Coyote vs encounters with raccoon & red fox.

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medic joe

Well-known member
Since I started hunting canine predators in the early 60's. I have seen where coyotes had it out with 2 separate raccoons. During a warm spell mid winter. Twice 2 coyotes had caught a lone coon out on the open hills. On the snow I could see where the 3 of them battled on 2 different days. Both coon were not eaten. But the coons were chomped & crushed flat. Then left the coon where it died. It appeared those coon had every bone in their bodies broken. Because they were chomped & crushed flat. Like a steam roller rolled over them.

1x during a bitter cold January. A lone coyote crawled into a small roadway culvert tube & pulled 1 coon out. That fight occurred right at the culvert entrance. That coyote de-gloved the coon & ate quite a bit of it.

On another hunt. I watched a lone coyote. Seen a sleeping pair of red fox. From the distance of about 1 city block. The fox were sleeping & did not see that coyote. The coyote stopped & eye balled the 2 fox. For about 1 minute. Then the coyote angled away from the sleeping fox & moved on.
 
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There is an ongoing debate about whether or not coyotes eat raccoons. My personal experience as a trapper shows they will at certain times, but generally it is the buzzards that make a meal out of the carcass.
 
bohunr said:
in the fall here in western PA the raccoons run out of the corn fields and climb trees as if their lives depend on it when we howl for coyotes.
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I have seen both sides of this. At times the raccoons completely ignore howls and carry on with whatever they are doing. Other times it's a life or death run to the nearest safety. I have witnessed the same with deer. I have to believe it has to do with the temperament of the coyotes in the area. I have literally seen deer walk within yards of bedded coyotes and not pay any attention to them, where in a different location deer bolt at the sight/sound of coyotes. I think they're just like humans in some instances. You don't pay much attention to the regular that pops in at the local tavern everyday for his usual end of shift beverage. But there are some people that will clear the bar when they show up because you know there's going to be drama or trouble at some point. Personalities come in many forms.
 
hunt0168 said:
At times the raccoons completely ignore howls and carry on with whatever they are doing. Other times it's a life or death run to the nearest safety. I have witnessed the same with deer.
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And other times deer will put on a real show in response to the call, especially in springtime when fawns are dropping.
I set up (x) on a well worn coyote crossing on an outside border fence with the call (c) just inside brush line on our side of fence one morning. Due to time of year started out w/fawn distress. Three does (yellow dots) appeared immediately from the large brush mott about 200 yards out and proceeded to head for the call. They were about at end of yellow paths when a coyote (red line) appeared and ran towards the call, as well. Wish I had a video of the interaction between the does and coyote. Does locked onto the coyote and ran interference (blue lines) between him and the fence for what seemed like 5 minutes, finally running the coyote off into the small brush mott just across the fence. Coyote made a number of attempts to break right or left but does managed to stay between him and the call. Does came almost up to the fence and hung out for 5-10 minutes until they seemed satisfied that the coyote had left. :( Guess it just wasn't that coyote's day.


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Think it’s geographical in nature. Ours won’t touch possums or coons. Seen too many possums and coons in traps and coyotes walk by and ignore them. (Yes the sets were for coyotes, lol) Even got pics of coyotes and possums eating together like buddies.
 
If I'm seeing rabbits out moving at night around bait sites, no coyote are moving within rifle range. See rabbits start moving into tight cover, usually coyote showup. Coyote seldom feed on opossum or coon here. Late summer pups are road ditch hunting grasshoppers and frogs. On cooler nights they(coyote pups) end up dead on the fog lines, as the warm tar holds the hoppers/frogs. I've seen coyote and red fox sleeping in the same field during the day, also have seen coyote run down and kill fox.
 
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