finding territories

Post by **rhino** » Wed Dec 12, 2007 5:06 pm

Anyone have any success keeping track of territories? I had a coyote back in October come in at about 1/2 mile but wouldn't come any farther. in fact it seemed pretty scared. I know there was a den 1/4 mile away in a pasture. If a guy knew the territories of certain packs, would it help bring in more coyotes? What would everyone guess the range of a territory is? My area I hunt in is pretty wide open, mainly farmland. it seems in the river bottoms and coulee's the territory might be smaller since there is more cover. Thoughts?

Post by **Prairie Ghost** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 9:41 am

Most of the literture i have read for the western states have come up with the 3x3 to 3x6 for a territory. In my personal opinon i would say it's more often the 3x3 or 3x2. It varies from area to area

Post by **jcb1911** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 10:50 am

This subject gets pretty complicated. Now I can't speak for your neck of the woods but what I have found could be applied to your area. Territories vary upon carrying capacity, human pressure, and some other biological factors and they are subject to change from year to year depending on the conditions. The open farm land and river bottoms you spoke of could be and more than likely are part of the same territory, with the river bottom holding a higher population density than the rest of the territory. Generally alpha denning sites are well within the interior of the territory, with the betta pairs denning within close proximity to them (eg. 1/2 mile or so). Best advice I can give you on this is, go to the area where the dog hungup on you, and look for signs (eg. more than the usual amount of scat, scratchings etc.). If the signs are still saying it's a boundry set up a camera, or set up and watch at peak times. Plotting territories gets alot easier during breeding and denning seasons.

Post by **Tim Anderson** » Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:39 am

Here in Minn. the avr. coyotes terr. is 3-5 miles, which depends alot on food and cover for that area..
In western S.D. the coyotes terr. canbe from 3x6 miles to 4x8 miles, less cover and less food for them per square mile.. T.A.

Post by **Prairie Ghost** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 1:22 pm

Tim is your western SD info coming from scott or do you do a lot of hunting out that way?

Post by **Coyotehunter** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 8:57 pm

These territories vary in size through out the year. Or at least the outer limits of a routinely marked boundary will vary through out the climatic seasons. Steve Allen, and Brian Mitchell, have both published studies on this topic. Tons of info out there on coyotes physically marking boundaries (kick backs, scent posts, scat,..) and Vocalizations to establish and maintain boundary lines.

Post by **Tim Anderson** » Thu Dec 20, 2007 9:45 pm

Prairie Ghost: I've been hunting and calling the same area in S.D. for almost 20 years. Some days when its too windy i just drive around and look for scat or if there is some snow i follow coyote tracks around to see where they are headed and where they have come from. I call this patterning a coyote. The tracks pretty much tell you what the coyotes terr. is. Some times i come across a set of tracks that just goes on for ever, either the coyote has a very large terr. or its just a transiet coyote moveing through other coyotes terr... Also like some of the others have said it can varey from year to year and so on..
Where i live i hunt coyotes rather than call them. I go out and find tracks after a fresh snow fall or after the wind has blown the snow around. I drive around sections following these tracks which helps me to pattern a coyote. Once his terr. is known its just a matter of time before i get him, unless the coyote is useing a hole or pipe to hide in dureing the day. When mateing season comes around i will get a chance at these coyotes that like to hide in pipes or holes.. good hunting.. T.A.

Post by **Red Fox** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 3:38 pm

In my area I feel the coyote is still located close to its denning area until the temperature gets really hot and the corn starts to tassle. Then they move closer to the lakes and stay in those areas untill freeze up or deer hunting. I haven't figured out where they all go after that. It seems as they dissapear untill late winter then end up coming back twards spring. I have done some reading on the dispersal of coyotes and cant get a real good answer as to why but I know where there was a grouyp of them there is only a few left by the time the fur is prime. I am thinking that it is Mom and Dad that stayed at home and the kids went off to college so to speak. Correct me if I'm wrong but that seems to be what I have been finding. Disease and hunters may have taken a toll on them also.

Post by **Coyotehunter** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 3:53 pm

Coyotes spend most of the year near their core area and that area condenses through the winter months. Expanding again through spring, and summer.

Post by **LeviM** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 4:02 pm

I think some parts of MN can be tough for a coyote to determine territory, espically this time of the year. I from west central MN and the sections there are 1 mile by 1 mile, with limited cover. They are continously being harrased by callers, people chasing them with dogs or other means. What I have personally noticed is that just because you see a yote one day in a section doesn't mean you will ever see it again.

After reading O'Gormans book, he noted that if coyotes are continously harrassed they will continue to move in and out of area till the feel safe and unharrassed by people or other coyotes.

Correct me if I am wrong, Jamie or Brad. I don't want to mislead anyone! I am farily new to territories!

Post by **coyotero** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 4:28 pm

Great topic!

Post by **Tim Anderson** » Tue Jan 01, 2008 10:21 pm

Yes if coyotes are pressured enough they will pick up and move a mile or two and go back to there home area to feed at nite and to see who's still around. Once the mateing season winds down then they move back to there home area and stay till next year.. If you have coyotes in a area early in the season and they are not there now, just try looking a mile or two away from this area and you should find them.
keep in mind that coyotes love the heavey cover here in Mn. and thats where they willbe, also large sections.. Some i have noticed are useing farm groves to hold up in if the farmer dose'nt have a dog around. So you could also try calling near these farms also.. T.A.

Post by **Coyotehunter** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 7:49 am

Well, a coyotes core area can be quite a bit bigger than a sq. mile. The size of that area has to do with the density of coyotes in your region, availability of food and water. An adult mating pair will stay in that area year round. The outer limits or boundary lines of their territory will vary through out the seasons. When they have pups ina hole they will be running this boundary and marking along the way. In the winter they just do not run as big an area and mark it less often. In the winter months dispersal coyotes moving through, here today gone tomorrow. Lots of dispersal coyotes working the edges. The area I am talking about (core area) is generaly secluded, and depending on the region may or may not have water near by. This core area can change for many reasons; Food, water, change in partners (desease, hunters, injury...) change in natural boundaries,...Hunting pressure to an extent. My experience is if it is a good spot for one pair it will be good spot of another. Shoot a pair and it won't be long and another coyote will move in. I have spots that I have called for years and shoot coyotes a large percentage of the time that I call it. The reason I try to locate my coyotes before calling them is do to the size of this area. Once I have found them I will go in and make a few stands.

Post by **lyonch** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 8:03 am

very well put jamie!!!!

Post by **LeviM** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 1:50 pm

how common is it for a family of coyotes to stay in a territory? Or is more common for them to split and find a mate and locate a new territory.