Cannie Dispersal.......what do you think ??

[Traveler]

Which do you think plays a bigger role in dispersal ......be it coyote....red or grey fox. Ridges or water shed systems.

;D
Naturally this can vary in different parts of the country due to the lay of the land.What do you think ??

[trappnman]

good question- will get to it tomorrow. Time for bed!

[woody]

Bed??? man your showing your age ;D DJ stays on here all night long

[Edge]

Man,I wish I could crash......couple more hours for me yet.

Edge

[Hern]

Good question.
In my area, I feel waterways pay a major role in dispersal.
I think this holds true in most of the country. I will be interested what others observered in their area or out-of-state areas they trap.

I feel ridges and mountain ranges do influence travel dispersal to a degree. Most ridges and mountains can be crossed but not all waterways.
Hern

Off-the-Subject
One thing thishere computer (message boards) opened my eyes on-
What is a waterway??, river, stream, brook, creek, or crick in one area of the USA, is certainly different in another area of the USA! different in local meaning.
Same applies to ridges, mountains, hills, valleys, walleys (Pa. Dutch), coolies, ravines, saddles and swales!!
What might be a hill in one part of the country...is a mountain in another part of the country!!

[z]

"What might be a hill in one part of the country.....Is a Mountain in another part of the country"!

Atta boy! Zz!

[a1foxhopper]

Around here it is rivers and lakes. Don't have any mountains or very big hills.

[trappnman]

Dispersal in the tradtional term- means long distance travelling. Big migrations of coyotes.

But I am not convinced it happens in all areas. I don't see it around here- although I might not be seeing the forest cause of the trees.

Preliminary studies have shown aound here that we have a pretty good turnover in populations- that by far the biggest age group is young of hte year. We had almost a complete turnover in our collared population over the first 2 years- cars took more than I ever would have thought, a few by farmers, rest by deer hunters. Few by actual coyote trappers.

So our population shifts, fills in, wiggles a little- but doesn't really disperse. I look at it similar to a trout brook- remove a trout from a "secret spot"- a month later another has moved in. I believe the coyotes here do the same.

But over all- major barriers are going to block off major dispersals- but not eliminate it. Rivers freeze, waters run low, mountains can be climbed or gone around.

Our islands in the Mississippi backwaters often have fox, deer and coyotes on them- either walked in on the ice or swam over.

Over all- at least with most animals- major waterways are going to be the blocking spots more often than not.

But for the general flow of dispersing animals- be it coyote, fox, whatever.... is to, on average, go with the flow- with the wind perhaps, down valleys, along ridges, etc.

In farm country dispersal is influenced more by crop harvesting- than any other single reason. And the answer as to why is simple- major habitat elimination.

[a1foxhopper]

What Steve said is what I believe is more accurate. When I was thinking dispersal it is more of a shift or filling of a void than long range movement.

Trappnman, any plans to do anymore collaring in the near future? That stuff just interests the heck out of me.

[trappnman]

THis program was just a little offshoot of a deer program- so we are finished with it. A throughly enjoyable experience in every way. A possibility exists that a full blown predator study could be conducted down the road- the premise is there...but funding is always the hitch.

[Traveler]

Steve,
My thoughts on dispersal pretty much runs along your lines of thinking as well.I do believe a true dispersal may take the form when few animals have been taken out of a general population in a given area.Combine this with for instances a good pup rearing season,food supplies etc. and mother nature puts them on the move to disperse the gene pool etc.


I also believe that,as you say,you often times have shifts brought about by taking X amount of coyotes from an area and creating a void.This void is filled by the (more or less) core area of the coyote population.

In our country here water shed systems play a bigger role both in true dispersal as well as shifts.Now.....this can be split some what by looking at larger drainage systems with the many fingers of the feeders that come in over the course of many,many miles.All pieces of the puzzle and I'm still learning from it. ;D

[Dusty]

I think you all overestimate what constitutes a barrier. I doubt that any mountain range in North America serves as a barrier to the population (perhaps to an individual). Coyotes are right up with the sheep in the AK range - and the sheep are in the highest, most rugged mountains in North America.

I doubt rivers are much more effective. They are probably a bit of a filter - not every individual is willing to get his feet wet - but I doubt that a coyote would have any trouble crossing most of the rivers around here. That may be different in other parts of the country.

Not too sure about lakes. No individual probably hops around Superior, but a couple generations could easily make the journey. I guess it depends on your definition of "dispersal" if that counts or not. Mine would tend towards gene flow, so it doesn't bother me if it takes a few generations to disperse.

[vttrapper]

I have not really seen dispersal on my line. It probabaly happens, but as far as boundrys go I think there are none. Rivers freeze, mountains are not that high and critters cross interstate highways all the time. I guess if i trapped a entire family group out another would take its place, but they could come from any direction.

frank

[Traveler]

VTrapper......I agree.I believe there are "few" true boundries.Maybe a very wide river,a town and maybe a few more that I can't think of now.

I do believe that for the most part,water shed systems probably play the biggest role in true dispersal.Reason being is that I believe the drainage systems act as the true highways.Another thought is simply.......the bigger the drainage,the bigger it looks to the cannies as a highway and the smaller creeks acting more like secondary roads. ;D

[jsevering]

I always looked at dispersal routes, the way I belive steve described finding or locating general local, location awhile back on one of his post.

like the route flowing water would take, the path of least resistance, be it a ridge, long draw, drainage or waterways, with one or two exceptions like power and gas lines.

belive it was pete legget that said if you pick the easiest route for you to walk, chances are thats the way a canine would travel also.

dispersal routes to me are the same as what makes general\ local, location good, just on a much larger scale...jim

[Clefus]

Just a thought...

Filling the voids seems fairly acurate...also wouldn't there be some degree of longer range travel/dispersal in most places as a natural way to counteract inbreeding within the species??

[Steve Gappa]

a good topic- anything to add?

[Clyde Isaak]

I look at dispersal a little different than others have mentioned. I look at dispersal as happening whenever an animal moves out of its "home" territory to establish or become part of another "home" territory. This could happen because of young of the year moving on to greener pastures or because a whole family unit moves to another "home range" because it's old range could no longer support the family unit. As to what affects the dispersal movement more, ridges or waterways, I really don't know, but do believe they both act as good travelways for the animal when they do disperse. Greenhorn