Understanding Coyotes: The Comprehensive Guide for Hunters, Photographers and Wildlife Observers

Coyotes are one of my favorite animals, partly due to how the Native American Indians revered them along with Wolves and the more I read about them the more I realized how important they are to our ecosystem.I live in a rural area in a subdivision, so they are around nightly and guaranteed to see them at least every full moon. One interesting thing is if, I see Bobcats around on my street at night, driving home from work. I'm less likely to see the Coyotes. We do have a neighbor with geese and chickens, so it could be that it's attracted a bear or panther to the neighborhood.I never have called them or trapped them, but the one thing the author never really mentions is that people can have Coyotes around them and never realize it. Especially health ones, are the most elusive to see.At my work, I had a lone Coyote brush past me, it ran between me and horse loading ramp and growled at me, as it continued to run away. At the time I was working a 8:30PM to 7:00AM schedule for 4 years, did see a pack of 3 Coyotes that grew to 5, they just about nightly punctually or close 2:30AM in the morning they would cut across the property. They had what I presume was the male leading them, the rest would follow and almost like he would make sure the coast was clear. I only noticed that since one night I was in the maintenance shop hammering on a door latch to straighten it and they just happened to come by. After that I would sit out in the open storage shed built off of the maintenance shed and would observe them.While my schedules changed now, I have ask several co-workers, they still see them cutting through the property, although they try to avoid them and aren't as fascinated by them to watch them like I did.I knew of a Thoroughbred Farm that would put out an extra feed tub 0f grain to feed a pregnant Coyote who had a den near one of their pastures, she never bothered the horses, wasn't a nuance for the farm, and got to see her bring the pups to eat with her. Interestingly the same farm had a lone nuance one that they hired a hunter, to trap or shoot it.Probably the only thing wrong with this book, was the author saying that Coyote's basically are the sole reason the Deer population numbers are down in the Southeast. Was surprised that he made no mention of Ticks, Sasquatch, climate change, poachers, the lose of doe's or fawns while giving birth, and the encroachment of humans moving into their territory.Not a researcher, but one can easily google enough information to realize the effect of ticks on deer in some areas, Moose in New England, Alaska and just seems like Huff is pushing that Staples easy button saying the growth of the Coyote population in the Southeast causing the deer population decrease.I work in the Thoroughbred horse industry, can't say what part due to my employer. I'm going to tie in the Sheep, Goat, and Cattle farms with my experience going to these horse farms and seeing how they are run.You might have a farm that invests into it's horses, has a barns with stalls for everyone of their horses, has sufficient employees to care for them, gives them the best possible care, handle them daily, stall them when they are injured or sick, due to foal and have night watch person at night. Then you'll see a farm that's just a husband and wife, no employees, horses are kept out in pastures, have pen should they need to care for them, or they have a limited number of stalls for them if injured or sick, due to foal, they are only handle when they get fed and are at the mercy of them seeing any injuries on them.So I'm going to assume that you'll see the same thing with the goat, sheep and cattle farms but I have no sympathy for them, if they have predator's around their livestock, do nothing to protect them and seems educating them would work better, than just giving them a check yearly for their losses.Removing Coyotes will not solve the problem, unless your going to educate farmers also and make them change how they operate.Let me add, that I do know farms from all three of these livestock animals that are in Coyote areas, that take care excellent care of them and have zero predator problem's.I liked Understanding Coyotes, definitely if you have them around you do read it and it'll give you a better understanding of them and why they are vital part of our ecosystem.

As a woman and a non-hunter, I can honestly say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It was tastefully written, filled with pertinent and factual information, providing an excellent and unbiased overview of every aspect about coyotes. I learned so much from reading this book. It was obvious to me that the author has a deep and profound respect for the coyote. Having experienced coyotes and wolves for the first time this summer on a trip out West to Yellowstone National Park, I was deeply moved by the beauty of these animals. I purchased this book to better understand and appreciate coyotes. I also enjoyed photographing them in their natural environment. As a nature/outdoor enthusiast, I have read many books and this is by far the best, most comprehensive overview about a wild animal that I have ever read. I highly recommend it. I also like that the author donates money from the sale of his book to feeding the homeless. If every author considered donating to such causes, it would go a long way in helping to make the world a better place.”

This book is helping me get a better understanding on everything about coyotes. I am half way through it and learned a lot.

Michael Huff has put together the essential information that anyone who is interested in coyotes should know. My personal interest in coyotes is hunting them and coupled with my new found information I hope to have a better season. I thought I knew quite a bit about coyotes but not so much.For fun, I have quizzed a couple of friends who are long time coyote hunters and found that they did not have all of the facts in line. I have shared my book with them and they were most impressed.The book is easy and fun to read. I have no doubt that I will reference it for years to come.My thanks to Michael for doing all of the hard work so I can spend more time in the field doing what I really enjoy.

Michael Huff has written an easy-to-read, concise primer on the remarkable coyote. This book would be useful for farmers, hunters, biologists and predator watchers. Huff’s book adds incredible detail I have not seen elsewhere, for example, his explanation of the nasal STRUCTURE of the coyote that allows it to scent while exhaling (don’t try this at home) and “store” faint scents for accumulation and later analysis. Incredible.The book is very useful for hunters, but is written with a larger audience in mind. I hope Huff will extend this work with a book on hunting tactics to minimize the coyotes advantage over lowly humans.

I bought this based on the positive reviews here and feel misled.For a little more money you can get Elbroch and Rinehart's "Behavior of North American Mammals" which has only nine pages on coyote but manages to pack in just as much information as this thin book. Plus you get another 350 pages on other animals.

Very comprehensive book. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in getting up close to the seldom seen coyote. Lots of case study information as well as wolf hybrid study findings. Trappers, hunters, and wildlife photographers....if you aren't seeing coyotes, perhaps this book is what you need to get closer. The book is very detailed with studies on behavior, senses, habitats, breeding seasons, and much more.Mike did a great job in making me realize just how successful the coyote really is and how devistating they can be to other species if poulations go unchecked. They are true survivors in every climate and in nearly every state in the U.S. except Hawaii!Great read.

This will be my first year hunting Coyotes so I figured that it wouldn't hurt to get as much information and tips on how to do it. I will certainly try out most of the tips.

Highly recommended for anyone interested in tracking and calling coyotes. Best resource I have read to date.Terry, Maple Ridge

Gives you an in depth understanding of their habits and lifestyle