
in the recovery ratios may be the result of higher natural mortality 
among the younger coyotes from which tags are not retrieved, or it is 
possible that a greater number of pups moved to mre distant points 
from which tag return was less likely owing to less public familiarity 
with the project. The records show that both the older coyotes and the 
young of the year are involved in the down-country shift. Thirty-three, 
or 55.9 percent, of the 59 pups recovered had moved more than 5 airline 
miles and 10, or 50.0 percent, of the 20 adults had shown some drift. 
The younger animals, however, traveled greater distances, averaging 
26.4 airline miles to 19.0 for the adults. 
Eighteen pups tagged in the spring were recovered between 
August 21 and October 1 of the same year, all within short distances 
of the tagging points. The earliest recorded drift was on October 
when a young coyote was killed 28 airline miles away, and 7 of 12 
young oz the year taken during that month had moved dowm-country. By 
November, 2 young animals had drifted more than 60 airline miles, 
Also, an adult tagged near timberline on September 12 was killed 32 
airline miles down-country a month later. It is evident that the 
major movements begin in early October and mich of the coyote drift 
precedes and is not dependent upon the movements of big game. 
The data show a successive shifting of populations downward 
in the fall and winter, with some indi-1iduals going short distances 
while others travel farther. A review of a few individual records 
will reveal the pattern. In the spring of 1948, 3 litters totaling 
15 pups were tagged in a river valley known as the Horseshoe, east of 
Tower Falls Ranger Station, and in September of that year 10 coyotes 
were marked and released in higher country to the south on Mount 
Washburn. In succeeding periods (October to March), of the Mount 
Washburn coyotes were collected in the Tower Fal lseiorseshoe area 
and 3 moved beyond the Park boundariess at the same time only 1 of 
the Horseshoe pups was taken nearby while |; drifted down out of the 
Park. In other wrds, many of the coyotes inhabiting the Horseshoe 
Tower Falls area in the summer had moved down-country in the winter, 
they being replaced and their number even increased by migrants from 
the higher mountains. This pattern no doubt applies to all of the 
northern, open section so densely populated with coyotes in the winter. 
Summer to Summer Movements 
Do the drifting coyotes return to the Park after the down 
country movements in the fall and winter, or do they remain outside? 
A partial answer is contained in the records of summer recovery of 
sumner=tagged coyotes as shown in Figure 3. Of 33 Park coyotes tagged 
during the spring or summer and recovered during the same seasons in 
later years, 8 were taken outside the Park to the north and 25 near 
their tagging points. Five coyotes tagged on the outside were recovered 
during similar seasons; of these were recaptured nearby in later 
years, and 1 had moved into higher country in the Park a few days after 
8 
