A hunter can obviously gain a lot of intel about the whereabouts, population density and distribution of coyotes on a property by properly reading these visual, audio and olfactory cues – which will be invaluable for developing aĪll predators leave telltale sign that indicates population density and travel patterns.game plan and selecting specific calling locations.Ī good approach is to spend a night driving the back roads of a target area – public ground or private land where you have permission to hunt – listening for howling frequency and locations. Much like a dominant white-tailed buck will create a scrape as “Communication Central,” coyotes utilize scent posts to communicate their presence to other coyotes. As with all canines, coyotes also establish urine posts. Because it is easy for coyotes to travel these roads at night and the scat they deposit is very visible, it is an effective means of marking the boundaries of their territory and establishing ownership.Ĭoyotes also use audio response to defend their territories, in the form of aggressive howling and barking. As a fur hunter it’s not necessary to be as precise, but the premise is the same, and scouting and reading sign is the key to getting the most potential from a property.Īn example: One key indication that a mated pair or family group of coyotes has staked out a territory is the presence of scat on roadways, such as those grids that dissect large ranches in the West or gravel county or forest roads common east of the Mississippi River. He sifts through the available data and then applies his skills to select specific trap locations where he will manipulate a fox, bobcat, coyote or other fur-covered critter to step on a cleverly hidden 3-inch trap pan. He uses his knowledge of animal behavior and his ability to read sign to quickly assess the fur potential of a property and how to exploit it – target animal densities and travel routes based on food and water sources, bedding and escape cover, choke points, etc. Where will they hunt? Where will they hide? Where will they travel? These and other questions can be answered through reading sign. There are many great resources available – print and online – that will help fur hunters learn to identify animal sign.“feel” for what the sign means based on past experiences, and by internally visualizing how target animals utilize the landscape based on its topography and resources. The art component hinges on experience and repetition the ability to take what you know about sign and apply it to a specific situation and location. It is also important to be able to distinguish sign from one species vs. They do this through visual, audio and olfactory cues. They establish territories and aggressively defend them. Is this a core territory or is the animal an interloper? Coyotes, as an example, are very territorial, especially during the mating and pup-rearing season. The science requires the hunter to identify sign, judge how old it is and determine frequency. The best way to do that is by thoroughly scouting an area, and reading sign is arguably the most important component. We all have a limited amount of time and a limited amount of property to hunt, and it makes good sense to concentrate efforts on those honey holes that are going to produce the best results. Wasting time on grounds that are void of target animals is counterproductive. It’s one of the biggest keys to putting more fur in the truck, whether fur trapping or fur hunting. I know a lot of fur trappers, and I can tell you that to the man or woman they are among the best hunters I know, because of their ability to effectively scout and read animal sign. It was this early education in scouting and reading sign that served me well as a novice fur trapper, and later as a predator hunter. Signs of their passing were evident in tracks, scat and sometimes the remains of a successful hunt if I looked hard enough, and I learned a lot about all of these animals’ behavior by unraveling the clues they left behind. As I explored the frozen lake edge each day, I grew more and more fascinated with the apex predators – red foxes, coyotes and even gray wolves – that combed the water’s edge at night hunting for prey. Unraveling the mysteries of how these secretive critters spent the lion’s share of their time and where to precisely place each Victor trap from my limited supply occupied my thoughts day and night. I cut my fur-trapping eyeteeth exploring that vast shoreline near my hometown in northern Minnesota, matching wits with the mink, ermine and muskrats that occupied the riparian environs. Successful coyote hunters keep one eye to the ground when on the hunt.3-mile trapline extending from Muskeg Bay east along the lakeshore.
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