Harold Warren Dobyns

“ The most essential qualifications of a den hunter are keen observation, persistence, and familiarity with the habits of coyotes. He can probably become more skilled in den hunting than in any other phase of coyote control. The denning habits of coyotes are similar in most sections, and the same general methods of den hunting can be applied to humid mountainous sections and to semiarid deserts. ”

“ Dens are often found to contain two litters, one consisting of young with eyes not yet open and the other of pups about a month old. One litter may be large and the other small, the latter probably belonging to a young female that, apparently at a loss for a place to den, had taken up quarters with her mother. Young females usually whelp about 10 days to 2 weeks later than the older ones. An occasional den may harbor three litters. At a den where two litters are found there is usually only one male, which would suggest polygamy. ”

“ A hunter should leave as few traces as possible of his visit to a den. He should carry several traps, with which to try to capture the old coyotes. It is well to set a few traps “blind”—that is, without bait or scent—in the trails leading to the den, although some coyotes never return to a den after a hunter has visited it. A good set can be made by burying a dead whelp, leaving one foot exposed, and setting traps nearby. Holes that have been cleaned out for dens make excellent places for trap sets, particularly for catching females as they go in or out before whelping. ”

“ A small dog trained to go into dens and bring out the whelps is useful. Such dogs are scarce, but with careful handling, the proper breed (wire-haired fox terrier or other terrier) soon learns and enjoys this work. Any dog, however, is a great help, as the parent coyotes become much alarmed if it nears their den and often set up a howl or series of barks and yelps, thus betraying the fact that a den is near. ”

“ A dog that runs rabbits and hunts several hundred yards from the hunter is better than one that follows at the horse’s heels. A small dog is preferable. Coyotes are likely to give wide berth to a large one, but will sometimes fight and chase a small dog, thus presenting a good target for shots, particularly when they go some distance from the den to fight the intruder. For several days after the den has been destroyed females that have lost their whelps frequently fight or chase any dog that comes near. ”

“ Holes may be cleaned out in one canyon and the den be just over the hill in another. Sheep herders on a range usually can give valuable information as to locations of dens.
The equipment of a den hunter should include at least two good, gentle saddle horses, a small shovel, a pair of good field glasses, a rifle of not less than .25 caliber, and a dog. Coyotes are not so much afraid of a man on horseback as of one on foot. A rider, therefore, can get many good shots, and in heavy sagebrush he can more easily see and track coyotes from his vantage seat upon a horse. ”

“ When the den is in danger of being discovered coyotes act in a nervous manner. Some will circle about it at a distance when the hunter is near; the old female may be seen in one direction and, after disappearing, may later be seen peering over a hill in another quarter. When a female with a den first sees a person, she looks first at him for a moment, then almost invariably toward the den, sometimes turning completely around to do so.
A den is usually located within a radius of approximately a mile of freshly cleaned out holes. ”

“ The female continues digging and cleaning out den holes, sometimes a dozen or more, until the young are born. Then, if one den is disturbed the family moves to another. Sometimes the animals move only a few hundred yards, apparently just to have a cleaner home, leaving many fleas behind. Occasionally a female that has lost her whelps will clean out several holes before becoming reconciled to her loss. Barren females sometimes clean out holes, but they are not found traveling with a mate. Male coyotes also work at many holes in spring but generally to dig out dead rabbits. ”

“ Coyote pups are born 60 to 63 days after breeding. Their eyes open when they are 9 to 14 days old. The average number of young to the litter is normally 7. Although there may be smaller litters when food is scarce, it is not uncommon to find litters of 9 to 12 (fig. 1, A) , and some females have been known to have as many as 17 young. The only thing provided in the nature of a nest is an enlarged section of the den, and some dens do not have even this. The pups lie in the dry dust on the floor. ”

“ The whelps emerge when about 3 weeks old, and then their tracks and other sign are easily noted. At this age, they do not whine as young pups do but can be heard moving around when in the den, where, if crowded, they sometimes growl. Curiosity to see what is going on outside will drive some to the entrance. When the burrow is steep they are unable to clamber out at as early an age as when it is nearly level. Little scratches made in their attempt to crawl out will often be noted on the side walls and floor of the den. ”

“ The coyote den is usually made in rougher surroundings than are dens of small burrowing rodents and is normally within reach of water. Contrary to general supposition, however, coyotes do not always have their dens near water. In hilly areas they usually do, but on the large deserts of eastern Oregon the dens are often found as far as 6 miles from water. Coyotes do not go to water regularly unless the weather is warm, and pups do not need water until they are several months old. ”

“ Coyotes do not always water at the same place each time, however, nor return to their den direct from the watering place unless the den is a long distance from water. Sometimes the male will remain near the den while the female is away, but more often the two travel together, the female holding a little more to a true course than the male. The tracks often indicate that they travel side by side for some distance, the male then wandering away several hundred yards but later returning to his mate. ”

“ Under normal conditions a pair of coyotes is found with every den unless one parent has been killed. If this happens to be the female and the pups are young, they die. If they are old enough to eat meat, the male parent cares for them, as he does his part in providing food. ”

“ A piece of garden hose about 10 feet long can be attached and worked down into the den close to the pups, preferably behind them. The operator should stand back from the mouth of the den, armed with a good club to dispatch the pups as they come out. Throwing a handful of calcium cyanide into a den and stopping the hole with dirt is an effective method of fumigation, but this chemical must be handled with extreme care—as a rule by experienced workers only—as it is also dangerous to man. ”

“ Coyotes with dens have regular hunting grounds to which they usually travel on a nearly straight course, whether near or several miles distant, but they do not travel back to the den on a direct line again until after they have made their kills. ”

“ Near the den, unless the ground is too hard, many tracks will be found going and coming in every direction. Finding the den is then an easy matter. Sometimes, however, tracks lead to a den from only one direction. ”

“ A 12-gage pump shotgun loaded with BB shot is good for hunting pups that have left the dens but are still together. They may be found lying under sagebrush or among the rocks and are more easily hit with a shotgun than with a rifle when they start to scatter. ”

“ It may consist of tracks, a well-worn path leading to and from a den, or holes freshly cleaned out. Holes made by the coyotes in digging out squirrels or rabbits should not be confused, however, with those prepared for dens. A good hunter will overlook no likely place and should take advantage of every hint, for dens are often found where least expected. He should look for den sign in every locality where animals are frequently seen. ”

“ In the mating season coyotes may be heard yelping much more than usual, and packs of three to a dozen animals may be seen. Later the breeding animals pair off. Some pairs may remain together for a number of years, but as a rule coyotes do not mate for life. ”

“ Parent coyotes have no set time for being at home and may be found near the den at any hour. Although they do most of their killing early in the morning, they sometimes visit the den only at night. They are clean about their dens ”

“ In Texas, breeding seems to begin somewhat later, although data are inadequate for definite conclusions. In some States, as in Oregon and Arizona, Hamlett found a variation of at least 2 months in the time of breeding, probably because of great diversity in habitat. ”