There's your sign

[leper]

Someone threw a deer carcass over a creek bridge. It drew quite a crowd.



I drove well over 100 miles yesterday looking for a puma track. I came across a pr of wolf tracks(I believe). I lost them then found them again, a mile away. They were hunting 2 creeks then went onto the river.


One creek had good Bobcat sign.


Right below a creek bridge. Two Bobcats hooked up & bred right on the creek ice.


When a creek is frozen over, predators will often use them for traveling & hunting. When they are drifted over. They will use the open pocket areas to bed down in. Down out of the bitter wind.


Back to looking for a puma tomarrow.

[idaho220hunter]

Very interesting.....thanks for the info and pics.

[leper]

Your welcome. Fortunately I had 3 mentors when I was young. The rest of my mental clutter I learned on my own. I've made quite afew mistakes along the trail I might add. Thus, I took to observing.

[leper]

furry sign

[Gatsby]

How close were you to that coyote, and what camera are you using? I really enjoy your posts.
Thanks.

[leper]

Coyote was a tad shy of 1/4 mile from the road. I'd say roughly +/- 420yrds.

Camera is a Panasonic DMC LZ-28. Point & shoot with a fixed 18x Leica zoom lens. I think there are better? cameras now on the market for the same price or less.

I plan to make a few call stands along the river tomarrow. Hopefully my target shows up. Odds are razor slim, but what the hey. I gots to try.

[leper]

FWIW, no matter what type of terrain. Coyotes spend the vast majority of their time. On down-wind areas. Down-wind, as any terrain feature & or ground cover. That assists in blocking the wind.

As they do not prefer to be out in the wind. Et spend as little of time there.

When they are out in the wind. They will angle/cut that wind as they travel to & fro through it. If they happen to choose to bed down out in the wind w/o a wind brake to their immediate up-wind (which is a rare for the most part).

They will put their far shoulder or backside against that wind, no matter how stout or slight it may be. As they "face" a down-wind or an angled down-wind direction.

Knowing this, I suggest a hunter adjust accordingly. Myself when walking into an area, any area. I avoid exposing myself to the down-wind areas. As I prefer to walk into an area, on the cross-wind. Right below the ridgeline. As that angle is the best angle IMHO.

To avoid being seen from long range by any self respecting coyote. Because the coyotes are surely paying attention. Afterall they are a coyote.