Interesting stuff, Kirby. The reason that the pack question keeps coming up in my mind (lacking any similar field observations myself that you have experienced) is based on a pack observation and vocalizations in Arizona while visiting my wife's grandmother and multiple coyote vocalizations that I have had the pleasure of hearing near me in south central Florida and also on my uncle's hunt lease in the Florida panhandle.
The Arizona thing was quite funny. I had remarked to my wife that I had never seen a coyote and wanted to try to get a glimpse of one. This was years ago before the thought of pursuing them in the field was even a thought. We drove the rental car up into the mountains overlooking Lake Havasu with my brother-in-law and his wife with a 12-pack and high hopes. Well, a couple of hours later, disappointed about seeing a coyote, but enjoying the stars and good company we drove back down the mountain into her grandmother's neighborhood.
1/2 a block from her house I slammed on the brakes as 5 coyotes ran across the suburban street right in front of the car. They weren't in the mountains! They were in town knocking over trash cans and looking for cats and small dogs! All we could do was laugh.
Anyway, a few days later we were in Sedona, AZ at a hotel and a "pack" went off for about 2 minutes less than a hundred yards from the hotel. We tried to determine how many there were by the vocalizations, but it was certainly 3 or more.
Fast forward to present day Florida and the 2010 general gun season and we had a "pack" howling throughout the night on a nearby WMA, waking me up several times as we camped. Again, multiple dogs vocalizing in a small area. This also occurred in the Panhandle hunting deer with my uncles. Multiple dogs making vocalizations.
The Arizona pack may have been exceptional as they were "suburban coyotes". Maybe those coyotes that have become town dwellers behave differently due to environment or maybe the "pack" was a larger family group that had not yet disbanded.
As far as the vocalizations that I have observed here in Florida, it was easy to determine multiple animals in a small given area communicating. Is it possible these are extended family groupings within an area, co-existing peacefully and "staying in touch" during the evening feeding times yet not denning together?
There has to be an explanation for these situations. Also, I caught a video on YouTube where Randy Anderson fires up a group of coyotes with coyote vocals and he called in either 4 or 5 which all responded to his calls vocally then came in as a group quite angry about the trespasser. They communicated as a pack and "attacked" as a co-ordinated group.
In my mind, based on a combination of your observations, my own observations and biological studies, it sounds as if mating pairs are the rule with some period of time where the yearlings are tolerated until the next breeding event.
And on occasion and even more exceptional, but certainly possible, situations where coyotes can be found in larger packs of 3 or more animals such as what I saw in Arizona and on the Anderson video.
It is interesting, regardless.
Raptor
