Wyman's college coyote study

[butchlambert]

During the hot days of summer I go into my field notes that I’ve maintained for 55 years. With a calculator, field notes and some fine 60’s music on my TurtleBox speaker, I work for hours on updating previous years field notes on calling predators. Don’t ask me why because I cannot say but it is something I started sporadically in 1965 at the age of 14.
As a student at Tech in 1971 I decided to launch a food habit study on my own for one year. Using techniques learned from my instructors, I began the odiferous job. Once completed, I showed my data to Dr. Jerran Flinders, one of my instructors. He was amazed and insisted on taking the info to my major professor and now great friend, Dr. Darrell Ueckert. Both men insisted we get a grant and do another year of study. Thus we did and the results were subsequently published in the 1975 edition of, “Journal of Range Management.” It was the first study on predators conducted at Texas Tech.
In later years I continued to involve myself in predator studies including one on tagging coyotes to determine the extent of their home range movements.
So today, as I was going through notes, I remembered this one particular animal I had tagged in November of 1980. In a twist of fate we both met again almost a year later but this time I had a camera and 500mm lens!
As my field notes indicate, she had moved about 3 miles in that duration.
About two months after our reuniting, a person harvested her and sent the tag to me. Thus the circle was complete. She had traveled about 5 linear miles since the day she was tagged.
Research is sometimes a bit taxing but when the results come to fruition, it is all so fascinating!
Wishing all a great weekend!

 

[6.5 forever]

Another great story!!

 

[CharlieNC]

That's persistence!

 

[Kracken McGraw]

I see that Wyman mentioned his TurtleBox Speaker, there so Cool if you don’t already have one.

 

[Kittitas George]

I've been studying coyotes about the same length of time, I have never had any help or encouragement from professionals. My studies have been on the ability of the coyote's ability to be sneaky and well hidden. I can attest to this because of a lack of observations. The best and most observations were from my recliner, with snow on the ground. The coyotes would be in my pasture or the neighbors, walking along the plastic gated irrigation lines. Catching the mice under the pipes and under the snow. During the months without snow they would blend in with the grass and hay, and walk in the low areas for concealment. As part of my studies I also tried calling them. But the coyotes have a gene or DNA problem specific to this area I believe. Their hearing is severely impaired, calling never produced any coyotes, proving the hearing impairment.
Butch's skills are better than mine, to be able to see and identify a coyote at 3 miles a year later, is amazing. But, I'll keep trying, even a blind pig finds an acorn once in a while.

 

[butchlambert]

I wish it was me, but it is Wyman Meinzer, A close friend, photographer, and shooter.

Biography — Wyman Meinzer

wyman-meinzer.squarespace.com