Coyote mating season typically starts mid-January and goes through into March. So, naturally, we're seeing and hearing a lot of coyotes these days. I captured this video right around the beginning of their season. I have been seeing a lot of these two around here.
I just realized, after today's walk, that the blush of red I saw in the snow was most likely the scent-mark of a female coyote in-estrus. My sweet shy rescue doggy discovered that spot, which was surrounded by coyote tracks.
Coyotes are primarily what I see on my trail cameras this time of winter, as the bears are still sleeping off their autumn binge. Ditto for foxes. It's their mating season, too - and I've been seeing them more often, lately. In fact, I captured video, recently of a fabulous Fox date, right in my White Garden. The amorous couple were fully-involved, although they did their deed far enough from the camera that the resulting footage probably won't be worth posting. I do have high hopes for some fox kits next year, though! Paws crossed! Their play-sessions and antics are absolutely adorable. :-)
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Here's a bit more on coyote scent-marking during mating season from the excellent blog by Mary Holland:
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"You may have been hearing Coyotes howling more than usual lately. This is because their mating season has begun, and they are much more vocal prior to and during it. Another Coyote sign to be aware of this time of year is the abundance of Coyote scent-marking, with both urine and feces.
Female Coyotes come into heat, or estrus, only once a year for two to five days, in late January or February in the Northeast. It is not unusual to come across spots where both male and female Coyotes have scent-marked during this time. Often one will mark on top of or next to its mate’s marking. Sometimes the female’s blood can be seen in her urine, or, in the case of the pictured marking, her blood dripped onto the snow as she investigated her mate’s urine."
