Ramblings and Such From Hunting Coyote

Yes we have them here as well . They eat a lot of birds , eggs and the like , really hard on the sage grouse . I am impressed at how fast a wolf can run for their size . One wolf male was killed last summer about 30 miles north of here . They used to tell me that they were cross breads not wolves . I had these cross breads howling back to me 20 - 25 years ago .
 
At one time I spent more time out and about then even most of the game wardens and have seen some interesting things . Moose , big horn sheep , otter , wolf , lynx ect. . I got tired of being told that I was full of it by them that I stopped telling them about what and where I was seeing things that weren't supposed to be where they were . Some of these fox are not only hard on birds but any thing that has young on , near the ground or in the ground . There is so much to see around here if you do some looking instead of just passing through .
 
We have mostly the little swift fox and some kit fox up here . A lot of people will see them and think they are coyote pups . They have been making a huge come back in recent years .
 
BigDon , you were talking about the swift fox right? They have been on the increase for a few years now around here . I've seen them with dens right beside busy interstate highways up here . My son and I were out test driving a 6.5x284 I had built on prairie dogs 15 years ago he shot one out around 400 yards and we saw something running out there that grabbed it and ran off with the carcass . It was a swift fox there was a den hole near by where he had shot the pdog . When I first started seeing them I was running M44's and they would pull them and you would just find some fur laying around as the birds of prey would eat them . So I picked up my M44's to keep from killing them and went to the game-wardens office . He told me not to worry about it they were just another pest to him .
 
BigDon , you were talking about the swift fox right? They have been on the increase for a few years now around here . I've seen them with dens right beside busy interstate highways up here . My son and I were out test driving a 6.5x284 I had built on prairie dogs 15 years ago he shot one out around 400 yards and we saw something running out there that grabbed it and ran off with the carcass . It was a swift fox there was a den hole near by where he had shot the pdog . When I first started seeing them I was running M44's and they would pull them and you would just find some fur laying around as the birds of prey would eat them . So I picked up my M44's to keep from killing them and went to the game-wardens office . He told me not to worry about it they were just another pest to him .

Nope the Fennec Fox is small-framed and has oversized bat-like ears. Rather unusual looking, actually.
 
Ok the spelling was off Kinnec was the spelling yesterday and that showed up as a cartoon fox . No I haven't seen any of the Fennec fox around here . Do you have any idea how they got here from the Sahara Desert ? I wouldn't think they would do the cold very well .
 
Ok the spelling was off Kinnec was the spelling yesterday and that showed up as a cartoon fox . No I haven't seen any of the Fennec fox around here . Do you have any idea how they got here from the Sahara Desert ? I wouldn't think they would do the cold very well .

I hate how spell check changes things After you hit send or post! No, I didn't think they flew over here or anything. Escaped or abandoned pets? We've only seen them here the past couple of years. Many of our neighbors have asked or mentioned seeing them, too.
 
Most likely like the snakes and things like that in Florida . There was a tagoo caught at the power plant in Glenrock a few years ago . The game warden said it would die in the winter as they are from the tropics of south America . People get tired of their pets and don't think about what the consequences are of just turning them loose to become invasive species do they . It's kind of the same as with our government bringing in the russian olive trees for wind breaks and erosion control now they are trying to get rid of them as an invasive plant . I don't think that fox would make good pets as they take a lot of room and fennec fox like to dig . I haven't met a fox yet that didn't have a strong odor to them . Spell check has it's place but as you said it makes some funny words when it gets confused . I will be on the look out for them and think that if I can they will be shot .
 
I am not a fan of importing exotics as pets into the United States . There are way too many examples around the world of that not going very well . Snake heads , zebra mussels , cane toads , cheat grass , dandelions and countless other plants , animals and reptiles around the world that have no native controls in place have been brought into other countries and have gotten out of control where they have been introduced . Some were brought in thinking that they would solve a problem by well meaning people or governments , some were smuggled in by people that used then as food ect. from where they came from , some were brought in by accident in agricultural products still others were brought in by people thinking that they just had to have an unusual pet , plant or such and then turned loose after they became a burden to that person or persons . There are animals , plants ect. in some countries that have become endangered species in their home countries just because of the lucrative trade in exotics . There is a time , place and right way for this to be done and sadly some people just can't find it in themselves to do it correctly and then to find a correct home for what ever it is that they can no longer take proper care of if they ever really could have in the first place . Just my thoughts we do live in the United States and you can have your own thoughts on it .
 
My wife and I did some traveling in the state yesterday . The yucca are in full bloom and the antelope are drawn to them like a kid to a candy store . Most of the antelope fawns are born by now . I took a friend coyote hunting years back around this time of the year . I got a pair to answer me then they went quiet . So I knew they were on their way in . Down hill around 500 yards we saw a couple of antelope does heading toward us . Jim said look at that they have fawns with them . I smiled and said that's not fawns that's coyote . the pair was herding the antelope towards us the other coyote . Over the years I have watched coyote herd antelope several times they act pretty much like well trained sheep dogs with sheep . It's pretty interesting to watch them work the antelope to get them set up for a run on the fawns . They tend to just take their time and walk along moving toward them and going from side to side directing them in the direction they want . Another time we were flying for some coyote that were killing lambs and there was a line of antelope , maybe 15 or 20 of them , walking down a trail single file with a lone coyote just walking along behind them . He was well hidden in plain sight but not quite good enough and was one of the ones we wanted . Mule deer and coyote are a different story they don't tend to let the coyote herd them .
 
For me it's interesting how that the antelope seem to not be bothered much by coyote being close to them if the coyote doesn't get in a hurry . I haven't figured out what it is that doesn't bother them . The shape and color of the coyote seems to match the size shape and color of an antelope fawn some what . It's also interesting that young lambs will at times just go bouncing up to a coyote that is laying down near the herd ( lunch came calling ) . When the lambs do this the coyote often just bites them in the head and it's the end of them no second chances here . Mule deer on the other hand don't even give the coyote much of a chance at getting very close to them . I was up on the mountain and watched a doe with fawn , that was still in spots , walking in the edge of the timber along a cow trail when a coyote came up behind them . The coyote didn't run up to them but moved up close . The doe turned and charged the coyote so it dodged and then ran up to her she turned and faced the coyote using her front feet to strike at the coyote again , the fawn moved out ahead of the doe only a little staying close to mom . When the coyote backed off the doe spun around but kept herself between the coyote and fawn . As the coyote made another run at them the doe kicked with her back feet and caught the coyote good and solid in the head and chest area . The coyote yelped and went flying down hill and just laid there . after the doe and fawn moved off I went over the coyote was dead . I have only seen a deer kill that one coyote but I have seen mule deer circle them and put them in sage brush chase them off ect. . I had some mule deer chase a pair that was coming in to me one day and keep them in a small patch of sage brush for half an hour . I didn't get them that day as they lost interest in coming in to the other coyote after that . There is still so much to see out there . Have you guys seen this type of coyote interactions with deer , antelope and other animals ? For me it's as exciting as a successful hunt .
 
I've witnessed antelope doe in hot pursuit of a coyote a few times. From my house just last week I watched two doe chase a coyote around for several minutes. The fawns were laid down out of sight, but obviously the doe didn't like the coyote being in the vicinity.
 
no doubt in my mind that the doe antelope are doing their best to protect nearby fawns.

Many years ago I was traveling down a dirt road coming back to home. Up ahead I saw a doe antelope running and as I got closer I then could see that she was chasing two coyotes. She'd get after one of them and run it a ways and then coming running back to chase the other coyote. Well they weren't but about 100 yards from the road so I decided to give her a hand and got out and walked over to the fence with my .45 ACP and sent a round toward one of the coyotes, which ultimately spooked the 2nd coyote as well. That doe just stood out there and watched the coyotes run off, gun shot never bothered her at all.

I've also seen where antelope hardly pay any attention to a near by coyote. As in they just stand and watch as a coyote makes it's way by.
 
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