Understanding Coyote Behavior in Texas

Coyotes can travel in the same general area of a tank from day to day and leave clear tracks yet not follow the same route day after day. Field decisions are best made treating each piece of sign as part of a moving pattern. First read the ground, then set up to hunt from that location with safety in mind. Allow the likely travel routes of the coyote to narrow down your choices for good field decisions.

Begin with the small problem in front of you

Identify and explain the specific problem or behavior that is causing concern on your property. This could be fresh coyote tracks along a ranch road with no sign of the animal at the water, no response to calling in a brushy draw, or Coyote activity in livestock areas with concentrated scent and disturbance. Read the sign right off the ground. Avoid taking a long recon around a possible spot as you could end up leaving more human scent than you want to near water sources, brushy dens and the like. View all sign with a healthy dose of skepticism. A single hair or piece of scat does not a good gunning spot make. Only walk a small area to observe. Excessive scouting can add human scent, produce noise, and create visible disturbance to wildlife, particularly around a water source or narrow crossing. Use glassing from a distant location, and utilize existing ranch roads and maps as necessary.

How Texas terrain changes the route

Texas habitat changes quickly. Many ranches have areas that go from open grassland to mesquite or from pasture to cultivated ground. This type of habitat has more than just places to hide a coyote. The change in habitat from open to thick cover can make a very good travel lane, a place to stop and survey, or a good route of escape when pressured. In open country a coyote will often travel near a fold in the ground or a grassed drainage. Low rises in the ground that give the animal some concealment from view will also be preferred over more open areas. In brush country the coyote will travel on the edge of thick cover rather than going into the densest part of it. Remember that the most obvious route is not necessarily the coyote’s preferred route. Be wary of a cattle trail that has a lot of marks on it. Such trails are often used by animals other than coyotes. Compare the track shape, stride length, amount of disturbance in the soil and heading with other nearby routes. If it appears to be part of a larger animal movement between areas of good cover, water, food and a safe route back to denning areas then it is good for hunting.

Wind and cover should be judged together

Wind not only affects scat but also affects how coyotes travel and react to noises and objects. A light breeze may allow a coyote to investigate an area from the edge, whereas swirling air near edges of cuts, cedar and brush may make these areas less reliable from day to day. Wait a few minutes and go back and check out the location where you plan to set up. Check both the low ground and the high ground at the stand site. In many instances the warm surfaces, the shade, the low areas where water may collect and the vegetative cover will cause the air to move differently than what the weather forecast may indicate for the surrounding area. Remember that cover is a double edged sword. Concealment will aid in keeping a hunter’s movement hidden but can also restrict visibility to the surrounding area. More visible locations will afford better observation but require the hunter to be more aware of the immediate backdrop as well as any livestock, roads and neighboring properties. Keep in mind that a perfect downwind setup is not a good stand if the angle to the animal does not allow for a safe shot or if the hunter is in such a location that as the wind changes he will be alerted to the animal’s presence by the scent of man carrying down into the coyote’s cover.

Water, livestock and human pressure

Just because a water source is on your property does not mean you should set up right at the water. Many animals visit water sources at different times and travel through cover to reach the water and then leave in a similar manner. Observe where coyotes enter the area and then set up to watch where they exit. Pay attention to areas of shade near water sources as well as travel lanes through the area. Similarly, do not place yourself in a coyote’s travel route near to livestock grazing areas. A site that looks good for a hunt on a quiet map can turn into a terrible place to be when there is normal going on on a ranch with cattle, horses, dogs, etc. Fresh sign in such places should be viewed with a skeptical eye. Keep in mind that coyote travel ways can change with human pressure. Although they may use a travel way in areas with little human activity, in highly worked ranches, they will change to edge of brush, travel at different times of day, even travel in circle before approaching in a particular location. Fresh vehicle tracks, frequent walks by humans, opening and closing of gates, recent calls to the location of a tank with recent activity all can make old sign less reliable. Leave the past pattern behind. Choose a nearby route to transition to this new location. Wait for time to pass and the area to quiet down. If on a working ranch, it’s best to get permission from the landowner and then work within the bounds of the ranch and its stock, taking care to be aware of the movement of livestock as well as the gates, outbuildings and other structures and people on the property.

Reading coyote sign without overreading it

Of course, the fresher the tracks the better but there is also the factor of the soil type. Damp ground can keep the impression for longer but loose sand can quickly wear away the edges of the print. Look at a number of different tracks rather than just a single print. When identifying travel routes, look for scat, hair and feathers from previous kills as well as areas of the field where the coyote may have been digging or rooting up animals and then eating them on the spot. If the area where the coyote is rooting up animals is directly in front of you then you know he will be traveling through that area. As a general rule, asking yourself three questions will lead you to a better blind site than the sign itself: What drew the animal to that location? Where did it come from that you cannot see? Where will it go if it is disturbed at your location?

A safety-first stand decision

Always remember safety first. Identify all roads, homes, livestock, and outbuildings. Also, know the boundaries of the property on which you are hunting and the neighboring properties. Try to identify all areas of human activity to direct yourself away from these areas. It is also important to set up your location safely and to have a clear view of the area where you will be viewing or calling in animals. This also means making sure your target animal is identified clearly and that the background is safe for shooting. If the animal cannot be clearly identified or there is risk of hitting something in the background, then do not shoot. Also be sure to follow all of the appropriate rules for safe firearm handling and for safe transport and unloading. Unfavorable weather, which includes wind, extreme temperatures, and even precipitation, can create new hazards. Be sure to notify others of your location and bring appropriate communication. Leave the area if the conditions become unfavorable or visibility decreases. Field checklist

• Confirm permission, ranch instructions and current legal requirements.
• Mark roads, homes, livestock, workers, equipment and property boundaries.
• Check the actual wind at ground level and watch for swirling air.
• Identify cover, open lanes, possible paths of travel and possible routes of withdrawal.
• Be able to identify a fresh sign from older ones as well as tracks, scat and disturbed earth of other animals.
• Ask where the coyote would travel if it detected pressure.
• Check the background before you set up to call or view.
• Keep movement, scent and noise away from the most likely approach.
• Recheck livestock and human activity before settling in.
• Leave the stand when visibility, weather or identification becomes uncertain.

Let the pattern stay flexible

Don’t be misled into believing that the one great spot you have discovered will always work. A good spot is not a permanent solution to the problem of coyotes on your Texas ranch. Wind will shift, cattle will move, a gate will be opened and closed and a coyote with even moderate intelligence will find that a familiar route which in the past has brought it fortune is now to be avoided. When out on a Texas ranch, use the safest method first and then make the smartest choice within that confines. Treat the ranch with respect, take time to scout and then make the best decision based on all the evidence and not just a singular promising sign. This will allow for effective predator control while maintaining the highest level of responsible ranch management.