Males during denning season

How far do males usually travel during denning season. I have a male on camera almost nightly at one of my spots . Wondering if this means a den is somewhat close by . It’s a small patch of woods , but then again every patch of woods is small around me here in north easter Connecticut
 
Disclaimer: Local conditions are everything, and I don't know diddly about MA or CT. The following relates to my AO in the West.

Personal observations, in my area. There aren't many pups in the ground yet, around here. But there are some and more will are being dropped every day for the next couple of weeks, then taper off with fewer being dropped into May and very few dropped after mid may.

Behavior changes noticeably when pups are in the ground vs. before the [beeep] has dropped them.

Once pups are dropped, the female tends to stick around the den more than the male but the male is around a lot also and the female isn't always right there - she'll range and hunt away from the den too. How far either alpha travels is highly variable depending on a number of conditions

Behavior and spacial use changes noticeably again after the pups are out of the den.

From the scientific literature. Probably the most significant point in relation to your question is to realize that many males don't successfully breed and aren't attached to a den at all this time of year. Many coyotes of both sexes, period, don't successfully breed and aren't attached to a den. But an unbred female is far more likely to be attached to a family group and relating to a den than a male who hasn't bred successfully.

So, not an insignificant, often incorrect assumption to think the male you are seeing has any relationship to a den.

But for purposes of answering your question, we'll stick to alpha mated pairs.

I've read all the telemetry studies I have ever been able to get my hands on going back decades to the radio collar days. Doesn't make me anywhere near an expert, just well read. But my short summary of my take on all the data I've ever been able to get a look at...

How far either parent will go from the den is so highly variable as to be impossible to say.

I have one unpublished collection of GPS collar data from the atomic lab reservation in Idaho that showed a female with pups in the ground traveling 8 miles each way, every night, to a water tank. She had to cross the territories of two other mated pairs in each direction. But that was where her reliable water was and she was making the journey every night. She made a straight line there and back each time.

Other telemetry studies have shown neither parent straying more than a mile from the den while the pups were still in the ground.

And everything in between.

So...

Who knows. That coyote might not even have any pups yet. Might not have any coming. If it is raising pups, it might not go more than 800 yards from the den or it might go 10 miles one day, 2 miles the next, 8 miles the day after that. Without a heckuva lot more intel on that particular coyote all anyone can do is guess.

So my guess, if it has pups, or is about to, it's not more than 2 miles from the den. I think that would cover the majority of coyotes in my AO in that situation.

- DAA
 
DAA,

Can't thank you enough for this education. Much appreciated info and insight into these coyotes I started chasing a couple of years ago. Thanks again!
 
If you can search & find it, the Smithsonian had a town hall meeting in Mass or Conn about coyotes that I found very interesting covering ranges amongst other things.
 
Originally Posted By: WilgabeastI wish I could find that info would be great to have

Nope, wrong area. Several links came up w/Google search on Smithsonian coyote habitat, though.

Regards,
hm
 
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Several State Universities with Ag departments have published studies on predators. They can be a dry read, but some good information.
In my AO, local coyotes are generally fat and lazy on a comparative basis. They don't have to travel more than 1/2 mile for water. and food is readily available most years, excluding this year. The result is a home area of 2 to 3 sq. miles. It also results in coyotes being less responsive to calls at a distance.
To quote Dave, "local conditions are everything". You can go 20 miles West of me and that home range may expand by 3 to 4X.
 
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