Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Predators and Varmints Good book for coyote info

What's a good source for basic intro on coyote habits? Questions I have include how do you tell the difference between coyote scat and dog poo? Between coyote tracks and those of similarly sized dogs?
<br>
<br>I have heard that coyotes like to scat on trail/path crossings as a territory mark. True?
<br>
<br>Do you guys rely on sign or night howling to locate coyote country, or do you use the recorded pack howls to get a response, so you can use the predator cals closer in?
<br>
<br>Thanks, Jeff

Here are links to 3 at amazon.com. I have read all of them and prefer the last by Gerry Blair, but they all are good.
<br>
<br>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...84/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/002-4288636-6493639
<br>
<br>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...84/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-4288636-6493639
<br>
<br>http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/A...15/sr=1-2/ref=sr_1_2/002-4288636-6493639

Many thanks, Conrad.
<br>
<br>Jeff

Jeff,
<br>I can't help you on the book question, but I will try on the others.
<br>1- coyote crap around my house is smaller, blacker, and greasier-looking than dog crap. Kinda pointed looking on the ends. I think it depends a bit on the diet.
<br>2-When I am setting snares for coyotes I allways look for trails with coyote crap on them as these are the ones that are frequented. After a while you will get the hang of where to expect crap piles, as they usually do it in the same place over and over.
<br>After you understand where they are crapping, start looking for what are called scent posts. These are also boundry markers where the coyotes wizz over and over. If you have any kind of a dog thats not a pot-licker, he should be able to help you find scent-posts.
<br>
<br>As for the locating, where I live they are everywhere you turn, so it's not a problem. The problem is all the city-slickers that come out and educate the coyotes every weekend. Because of this, the coyotes rarely answer locator howls. I often will keep an eye out for fresh looking dens to find better concentrations of coyotes, but anywhere that looks like a good stand, is a good place to call. They can come from over 1 mile, so you don't need to be in their front yard.
<br>
<br>This got long quick, hope it helps.
<br>Shane

Shane, I think that you have a much better location. For example, the last time I took my calling setup to some stomping grounds where I know there are coyotes (seen 'em, heard 'em, seen the poo, tracks, etc.) was stopped by the Game Warden.
<br>
<br>It was turkey season in the next county and he wanted to make sure I wasn't turkey hunting in where I was. I explained my quest, showed him my .223, and showed him the JS rig, complete with a locator tape.
<br>
<br>His reaction: "You mean they actually howl back to that thing?". I don't think he'd ever seen a coyote hunter before.
<br>
<br>A funny thing happened on the trip before that. My son was with me. Going in the night before, we had thecaller prepped and hanging out the window of the truck as we passed an enormous winter wheat field.
<br>
<br>Presently the headlights caught a two pair of bobbing eyes. I was puzzled. The eyes were not high enough for deer, and no domestic dogs would have been there. Too high for possums -- and way too athletic.
<br>
<br>They were a pair of grey foxes. Of course I lit up the coyote howl locator tape.
<br>
<br>Te effect was similar to watching the back door of a crack-house as the cops kick in the front door.
<br>
<br>The first fox bolted t my left and launched himself into the air, which is no easy feat considering there was a 10 foot deep 10 foot wide canal there. The second considered following his airborne buddy (I never heard him land. Should've come back the next day, maybe he was hung in a tree!), then thought the better of it.
<br>
<br>I could almost see what he was thinking -- a 10 foot leap into nothing one way, a mile run without cover the other way. He opted for the mile run and turned on the afterburners. I wish I had had a spotlight to keep him honest for the whole mile!
<br>
<br>After that we came to a group of 7 deer. They don't like the Coyote Locator tape, either.
<br>
<br>It's hard not to have a good time when you're in country like that!
<br>
<br>Thanks, Jeff