COYOTE CONTROL BY MEANS OF DEN HUNTING 5 



leaving nianv fleas behind. Occasionally a female that has lost her 

 whelps will clean out several holes before becominji: reconciled to her 

 loss. Barren females sometimes prepare dens, but they nro not found 

 traveling- with a mate. Male coyotes also work at many holes in 

 spring but generally to dig out dead rabbits. The tracks of the male 

 will usually be seen at these freslily dug holes, which have a different 

 appearance from those cleaned out for dens, and dried-up rabbit 

 carcasses will generally be found nearby. 



WTien entering the den, the coyotes almost always go around, not 

 over, the mound, if one is present. Dens may have one or several 

 entrances in use, and several passages may branch from the main 

 one. After the pups are born, small balls of rolled fur and hair from 

 the mother's belly may be found in the dry dirt in the mouth of the 

 den. 



Parent coyotes have no set time for being at home and may be 

 found near the den at any hour. Although they do most of their 

 killing early in the morning, they sometimes visit the den only at 

 night. They are clean about their dens; so there is little refuse or 

 odor. 



The coyote den is usually in rougher surroundings than are dens of 

 small burrowing rodents and is normally within reach of water. 

 Contrary to general supposition, however, coyotes do not always 

 make their dens near water. In hilly areas they usually do, but on 

 the large deserts of eastern Oregon dens are often found as far as 6 

 miles from water. Coyotes do not go to water regularly unless the 

 weather is warm, and pups do not need water until they are several 

 months old. 



METHODS OF DEN HUNTING 



The proper time for hunting coyote dens is from April 5 to June 15. 

 If too early a start is made, before some of the coyotes have whelped, 

 the territory will have to be covered again. Where signs indicate a 

 late den, however, a follow-up visit to it should be made. 



Den hunting should be systematic and thorough. Where the soil is 

 sandy the movements of coyotes can be readily determined by means 

 of tracks and other signs characteristic of the whelping season. The 

 general location of a den may occasionally be learned by hearing the 

 howling of the coyotes, but other means must be employed to find the 

 exact spot. It may be located by tracking, by watching the move- 

 ments of the old coyotes, or by riding the range looking for holes, 

 but systematic tracking insures the best results. 



A good time to hunt dens by tracking is just after a rain. Another 

 is the day after a severe windstorm, as storms restrict the activity of 

 the coyotes. 



Water holes and springs in the desert are excellent places from which 

 to start in hunting dens. The den hunter should circle the water hole, 

 noting the direction of the tracks and giving special attention to those 

 of pairs and to their relative freshness, for when fresh tracks of a pair 

 are noted, they are generally close to the den. When sign is found, it 

 should be back-tracked to a point where there are tracks going both 

 ways; the tracks begin to form a trail within a quarter of a mile from 

 the dens. Near the den, unless the ground is too hard, many tracks 

 will be found going and coming in every direction. Finding the den 

 is then an easy matter. Sometimes, however, tracks lead to a den 

 from only one direction. 



