Do coyotes hunt in packs?

[Mark K]

The reason I ask is because Sat evening about 45 minutes before dark I heard something I'ld never heard before. A lone coyote must have been across the bottom and in a clearcut when it started barking then broke out in a howl. That started a chain reaction. He must have been answered by at least a dozen or more. I was litterally surrounded by coyotes. One was apparently within 75 yards but I couldn't see him.

Did the barking and howling start for them to group up together?

 

[SongDogSniper]

I've heard they do and don't hunt in packs. I personally have seen them move 4-5 at a time when calling but that dosent mean they always hunt that way. Most writeups on yotes say they are lone hunters.

That said, what you heard may have just been the coyotes locating each other to start the evening hunt.

My advice would be to take as many as you can

Good luck

 

[bfriendly]

Good Question, I wonder the same thing. I heard about 4 or 5 of them last night from my front porch..........the most I have ever seen together was 2. On TV you see wolves hunting in packs.........I dont see why Yotes would be any different.

I Googled it, and this is what I found, from the GA WIldlife site.

Copied and pasted

Increased numbers of coyote sightings create increased concerns of landowners for their property and safety. However, there is little need for fear. By nature, coyotes are timid and shy animals that tend to steer clear of any potential danger and thus pose little threat to humans. Contrary to popular belief, these animals do not hunt in packs but rather are primarily solitary hunters. Despite these characteristics, problems sometimes do occur as these predators become increasingly tolerant of human interactions.

 

[Jeff Raines]

I heard this on a varmint hunting show.

Out west coyotes tend to hunt in packs more,reason being is that they are slightly smaller than coyotes in the east.

I don't know if it's true,just repeating what I heard.

 

[GA_Deerhunter0515]

I have came home before and lit up the pasture (after hearing them out there) and saw 8 running together.

 

[Nicodemus]

Whenever I see a "pack" of coyotes, I think it is a mated pair, with this seasons cubs in tow.

 

[JoeyWommack]

Yes or at least sometimes. I had some chasing deer right in front of me a couple of days ago.

 

[Mako22]

Opening day of gun season right before dark I seen a small rat looking thing run cross the clearing in front of my stand going 100 mph. I said to myself that something must have spooked that thing as it was moving fast and I ain't even sure what it was. About 5 or 6 minutes later here comes 2 black yotes moving like they was trailing something, they went to right where that rat thing went in the thick brush on the other side of the clearing. I squeeked at em so they would stop and then . One got away as I missed at 150 yards but the first one died of lead poisoning. I saved that rat things life and I hope he appreciates it.

 

[NCHillbilly]

Coyotes absolutely definitely hunt in packs, at least around here. They may be family groups as Nic said, but I've seen a half-dozen or more at a time chasing a deer. I hear them almost every night doing exactly what you describe to gather up for the night's hunt. The big male with the deep howl like a wolf is always the first one to howl, then the rest join in one by one.

 

[Skinin&Grinin]

I say yes they do hunt in packs.The three that I shot at Sunday morning seemed to be hunting something...I killed 2 of the 3 and think I hit the third one.

 

[shakey gizzard]

Not always! But sometimes they do.

 

[j_seph]

All I can say is I was dressing a doe out yesterday evening and evidentlly the yotes must of smelt it. They started yipping and howling at about 200 yds and closed in close to a 100yds real quick and then went silent. So to the truck I went and got the pistol (14 rounds better than 4 I figured) I then rapidly got my stuff loaded and got out of there. It is an eiry feeling

 

[florida boy]

I once seen 8 coyotes chase one doe in Kentucky . I am with Nic on the song dogs in this area . I have killed a couple of pairs in the past and it always seems to be a male and a female . I have seen 2 coyotes sitting in a clearcut at dark yipping and howling and you would have swore it was ten of them .

 

[Dakotaman]

My only experience was in South Dakota. There they hunt in packs sometimes but most often are hunting in small groups of one to three or four. I have called in as many as 25 at one time and heard the pack coming for at least a mile before they arrived. I have watched three hunting together to get a rabbit. One went down wind, one went up wind in the likely escape route and one stayed observing the prey in the open field about 30 yards from the rabbit. The down wind hunter approached the rabbit and flushed it right into the upwind guy and he nailed it without having to move three feet. I also saw a group of about a dozen harrassing my dog one morning. The dog was up on the picnic table while the yotes snapped at him from below. Finally, a hunting buddy nearly froze to death on a yote hunt in South Dakota. In his frozen stupor, he layed down on the ice... next thing he could remember, a big male yote touched his nose with his nose. He opened his eyes and saw about a dozen big yotes surrounding him. He said a rush of adrenelin coursed through his body and he was able to raise his rifle to shoot the lead male and they all scattered. I never doubted him as the very large male had powder burns in the silver fur on his chest and the exit hole was in the top of his back.

 

[j_seph]

Seems like the answer is rarely
http://www.bio.davidson.edu/people/vecase/behavior/Spring2004/holmberg/Holmberg4.html
http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Canis_latrans.html