Barometric pressure effect?

[coydog]

I have heard that barometric pressure has some effect on coyotes, and how they vocalize.
Is there any grounds to this, and if so Id like to hear your thoughts.

[Zach]

I think I remember Quentin having some beliefs on hunting coyotes depending on if the smoke rises straight up from his chimney or if it hangs low in the air. I am sure that is barometric pressure. Don't know anything about it though. Does memory serve right Q?

[Wiley]

Sorry, but I do not know the answer to your question. I have "theories" but I don't want to mislead. Until someone has studied coyote behavior in relation to barametric pressure it's pure speculation and I won't speculate.


~SH~

[Planes & Poison]

I get the best results locating coyotes when the barometric pressure is steady or rising, not falling.

[coydog]

Thats along the same lines as Ive been told Cur.

I dont want to get too carried away here, but have always been curious as to atmospheric pressure effects on coyotes, their feeding habits, moods,movements, vocalizations etc.., and how moon phases come in also, just havent had enough field experience, or taken enough notes to come up with an idea.

Wiley, I would like to hear your theory's. If you dont want to post it , would you mind PM'ing me. thanks

[Planes & Poison]

atmospheric pressure effects on coyotes, their feeding habits, moods,movements, vocalizations etc.., and how moon phases come in also,

I'm also curious to hear Wiley's opinion and theories, but I'll throw mine out there.

These are just my thoughts and speculations. I wouldn't even say they're worth $.02.

I don't believe that to a coyote caller, trapper or snareman that atmospheric pressure changes or specific moon phases change coyote behavior enough to differ how you call, trap or snare coyotes.

I'm begging someone to prove me otherwise.

I believe other things have a bigger bearing on your success with coyotes.

I believe that a particular coyote will get hungry when it's going to get hungry regardless of the moon phase.

He's going to cover a lot of ground looking for a mate this time of year regardless of the barometric pressure.

And so forth.

I haven't been able to differentiate any specific barometric factor(s) or moon phases as having a bearing on coyote behaviour enough to base different/specific tactics around them.

The two exceptions to this are:

When locating coyotes, I do like a steady or rising barometer.

When calling coyotes at night, I want a new moon. But that is due to my own concealment, not coyote response. A full moon and heavy cloud cover is just as good.

I could be completely wrong, and very likely am. So if someone could prove otherwise, please do.

[k9]

Cmon Wiley! Theorize for us please! We are all big boys here. We will not take it out of context.

[SteveCraig]

Beats me!

[Wiley]

I'm not going to speculate with "theories".

There is too many variables that affect coyote behavior to isolate just one variable such as barametric pressure.

There is currently a radio telemetry study being done on coyotes in the Badlands National Park in SD. They used GPS collars. If they isolate the barometric pressure and moon phases, I'll pass that information along.

I am just as curious as the rest of you on the topic but Steve Craig's response is very telling of his experience.

The most experienced coyote men I know give the least direct answers due to their understanding of the variables that affect coyote behavior from one area to the next and one situation to the next.


~SH~

[trappnman]

The most experienced coyote men I know give the least direct answers due to their understanding of the variables that affect coyote behavior from one area to the next and one situation to the next.


true.

But we all like to speculate. Even you. What we can't do, is call such speculation, facts.

I tend to think like WtMtcur is on this. I don't call, I trap, but I have never seen where the moon phases, barometric pressure, wind direction makes a difference on average. People always talk about the increase in movement a day or even 2 before a storm moves through- reacting to the pressure before a storm. I've never really seen this happen enough to have any validity to it. Like buttered bread falling to the floor- seems like it always falls butter side down, but experiments (real life scientific ones now on probability! LOL) show its 50/50%.

They might or might not move more or less or the same. Variables like Wiley says.

Now, I think precipitation and wind makes a difference. Certain winds and certain conditions- soft, misty, warm...brings out a lot of hunting animals Cause hunting is easy- even "full" coyotes have room for another bite if offered. Traveling is easy.

The opposite of course for snow, heavy rain, etc.

Now in using a call, BP would affect the range and perhaps tone of the call.

[lb]

Well, I'm not afraid to stick my neck out and show my ignorance.

I like a rising barometer. First, it means it will be cold and clear and if you hunt at night, as I do, you will notice that the animals move under these conditions. I always see a lot of animals, when it is clear and cold and dark, under a new moon. Especially just after the weather breaks and it stops snowing, barometer rises, temperature drops and the coyotes go crazy. A small window that will probably last 'til morning?

I can't say that I have noticed any other conclusive patterns. Actually, I like to hunt daylights with a falling barometer; overcast, light snow. Same thing, seems to me that the animals move a little better than during stable conditions. Solunar? Attempting to reverse engineer a hunt, I have tried to see a pattern, but I can't.

Good hunting. LB

[Wiley]

Thanks Leonard!

There is no question in my mind that coyotes move more before and during a front than they move after.

A long time aerial gunner for our program with many hours in the back of a Super Cub said that coyotes move most on the 3rd day following a major snowstorm.

That would go along with the "lazy" factor you are talking about LB. The "lazy" days seem logical. Since there is no question that coyotes move before and during a system, it would only stand to reason that they are going to have to rest following that system.

What I don't know, from a day calling perspective, is if they are any more susceptible to calling during and after a storm than any other day that coyotes are active because I haven't tracked barometric pressure.

I do know there is days where you simply cannot call a coyote and those could very well be those "lazy" days following a system but I've never tracked it to know for sure. Gives me something to think about.

If this GPS collar includes weather information in their data, it might be revealing as to barometric pressure and moon phase.


~SH~

[coydog]

Wiley,
Do you know what the main focus of the GPS study is?

[trappnman]

I have to say in trapping, that I find movement (defined by catches) is all dependent not so much on WHAT is occuring as to WHEN it occurs.

[SteveCraig]

First, Welcome Leonard, glad you stopped by.

You want speculation..............

Here you go!

It is my "opinion" that it is a light "frequency" that triggers the better movements. OR the lack of movement by all animals. Predators included.

As science has shown, there are many frequencies of light that you and I just do not have the capability to see or comprehend. It has nothing to do with the amount of sunlight, moonlight, that we can see. Even in the dark, there is light that we humans can not see.

Fish movements are affected greatly by the presense of these frequencies of light. I have noticed the same thing with my calling and hunting. When the fish are moving, so is everytthing else.

Scott, your friend is right on as I have noticed the same thing, not only in my hunting, but also in my fishing that the 3rd day after a front, all critters will start moving and the hunting gets better and better with each passing day. Then boom.......another front hits, the fishing and hunting is great just before and during a storm, and then a day after, and then hunting sucks for a few days, and thern the pattern starts up all over again. The shorter the time between Cold Fronts, the worse the hunting is.

This is what I have found, and I have used this to my advantage many, many days in the field.
Steve

[Wright Brothers]

I'm not a coyote or cat caller but have studied animal and fish movements for a long time. My observations mirror what has been said. The light frequency thing flipped a switch to A missing piece of the puzzle for me, very interesting. My thoughts are that fish are active longer into the front than animals, maybe takes longer to change bar. pressure underwater? One observation that confirmed these thoughts for me. When visiting bait shops near large fishing areas, the dated pics on the wall, the biggest catches mirrored these posts to a tee after checking weather for those dates. Even though inland, I think tides have an affect also. Very good, no great topic. Frequency? Next thing you know I'll be trying a magnet under my traps.

[Wiley]

Coydog: "Do you know what the main focus of the GPS study is?"

I believe it's to track coyote movements in relation to reintroduced Swift Fox.

Great thoughts on light Steve. Sounds very logical.


~SH~

[k9]

I would agree with Wiley on your comments about light Steve. Light effects all animals and humans in ways that we cannot comprehend, and I would definately buy into that type of theory.