6 CIRCULAR 7, FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



Loose hairs and distinctive tracks are often observed in the mouth 

 of a used coyote den. The coyote track is elongated, and not nearly 

 so rounded as a dog track, and the coyote side- toe unpression is longer 

 than that of a dog of the same size. The tracks of young coyotes, 

 barren females, and those that have lost their pups can be distinguished 

 from those of denning pairs, as the latter generally travel by a direct 

 route, the tracks of the female usually being smaller and more pointed 

 than those of the male. 



When a female leaves the den for water she nearly always travels 

 in a direct line, probably not deviating over a hundred yards from it 

 in a distance of several miles. Coyotes do not always water at the 

 same place each time, however, nor return to their den direct from 

 the watering place unless the den is a long distance from water. 

 Sometimes the male will remain near the den while the female is away, 

 but more often the two travel together, the female holding a little 

 more to a true course than the male. The tracks often indicate that 

 they travel side by side for some distance, the male then wandering 

 away several hundred yards but later returning to his mate. 



Coyotes with dens have regular hunting grounds to which they 

 usually travel on a nearly straight course, whether near or several 

 miles distant, but they do not travel back to the den on a direct line 

 again until after they have made their kills. 



When the den is in danger of being discovered coyotes act in a 

 nervous manner. Some will circle about it at a distance when the 

 hunter is near; the old female may be seen in one direction and, after 

 disappearing, may later be seen peering over a hill in another quarter. 

 When a female with a den first sees a person, she looks at him for a 

 moment, then almost invariably toward the den, sometimes turning 

 completely around to do so. 



A den is usually located within a radius of approximately a mile 

 of freshly cleaned-out holes. An experienced hunter can tell by the 

 appearance of a den and by signs nearby whether it is occupied, with- 

 out dismounting from his horse. When a den is found, if the whelps 

 are roammg a considerable distance away, the searcher should circle 

 it, making much noise to frighten them into returning. They should 

 not be rushed, however, as they will then scatter and run into any 

 accessible hole and extra effort in digging them out will be required. 



As a rule, one will not find many live rabbits near a den; so that 

 in a rabbit-infested district a scarcity of rabbits may be an indication 

 of a nearby den. 



ACTIVITIES OF WHELPS 



Inexperienced hunters often dig out dens that contain no young. 

 If the searcher listens at the mouth of the den he can usually hear 

 any whelps inside, especially when they are very young, as they are 

 then seldom quiet. If a nursing whelp loses hold of a teat, it is rather 

 noisy until it regains its hold. 



The wlielps emerge when about 3 weeks old, and then their tracks 

 and other sign are easily noted. At that age they do not whine, but 

 can be heard moving about when in the den, where, if crowded, they 

 sometimes growl. Curiosity to see what is going on outside will 

 drive some to the entrance. When the burrow is steep they are 

 unable to clamber out at as early an age as when it is nearly level. 

 Little scratc^hes made in their attempts to crawl out will often be noted 

 on the side walls and floor of the den. 



