Page "Coyote" Paragraph 26

Coyotes shift their hunting techniques in accordance with their prey.

When hunting small animals such as mice, they slowly stalk through the grass, and use their acute sense of smell to track down the prey.

When the prey is located, the coyotes stiffen and pounce on the prey in a cat-like manner.

They will commonly work in teams when hunting large ungulates such as deer, which is more common in winter ( when large prey is likely weakened ) and in larger-bodied northern coyotes.

Coyotes may take turns in baiting and pursuing the deer to exhaustion, or they may drive it towards a hidden member of the pack.

When attacking large prey, coyotes attack from the rear and the flanks of their prey.

Occasionally, they also grab the neck and head, pulling the animal down to the ground.

Coyotes are persistent hunters, with successful attacks sometimes lasting as long as 21 hours ; even unsuccessful ones can continue more than eight hours before the coyotes give up.

Depth of snow can affect the likelihood of a successful kill.

Packs of coyotes can bring down prey as large as adult elk, which often weigh over 250 kg ( 550 lbs ) or more than 15 times the weight of a fairly large coyote.