Coyote territory

[kirby]

The areas I hunt, often have varying populations of coyotes. I understand about an alpha-pair marking their territory. To let potential tresspassers know, this land is taken.

I find it interesting, in my experience. That this conduct code seems to be "unhonered" quite often. Especially come breeding season.


What are your opinions on this?

 

[Rich in AZ]

Scent marking, by urine and or scat deposits as well as gland rubbing is often just graffiti, a Kilroy was here kinda thing. The degree of territorial maintenance and defense is pretty much determined by the assets of the territory, the amount of compettion for those assets and the size of the resident pack. In an area of unlimited resources, such as deadpiles at feedlots, carrion at winter yards and urban residential areas , coyotes often don't even bother to establish defended territories, just overlapping home ranges. Adjacent packs and transients mingle freely. In areas of limited resources and fairly stable populations territorial defense can be a full time job.

 

[kirby]

Rich,

Good info. I have thought along those very lines as well. One thing that did puzzle me a couple of yrs ago. Was all of the coyotes I spotted in such a small area. The only thing I can think of, was perhaps a migration of singles & or pairs. I have read where the "Red Wolf" has done this very thing. I haven't seen this in the Coyote World in my area before or since.

But it was awesome to say the least.