coyote bedding areas?

killa_root

New member
I have read before that coyotes will only live in a burrow while brooding pups. So the rest of the year does that mean they will bed in areas like a deer would?(under a down tree, thick shrubs etc.) and also will they bed in small groups or alone? do they return to the same bedding areas?
 
Originally Posted By: killa_rootI have read before that coyotes will only live in a burrow while brooding pups. So the rest of the year does that mean they will bed in areas like a deer would?(under a down tree, thick shrubs etc.) and also will they bed in small groups or alone? do they return to the same bedding areas?


The adult female & her pups are the main users of a den hole site. Even after the pups are weaned. They all will use it for a while afterwards. The yearling pups will bed outside once they get older. Unless being persued or during harsh weather for example. Then they may use the old den site for shelter.

99% or so of the time, when outside they prefer to bed in a wind brake area. ie; out of the wind.

A local adult (territorial) pair of coyotes. Will often have multiple bedding areas. Some areas are "prefered" other areas are more random/general. Which when the wind is from a specific direction. It is NOT out of the norm. To find a local coyote in the same focal area. As he/she was seen days previous when the wind was from the same direction.

However, if a coyote is a "nomad" passing through another pr's territory. That coyote can or will bed any place. Same as a neighboring "tresspasser" coyote. That may roam onto another coyote's territory.

A mated adult pr will often bed near each other. Same as a family group of yearlings.
 
Here is the thing. Old hunters put in their time/ Make their OWN mistakes. Improve upon their mistakes then learn more as time rolls on. These old hunters freely help out the less experienced. Rarely ever getting so much as a plain jane (thank you).

Anyone can note on many websites, all of the questions asked. People ask questions because THEY DID NOT put in THEIR OWN time. To learn 1st hand.

But expect the experienced to offer up their hard earned experience for FREE.

Well in my World, a simple (thank you) is the least that can be returned. After all it cost them nothing.
 
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Well thanks Brian. But I did not make you a better hunter. You did that yourself. By utilizing information gained into your hunting.

Have a good season
 
so it may be safe to say that if I have spotted the same pair of yotes several times in a certain area and then jumped them up man driving for deer that I may have found their normal bedding area making this a good spot for day time calling once I'm done with deer season in a few weeks(the yotes in my area are mainly nocternal due to high traffic from deer hunters during the day)
 
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Yes, a very good chance. "IF" they are the same exact pr that you had seen bed there previously.

Sometimes an adult pr will seperate for a day & bed down alone or go on a hunt alone. They do not always spend their time together every day.
 
Your welcome.

Local coyotes, a(territorial pair). Sometimes they will bed down in almost the same exact spot on a prefered bedding area. When the wind is from the same direction on the following days.

They will bed on the down-wind slope of a hill, ridgeline or other terrain feature & or ground cover. That assists in blocking the prevailing wind. No matter if the wind is stout or slight. They will use terrain or ground cover to assist in blocking the wind.

When they are bedded, they will lay with the wind at their backside. As they face a down-wind direction.
 
Over the yrs I have positively I.D. local territorial pairs in one of my hunt areas. This area I have hunted coyotes on since 1968. I've seen & watched many pr's come & go. As well as their yearling pups.

My latter yrs I've spent mostly I.D'ing & observing their behaviors & interactions. Not so much of their off-spring. As I focused my attention on the adults.

I must say I've enjoyed observing & learning more than I ever did killing. As in my younger days it was all about the kill.

If you ever walk into a call stand area from any down-wind area. Be advised a coyote may be up ahead of you on "it's down-wind area.

Even when a coyote is bedded down (sleeping). They'll often raise their head & pan around to their cross-wind & down-wind areas. They are very light sleepers & have top notch hearing & good vision as for picking out the slightest of movement from long range.
 
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Good to see you back .
As you said in your first post so many have not a clue about putting in the TIME in the field and learning from hits and misses.
Internet , Videos, and television shows provide a large archive of information to begginers that we never had made available to us when we were out spending a large sum of money on fuel , aquiring land , and the all important TIME spent in the field .
Thanks for helping shorten the learning curve .
No matter what you put in writen word its still up to the reader to put it into real time use to be able to profit from it.
As a source of information my hat is off to you.
Your providing the Pearls of wisdom to the masses .
Thank you Kirby ,I always enjoy reading your posts , Jerry .
 
Thanks for the kind words, Jerry. I owe my start to my Dad & his two predator buds, Willard & Larry. I've spent my following yrs improving where I could, upon what they had taught me. Then I ventured off on my own to learn 1st hand.

Interesting why the coyotes get such a hold on a person. I find myself thinking about them all yr around.

Have a good season.
 
Coyotes in Iowa will bed down for the day. Some will be bedded down prior to Sunrise. While others will finish their night hunt or be on the move typically up to around 9-10:00 am. Few stragglers will still be on the move & then bed down, up to around 11:00am.

Typically they will have a buffer area of 1/4 mile or more between themsleves & mankind. More often than not 3/8-1/2 mile or so from man or any active area.

Unless harassed/bumped from their intial bedding spot. They will bed on the origional bedding spot for 4-5hrs or so. Sometimes they will stay in that initial bedding spot most of the day.

Other coyotes will sometimes get up & move a little ways, then bed down again in the same general area. They do this IMO as the wind may slightly shift directions. Et they'll adjust to that wind. Some will get up then turn in place putting the shifting wind to their backside again.

While bedded, most coyotes most often. Prefer a view to their down & cross-wind areas. 99.9% of the time, they ALL will lay with their backside towards the wind. Whether that wind is but a puff of wind or if it is howling. Wind is wind to them IMHO. As they treat it ALL the same, regardless.

IMO based upon what I have observed. Coyotes do not like wind blowing on their face & into the front cones of their ears. That I believe is the main reason, as to how & why they lay like they do according to the wind.
 
A few pics of bedded canines. I use to have hundreds of pics but lost them on our old pc.

Coyote out around 700yrds on the down-wind slope. Wind at it's backside. His head is up panning around.
910e7d60.jpg


Red Fox out around 550yrds. Red is facing down-wind as per usual. Wind at it's backside.
cdf5646b.jpg


Female coyote laying by a cleaned out den hole, around 700yrds out. She is useing the drifted fenceline as a wind brake.
1ebfb955.jpg
 
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I want to clear something up about these pics I post. I've stated this before as well.

You could add timber or ground cover to any of my pics. That would not change a thing, as for canine behavior. As the coyotes (or Red Fox) would still use terrain features & or ground cover to cut the wind. Any wind, no matter how slight or stout.

As the canines spend the majority of their time on the down-wind. Adjust accordinly.
 
Kerby thank you very much.
All of you knowledge is great help to all of us that do not have the time or opportunity as you do.
In great admiration.
Carson
 
My intent is to inform newby callers, where these canines often reside. Et which direction they face according to the wind. Both canines prefer the down-wind & face a down-wind direction. Sometimes facing directly down-wind, otherwise facing angled down-wind.

Another point I'll make. Roughly 90-95% of the land I hunt is open rolling hill cropland. Which can be viewed from multiple angles.

Also Roughly 90% of the time any given day. I drive the gravels looking for a bedded canine. I do not see a thing. As not only are they on the down-wind. They are often tucked in cover/(timber or tall field grass) on the down-wind. Completely blocked from my view.

The canines I do see out on the open, are the 10%'ers
 
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