Wind, coyote & Red Fox

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kirby

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Observing how fox & coyotes use wind. I'm convinced one reason why they don't like wind directly blowing into/onto the front of their face. Is because their ears stand erect & face forward. Another reason may be, they don't like wind blowing into their eyes or nose? Maybe all three or maybe there are other reasons. Mabe I'm wrong altogether LOL! Why they don't like wind in their face.

Even some domestic dogs will not tolerate a person blowing air directly into their face. Whereas other domestic dogs enjoy hanging their head out of a vehicle window going down a road. We've had dogs do that, hang their head out while riding in the car or truck. But they always prefered to angle their face to the wind. Et would only directly face into that wind for a short moment.

Which leads me, as to what I have rountinely observed about coyotes & Red Fox. Always angling the wind & or useing structure & or groundcover to deminish the wind off of their body. Specficially their face.

Another aspect, may be as they zig-zag/neander through a wind. May be because they are actually scenting more area in a given area, vs. traveling in a straight line.
 
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Here is a long range coyote laying on the down-wind slope of a large foothill. Panning around to it's down & cross-wind areas.
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I've read & heard other hunters remark on wind, terrain features & ground cover. As to how canine predators use them. I don't believe for one minute any canine in this country does not do the same. As canines in Iowa.

I also hunt hilly timber areas as well as open flatland & flatland with ground cover & open rolling foothills. I've seen coyotes & Red Fox use terrain features, structure & groundcover the same. When in realtionship to wind. Are there anomalys? Sure there are, but they are rare & not the "norm". When I hunt, I hunt the norm. While keeping my mind open for the oddity or rare behavior of a canine predator. Such as, seeing a handfull coyotes over many yrs facing into a warm mild wind. That is a rarity in Iowa.

Point being a coyote or Red Fox in Alaska vs the southern states. Is some how biologically different? when it comes to how they use wind, terrain features & ground cover. Not hardly IMO.

If a hunter actually believes that. Then that hunter would also believe. That both canines are aware of state lines/boundries. Et when crossing that line, should then change their behavior. Interesting
 
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I wonder if hearing plays a part. If I face the wind, all I can hear is the wind but when I angle my face, I dont hear the wind and can hear the sound of my surrounding much better. I did this just the other day when I was waiting for my friends to return to camp after a day of quading. The wind was @ 15 mph and I sat with my face angled to the wind and heard them before I saw their lights.....
 
Good point.

In high winds I've sat on the opposite side of a sharp ridge line on the down-wind. I've also sat on the immediate down-wind side of a building. Et also against a large tree in a timber.

My hearing on all three set-ups, was quite clear & unaffected from the wind distorting my hearing. I believe the coyotes do the same. I refer to those areas, as dead air-space areas. Little to no wind distortion, to hear more clearly on a windy day.
 
Here is a good visual on what canines think of wind. Red pup facing into a 20+mph wind. A prime example why they spend most of their time down-wind. I'm angled quartering up-wind from these pups.

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I've watched many coyotes that were even on the down-wind of sloped hills in stout winds. The ones on the move would sometimes squint their eyes & lay their ears back. Up-wind would've even been worse.

Stationary coyotes would put their shoulder or backside against the wind that made it over the ridgeline. Angling the wind or facing a down-wind direction.

Steep sharp drop off hill sides offer more of a wind brake for Red Fox & coyotes. Rather than gently sloped hills. They know it too.
 
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Oval dot, curled up on a shallow snow drift is a coyote 1/2 mile away. Eyeing my buddy & I while we were sitting in my truck glassing the area.

Camera is facing into a NorWest wind. Coyote is bedded on the down-wind side of the shallow snow drift, facing down-wind. Typically a coyote or Red Fox will choose to bed or hang around on a hillside.
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Flipside, once in a while they will choose flatland. Doesn't really matter either way. As they often have a panoramic view, regardless.

IF a caller wanted to try calling this coyote. That caller would be in the hole right off the bat. Had he walked in from the down-wind area. Game over. Only times I recall walking in from a canines down-wind area. Is while I used hills & other terrain features to keep me hidden on the way in. Bad thing about coming in from the down-wind. Is you end up possibly exposing yourself[odds are against you I might add], as you crest the last hill between you & the coyote up ahead.


Red Fox facing down-wind, on open flatland. This foxe's backside is partially exposed to the wind. As a very shallow skiff of snow is just up-wind against this foxes backside. Some hunters may believe. They[fox & coyote] behave differently on hilly timbered areas. Not so, they behave the same.
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It takes little experience to understand how easily sound can travel. On little to no wind days vs windy days. I'm mostly deaf in my R-ear with hearing loss in my L-ear.

Yet on little to no wind days. I've heard farmers talking over 1/2 mile away. Then consider how well a canine can hear. For example, they can hear a mouse or vole, squeak or move around under deep hardpack snow.

A hunter whether a caller or stalker making noise on loud ground cover[a noise that hunter can hear himself]. A coyote or fox in the general area can/will hear that hunter as well. I'm not saying a canine can associate that hunter's noise to a human. But they will know something comes their way. Which is out of the typical norm.

Which will draw their attention, no doubt. Most coyotes when they hear something coming. Will focus on the direction of that noise for a very long time. Waiting to have a visual confirmation of what is making that noise. A few coyotes will get to a high point for a look see. Other coyotes will leave the area, unseen.

3 or 4? Winters ago. One of my Bro's & I watched a long range bedded coyote amongst some large foothills. That day there was a stout North wind on crusty loud snow. There was an old guy out stalking that coyote, walking in cross-wind from the East towards the coyote.

Old hunter wes Closeing the gap on that coyote they were seperated by around a 1/4 mile distance. As the old guy slowly trudged in from due East of the coyote.

Coyote would sit up facing due East looking for what was making the noise. Right before the old guy would crest his up-coming hill. The coyote would run straight away from him. Running over the next hill. Et over onto the next Eastern slope of the next hillside. Then it would turn & sit facing due East again towards the on-coming hunter.

This continued numerous times during the old man's stalk of that coyote.

The old hunter never laid eyes on that coyote again once he started his stalk. That coyote always kept a high hill between itself & the old hunter. Bro & I chuckled as we watched that hunt unfold from long range.

Moral of story;
Coyote-1
Hunter-0

Getting to watch the interaction between hunter & coyote. Priceless.
 
My intial attempt is to educate the newguy canine predator hunter. You old guys, I doubt you will even read what I have to say. Let alone consider it?
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Okee dokey, to each their own.

Some [IF] not most of you may wonder. Why am I even discussing/sharing all of this stuff? LOL! Well it does pertain to calling as much as any other form of hunting.

Because if a caller does not grasp[or] have the fundamentals of a coyote's abilities/behaviors/sense's/ down. Then you are behind the 8 ball starting out.

This blather of mine has to do with getting to your call stand, un-seen, un-heard & un-scented. Nothing more, nothing less. Just like when I stalk a bedded coyote or Red Fox. Samo...samo, un-seen, un-heard & un-scented.

If a hunter refuses to consider this[my above blather]. Then that is your loss IMO. As most all of my experience pertains to getting into an area where a canine IS while remaining undetected. Easier said than done that is for sure.

If a hunter is detected, you are already in the hole. Figuring your way out that hole & fooling a wary coyote in the general area. Is/can be an up hill struggle. Obviously it is best they don't know you are even there right off the bat.

edit; pardon my french I don't sphell berry good.
 
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i enjoy your observations Kirby Dogg. i've been spot/stalking along time and find your ramblings to be "spot on". many times i've seen fox/coyotes while drivingdoing their thing. they hardly notice vehicle noise but as soon as the brakes go on so does the alert status of them. i believe loud tires/mufflers ruin more hunts than people realize
 
Yeah borkon, calm days = not good. I do believe many hunters whether callers or stalkers are heard before they ever get in the field. I've sat on the gravel roads & had long range coyotes peg me. They stared at me very long time. Those coyotes I kept on driving as the gig was up.

About the only times I do well is in winds of 10mph+ with quiet ground cover. 15-20mph wind being my favorite. On hilly terrain of course.

I've stalked in & got relatviely close on very loud icey hardpack.I walk in slow like a turtle & pause many times. As to not make a constant noise on the way in. Keeping a ridgeline hill between the coyote & myelf. To assist in muting my noise.

Corn is turning down here abit, won't be long. I figure another 6-8 wks. Then it's a go. YEE-HAW
 
Another thing I have seen consistantly over the yrs in Winter time. Is "IF" there is blowing snow. Most all Red Fox will hole-up in hard shelter/[old den hole, culvert tube, whatever].

Whereas "most coyotes" will just seek a more/heavier protected wind break area that is outside. While some coyotes will seek hard shelter, like the Reds.

It is not so much as high winds they dislike. As much as it is, high winds with blowing snow.

Both canines dislike blowing snow. Does that keep me from hunting those days? Uh well no, because I can't hep my sef LOL!
 
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Some yrs back. I was out looking for coyote. Weather that day was bitter cold[around -30WC] with a very stout NorWester wind. Snow cover was loud hardpack.

Spotted a pr laying 5/8 mile out amongst some large foothills. Both coyotes were laying atop of the hardpack on the down-wind shallow sloped hill. Hill was a picked corn field. Coyotes were useing the corn rows & the hill slope as a wind breaker.

Best stalk plan was to come in angled down-wind useing the hills to conceal myself. I got to my last hill before them. I went prone, wind angling across my barrel. I estimated the closest one was around the 300yrd marker give or take.

Rifle was set-in for 300. I took aim at the closest one. The other exposed coyote was another 50-60? yrds beyond. I kept having to duck my head to keep my eyes from freezing open.

Quickly took aim & shot, hit him mid-ship. Coyote ran, hobbled & jumped around in a 50' or so circle. I tried to re-connect but was unsuccessfull. Coyote eventually ran over a distant hill.

What was interesting about this stalk. Was there were 4 other coyotes completely buried out of sight. Under the hardpack snow as it drifted & blew over the long sloped hill.

When I initially shot. The 4 snow buried coyotes busted up & out of the hardpack snow. They all quickly formed a tight group along with the other exposed coyote. Heading hard North/NorEast to a timber patch out on the next mile section.

 
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Kirby. You make good points with your observations. I too have noticed that coyotes prefer the down-wind side of terrain, especially while being bedded. But just as often, if not more so, I have found that coyotes will give up the down-wind view for super thick cover. Cover so thick that it makes it impossible for them to see an approaching hunter..

The main point is, I believe coyotes to be very predictable according to the terrain at hand.

In the east we have a pretty diverse habitat, some lots are hardwoods with lots of hills and broken terrain, others are thick and flat. Each place is hunted diffently dictated by terrain.

The thicker and flatter the terrain the more I pay attention to not being heard than spotted..In this scenario and many others I would find it acceptable to approach from the direct downwind of the coyote.

In rolling hills and hardwoods the chances of being spotted go up..coyotes in these areas normally bed on the high ground with a good view as you described. Here I would agree that your approach would be a safe bet.

overall, my obsevations match yours. However, due to terrain I think the average eastern caller's options give far more leeway from being being spotted than yours. Other than playing the wind, noise discipline is a huge factor in the east..coyotes cannot see the caller for the trees, and scent travels only the direction of the wind. Sound on the other hand, travels through the wind and trees in all directions. while a coyote in your neck of the woods may normally spot danger first. Here, most coyotes are tipped of by scent or sound.








 
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When it comes to heavy cover.

Such as, heavy brush areas where a coyote is tucked into. They do it here as well. Don't get me wrong I've stalked in from the down-wind many hundreds of times. Of course most every time I kept a hill or ridgeline between myself & the coyote. Until I was ready for a prone shot on the ridgeline seperating us. Not only does a ridgeline offer me a shooting platform. But it also assists in muting my walk in noise.

I do the same when calling around flat land timber or hilly timber. Most all coyotes prefer a view when bedded as well as when they are on their feet. But some don't when they are bedded & tucked in heavy ground cover.

Those areas tend to be void of wind interference. Et they hear rather well in those areas. Especially sound that is cast over the top of the heavy ground cover.

I have come to the conclusion in windy conditions. Coyotes hear best up & down-wind. To a lesser degree cross-wind. That is why in a perfect World. I prefer walking in from their cross-wind or angled up & cross-wind[10:00 or 2:00]angle. Those are my observations based upon being heard & not being heard.
 
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Simple sketch to depict wind & wind direction, terrain features & ground cover. On how coyotes & Red Fox use them.

A. Wind direction
B. Coyote or Red Fox
C. Hunter
D. Ground cover [timber & brush/briars ect]

You'll note on the "immediate" down-wind/leeward side of hills & or groud cover. The wind is lessened & sometimes rolls over the immediate structure. Creating what I refer to as a wind break, or dead air space. Canines hear quite well in those areas.
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swampwalker - I thing you are also correct about a coyote giving up sight for heavy cover. I had posted that I walked up on a couple coyotes laying close to a logging road that I was walking on. When I took time to check it out closer, this stuff was so thick I could only see a couple yards into it. Of course I was thinking bedded coyotes this close, barks and running noise with a couple streaks of fur was all I got for be unprepared.
 
Originally Posted By: justshootswampwalker - I thing you are also correct about a coyote giving up sight for heavy cover. I had posted that I walked up on a couple coyotes laying close to a logging road that I was walking on. When I took time to check it out closer, this stuff was so thick I could only see a couple yards into it. Of course I was thinking bedded coyotes this close, barks and running noise with a couple streaks of fur was all I got for be unprepared.

I heard that. Pulled up on what appeared to be a flat "open" field. Sat down to call, anticipting spotting a coyote coming in around the edge, when I fired up the call, a head popped up about 25 yards ahead of my, I swung on it, but he bolted. Walked over to the spot, and it looked like he was bedded down in a shallow depression. I now know the benefits of hunting from a ladder, the hard way.
 
Some coyotes & Red Fox. If a hunter happens upon one undetected, while the canine is bedded. That canine will sometimes "flatten down" until the hunter has passed.

I've seen coyotes & fox that were bedded from long range among the foothills. I seen them 1st, but as they panned my way & seen my truck. They would flatten down where they laid.

It is rather amusing to witness. Reminds me of a little kid that holds his/her hands over their eye's. Thinking? you can't see them.
 
Originally Posted By: kirbySome coyotes & Red Fox. If a hunter happens upon one undetected, while the canine is bedded. That canine will sometimes "flatten down" until the hunter has passed.

I've seen coyotes & fox that were bedded from long range among the foothills. I seen them 1st, but as they panned my way & seen my truck. They would flatten down where they laid.

It is rather amusing to witness. Reminds me of a little kid that holds his/her hands over their eye's. Thinking? you can't see them.

"I can't see you, you can't see me" kind of thing.
 
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