MudderChuck

In the arid areas out west they are often in family groups, but spread out and mostly hunt as singles, pickings are slim. The exception is in the fall, often the driest time of the year. they will pack together. I've seen 6-10 individuals together staging raids into suburban areas. You hear stories about them killing full sized Dogs. I don't know why they pack together in the Fall, best guess is their normal prey dies off from lack of water and food, they pack together to attack larger game, kind of a do or die type of thing. Or maybe the older Yotes teaching the youguns how to hunt. maybe both.

The county kept Sheep in an enclosure around a brush fire water pond behind our property, the Sheep kept the grass down. The Yotes would regularly pack together and kill the sheep. Seemed worse when the Sheep were birthing and in the Fall. They eventually put a half wild Jack Burro in with the Sheep, that sucker hated Yotes and was as good as a guard dog. I'd hear a real ruckus on occasion, the Burro braying, the Yotes yapping, a for real get down a dirty fight.

Seems to me many of the Yotes in the South West are lankier, thinner and have longer legs, same with Bobcats.

jayatnight

I agree with Mudd.. All my coyotes seem lankier than western pictures... But here in North Ga.. they tend to hunt solo.. while the pack sits back in the woods waiting for word to come running.. Many times I will shoot one then the rest of the pack scatter thru out the woods.. even if I sat and called for 30 mins with that one studying the situations.. the rest were at least 100 yrds farther back.. and I have seen this happen a few times..

MudderChuck

Maybe some of the differences is North and South. In hotter climates they tend to be lankier and have less fur? Seems logical, the ones built to deal with the heat do better. While the generally milder climates farther North they can afford a little more fat and fur? Likely different hunting strategies, due to the availability and types of game.

I know one thing for a fact Desert Yotes and those in the coastal mountains and northern California sure look different. In fact on opposite sides of the valley I lived in they looked different. One side was forest and the other side chaparral (high brush).

Likely what makes then so successful is they are adaptable.

I've noticed the same thing with Hogs, some are braver (more foolish) than others. The ones that live to an old age are the wary ones. The adolescents tend to take more chances, cut more corners and are often the first to die.

I've hunted Yotes using ambush tactics after scouting their territory extensively. I've used calls, which only seemed to work at night for my Yotes and was mostly a shotgun type hunting. I had a pack of Yote dogs for years, which was the most successful way to hunt them. Well fed and conditioned Dogs can outlast a Yote, Yotes may be quicker in the short term, but eventually run out of gas.

My most successful call was first a few Hawk calls then a wounded Rabbit call, which screams to a Yote there is a free meal here. I've listened to others calling, IMO they tend to overdo it. A distressed Rabbit call in nature is usually over with in way less than minute, often less than 30 seconds. The Yotes hear the Rabbit screaming, come running to the general area and then follow their nose. If there are any Yotes around they will usually come in to check it out. The thing about a Yotes nose is; my general rule is when they get closer than 400 yards they likely know you are around. A lot of luck involved if you get one to come closer than that.

A lot of animals key on their rivals, a lot of Bird action and a Fox will come it to check out and see what is so interesting to the Birds. The Birds spook and the Yote or Fox takes off for safer territory. The reason I use a Hawk call then a wounded Rabbit call, the Yote or Fox has likely been there done that and stolen a meal from anther predator, If a Hawk calls it is often to it's mate saying supper here. Just something you may want to try out.

jayatnight

I really like the hawk into wounded rabbit.. going to have to try that out.. Some times I will do a male howl.. then a pup in distress it tends to work...

MudderChuck

I've been wondering what a noisy Chicken (some are noisier than others) or even a Guinea Fowl in a wire cage out in the middle of a field might attract.

I've talked to numerous hobby farmers who tried to raise Guinea Fowl and all them were wiped out by Fox. Guinea are noisy and likely attract a lot of interest. Guinea roost in the trees, but nest on the ground. They are also stupid.

I get more than a few calls a year from Chicken or Duck Farmers asking me for Fox help. The Fox will keep coming back until the Farmer is wiped out.

I've been thinking of trying it out, curiosity. Whatever works for Fox will likely work for Yotes.

alleyyooper

Here in Michigan the coyotes don't come running like I have seen in the western states videos. I believe that is do to how they seem to range here about 25 sq. miles and a well stocked food supply, rabbits mice and small deer and fawns, small family pets and farm critters. We usally see them in groups of 4. I believe pups stay close to the parents till the next mating season. but that is just my thoughts.
Yes they will attack a horse in a group.
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/inde...orse_from.html
And again on the same farm.
http://www.mlive.com/news/flint/inde...at_oaklan.html


We don't really have a wild pig population, pig are not raised on the farm as loose as beef cattle.
We have great luck with the piglet in distress sound, the chicken and dog from Varmint AL's web site is also a good one even in the middle of the winter. Distressed wood pecker also works.
We seem to have good luck with odd sounds, I believe part is coursity and part is other people are not using them. We will many times also run two callers together one with the fawn in distress sound till mid summer and the group howls. Of course there are other sounds we use together also.


Was a rare thing to sight a coyote in Lower Michigan till about the late 1970's but wasn't a rare thing to see on in the Upper any time.


Al

Sheridan

+1

Remember we kill the dumb ones/the ones that make a mistake.

Everyday "we" learn what we did wrong too - but we get to go home at the end of the day.............................

jayatnight

Thats starting to be my problem I have ran out of dumb ones lol..

Mr. Longbeard

Everything is harder to hunt in the eastern us... Why??? More hunting pressure... More people... Look at the turkeys out west...

Why do you think everybody goes to Midwest ,Texas to hunt and make outdoor tv... If they did it here there wouldn't be anybody watching tv lol

jayatnight

Ya but I enjoy the Challenge!!! harder to find good sets and when you do they tend to pay off well..

my problem is june to so hot and humid in Georgia.. that you cant move without stinking everything up for miles.. only 2 coyotes in june so far.. plus there is like 10 million baby cotton tails out..

I saw a couple last night about 400+ yrds off...

they seemed like they have already fed.. cause they showed very lil interest in my call..