Bulletin- 320 CONTROL OF THE COYOTE IN CALIFORNIA 



391 



LOCATING DENS 



Coj^ote dens may be best looked for during the months of May 

 and June. To be of value in control campaigns, breeding dens must 

 be located before the 3'oung quit them. These may be found by 

 "lining" the tracks of the female, made as she carries food to the 

 young. This is accomplished in a manner similar to that by which 

 bees are lined to a bee tree. The female coyote, however, rarely if 

 ever goes straight to the den, but if she is watched, or her tracks fol- 

 lowed for a few days, it will be found that all of the various trails 

 center at the breeding den. A person is therefore often able by 

 encircling a supposed den site to "pick up" tracks made by the female 

 and, by noting the general direction of a number of such radiating 

 trails, determine the approximate location of the breeding den. The 

 success of this method is obviously dependent upon the topography, 

 and upon the nature of the soil, which may make tracking hard or 

 easy. 



Having secured the approximate location of the den, the exact site 

 it often revealed by trampled vegetation and nimierous footprints 

 of the coyote pups after they have become large enough to play at 

 the entrance to the den. 



Dens containing young are sometimes found late in the day and 

 the discoverer, returning the following day, and proceeding to dig 

 out the den, is likely to find to his chagrin that the young have been 

 removed by the mother during his absence. If such dens must be 

 left for any length of time the entrances should be tightly closed with 

 rocks, and a coat or other article of wearing apparel which carries 

 human scent hung on a stick over or near the den to frighten off the 

 returning parent. 



OTHER METHODS OF CONTROL 



In certain counties in the northwestern part of the state, coyotes 

 have been controlled over considerable areas by the erection of coyote- 

 proof fences. This method has proved successful during the past ten 

 years on the 5600-acre sheep range of J. H. Clarke, six miles southwest 

 of Laytonville, Mendocino Count}'. The Clarke ranch is decidedly 

 hilly, and it is well watered; about one-half of the area is thickly 

 forested. Herding sheep in large flocks is impracticable here on 

 account of the rugged nature of the country. Several types of fences 

 have been tried on the Clarke ranch, the two most satisfactory being 

 a redwood stake fence and a heavy woven wire fence. Materials for 



