
Drift by Sexes 
In earlier tagging by the Control Methods Research Laboratory, 
Garlough (1940) reported a maximum migration of 100 miles for a male 
coyote and 80 miles for a female, with males traveling slightly greater 
average distances. Sheldon (1950) recorded a maximum movement of 0 
miles for a male red fox and 2 miles for a female, but stated that other 
evidence showed that female foxes also disperse widely. In the Yellowstone 
study, males outnumbered females 121:100 in tagging and 105:100 in returns, 
Of the coyotes moving more than 5 airline miles, )l; were females, averaging 
23 miles and 3 were males, averaging 21 miles. Also, the 3 longest drifts 
were by females. Collections near the tagging points were in reverse pro- 
portions, 57 males to 43 females. Contrary to expectations the females 
showed a greater tendency to migrate, though the difference may be slight. 
Summary and Conclusions . 
. At the request of the National Park Service and the Absaroka 
Conservation Committee, a study was conducted of the migratory habits of 
coyotes in Yellowstone National Park. This was prompted by the contention 
of neighboring ranchers and sportsmen in Montana that the Park, through 
its policy of maintaining coyotes as desirable members of the Park fauna, 
supplied these predators to surrounding areas where they were not wanted. 
Over a 5 year period 19 coyotes were tagged and released in the Yellow 
stone region, and 178 usable returns justify these conclusions; 
(1) About half of the coyotes raised or summering in the 
Park drift down=<country and out in the fall and winter, the other half 
being more or less permanent residents of the Park. 
(2) Both the older coyotes that have become established in 
the Park am the young of the year are involved in this drift, with 
the younger animals moving the greater distances. 
(3) Coyotes tagged beyond the boundaries likewise move in 
a general direction away from the Park in the fall or early winter. 
There is, therefore, no reason to believe that persecution tends to 
drive coyotes into the Park for protection or that this area is rec- 
ognized by many coyotes, particularly the younger ones, as either a 
sanctuary or preferred hunting ground. 
(4) About half of the downward migrants, mostly the older 
coyotes, return to the Park by spring. 
(5) The other half of the drifters, largely the dispersing 
young of the year, remain beyond the Park boundaries and, no doubt, 
some continue the upward and downward seasonal movements in new loca~ 
tions. Thus, about a fourth of the coyotes in the Park are permanent 
migrants each year to points beyond the boundaries. 
16 
