smile]](smile.gif)
[ April 25, 2007, 09:23 AM: Message edited by: onecoyote ]
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on April 25, 2007, 01:05 PM:
Yeah, that's a cool place, I was just there, about a month ago, for lunch at the saloon.
Posted by Rich (Member # 112) on April 25, 2007, 05:25 PM:
Leonard,
Did you see all of those road killed coyotes on hiway 60, through Globe on Tuesday morning? How about all of the dead coyotes over around San Carlos, Safford, Lordsberg, Deming and points east? Dang shame it was, all of that coyote meat just going to waste. I wonder why Danny didn't see em?
Posted by Leonard (Member # 2) on April 25, 2007, 06:06 PM:
You wonder? He's getting old, going downhill fast. Can't see, can't pee, can't eat, can't shit. He might need to start wearing one of those head protectors?
Good hunting. LB
Posted by onecoyote (Member # 129) on April 27, 2007, 11:45 AM:
I'm getting old? Yeah, I guess I am. ![[Frown]](frown.gif)
But both Rich and Leonard are older then me, don't forget that.
Posted by Rich (Member # 112) on April 27, 2007, 11:58 AM:
onecoyote,
I was beginning to think that you would NEVER catch that pot shot. LOL ![[Big Grin]](biggrin.gif)
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