Post by trappnman on Sept 11, 2007 15:39:38 GMT -6
walker- think about why those locations are the best ones. I think you are correct, you are setting up more boundaries than you might first think.
Every year, around here, den locations and therefore family locations change. Especially if I do my job and wipe out big momma the fall before..........
Do the denning locations change that much in our type of small farm country? I'd think not. Aren't the denning areas, by definition of available prey, cover habitat, safe den locations, used year after year for the most part. It seems to be that way here. That even if momma is gone, one of her pups or a dispersal female, would choose pretty much the same denning spots, because each female would, I'd think, pick the best location based on the same criteria.
I know that the denning areas I know about- seem to have a litter raised there more times than not each year.
Bob- what's your take on this?
So, in other words, I don't see how one could count on a year-to- year, across the board, view of one's area and a definitive outlook of where three particular family groups meet.....
Generalities, yes, but specific Billye's?
I don't know how many family groups overlap. But I do know, that year after year, I catch a lot coyotes from certain locations. The collaring was the final piece of the puzzle.
I found out 2 things:
1) the farms where I caught 1-3 coyotes, before I collared and here we collared a few- were collared coyotes that could reliably be found around the catch farm or close by.
2) those areas that for years produced from 5-10 coyotes a year, in one instance one year 16- and where we also collared coyotes-were areas where we never knew where the coyote would be. Many times, they were not even within range. Where they seemed to be, was random over a large area.
My conclusion was this: the places I caught a couple of coyotes each year, were inside home ranges, and I was just getting a few. Those areas with larger multiples, were areas that gave me a chance at multiple family groups.
You can also call these good travel areas- cause what isn't a travel area- but these coyotes would return, throughout the period.
But these areas also outproduced the obvious travel lane only areas- so traveling wasn't, I concluded, the only factor there.
What was? Were their factors that linked my better areas together?
Here is one example. A flat field, with an old pond on one side, flanked by a nice short grass rolling hill. An old township road, that is now field roads from farm to farm, with pasture as another travel line to one side. This location, sits between 4 distinct coulees/habitat areas. The location itself, except for the dike road, which is also the field road, offers nothing. No food, no cover, no nothing.
And I pound them here- its my 16 location. Cannot a reasonable conclusion be made- that this is both a travel lane (for those 60% that hold no territory) and an overlap of at least 2, if not 3 or 4 family groups?
It's a working hypothesis at the very least.
So- I also had a couple of more such locations, although not as big in numbers. Although not identical, many of the same things were indeed the same. I deliberately then looked for other such locations- and have found 2 of them. both are good. 1 produced as my #1 spot last year.
I'm not saying set up only such locations, because I most assuredly do not- but why not try to duplicate your better areas, by trying to figure out WHY they are your best locations?
[In other words, I cant pull into farmer Brown's year after year and lick my lips knowing that three family groups of coyotes intersect in his back 44 acre corn lot.
Calf dumps, hog dumps, major blockages, etc can give me confidence that I will run into multiples, but I certainly cannot think of a plain vanilla farm that I am certain that several territories overlap there........and I am going on 20 years on several of these farms. [/b]
Calf dumps, hog dumps, major blockages. Do you think that they are part of a home territory and are defended as such- or do you think they are overlapping points?
I too know of no plain vanilla farms that I can be certain 3 territories overlap, and I too pay no attention and if I want to set them up, do.
But I still continue to look for those locations that I "know" have a good chance of being overlapping territories.
Every year, around here, den locations and therefore family locations change. Especially if I do my job and wipe out big momma the fall before..........
Do the denning locations change that much in our type of small farm country? I'd think not. Aren't the denning areas, by definition of available prey, cover habitat, safe den locations, used year after year for the most part. It seems to be that way here. That even if momma is gone, one of her pups or a dispersal female, would choose pretty much the same denning spots, because each female would, I'd think, pick the best location based on the same criteria.
I know that the denning areas I know about- seem to have a litter raised there more times than not each year.
Bob- what's your take on this?
So, in other words, I don't see how one could count on a year-to- year, across the board, view of one's area and a definitive outlook of where three particular family groups meet.....
Generalities, yes, but specific Billye's?
I don't know how many family groups overlap. But I do know, that year after year, I catch a lot coyotes from certain locations. The collaring was the final piece of the puzzle.
I found out 2 things:
1) the farms where I caught 1-3 coyotes, before I collared and here we collared a few- were collared coyotes that could reliably be found around the catch farm or close by.
2) those areas that for years produced from 5-10 coyotes a year, in one instance one year 16- and where we also collared coyotes-were areas where we never knew where the coyote would be. Many times, they were not even within range. Where they seemed to be, was random over a large area.
My conclusion was this: the places I caught a couple of coyotes each year, were inside home ranges, and I was just getting a few. Those areas with larger multiples, were areas that gave me a chance at multiple family groups.
You can also call these good travel areas- cause what isn't a travel area- but these coyotes would return, throughout the period.
But these areas also outproduced the obvious travel lane only areas- so traveling wasn't, I concluded, the only factor there.
What was? Were their factors that linked my better areas together?
Here is one example. A flat field, with an old pond on one side, flanked by a nice short grass rolling hill. An old township road, that is now field roads from farm to farm, with pasture as another travel line to one side. This location, sits between 4 distinct coulees/habitat areas. The location itself, except for the dike road, which is also the field road, offers nothing. No food, no cover, no nothing.
And I pound them here- its my 16 location. Cannot a reasonable conclusion be made- that this is both a travel lane (for those 60% that hold no territory) and an overlap of at least 2, if not 3 or 4 family groups?
It's a working hypothesis at the very least.
So- I also had a couple of more such locations, although not as big in numbers. Although not identical, many of the same things were indeed the same. I deliberately then looked for other such locations- and have found 2 of them. both are good. 1 produced as my #1 spot last year.
I'm not saying set up only such locations, because I most assuredly do not- but why not try to duplicate your better areas, by trying to figure out WHY they are your best locations?
[In other words, I cant pull into farmer Brown's year after year and lick my lips knowing that three family groups of coyotes intersect in his back 44 acre corn lot.
Calf dumps, hog dumps, major blockages, etc can give me confidence that I will run into multiples, but I certainly cannot think of a plain vanilla farm that I am certain that several territories overlap there........and I am going on 20 years on several of these farms. [/b]
Calf dumps, hog dumps, major blockages. Do you think that they are part of a home territory and are defended as such- or do you think they are overlapping points?
I too know of no plain vanilla farms that I can be certain 3 territories overlap, and I too pay no attention and if I want to set them up, do.
But I still continue to look for those locations that I "know" have a good chance of being overlapping territories.