All quite interesting to a city boy.
"In the 50's, when probably only two coyotes existed in all of Guadalupe county, after 2 hours they would start catching off their dogs so the dogs wouldn't be able to catch the coyote."
I do not understand this sentence. What does "catching off" mean?
In a one on one battle, a coyote will kick most dogs butts. Only for a few, ("legendary " to us) hounds does that not apply. So the "Catch" is done by sheer numbers. Catching off reduces the pack number to where a "catch" will not happen.
In the vernacular of the hunt. there are the following dogs;
1. Cold Trailers. These are the first dogs allowed out into the hunt area. They find a cold spoor and work it into a hot trail. They can be trusted not to get on the trail of a rabbit or coon.
2. The Pack. This is the rest of the pack and let out once the cold trailers are "hot on the trail".
3. The Catch Dogs. These are the dogs in the pack that are actually willing to grab a coyote with the intention of killing it.
4. The Bayers. These are the dogs that stay around after a catch and brag, whether they helped kill the coyote or not. Their baying provides a clue to where the catch was made and helps you find it.
Finding the catch, Now that's the real catch. LOL
These hunts happen at night. Most of the farms are no larger than 200 acres, and the actual hunt area extends miles in every direction. You keep track of the dogs by simply sitting and listening. These farms are cross fenced with barbed wire into smaller areas. Areas not used for crops are allowed to go to "pasture." Pasture in Texas is not some nice open area. It is mesquite trees with underbrush, so thick you can't get through it, except for cattle trails, one cow wide.
Underbrush consists of cactus, prickly pear, jumping cactus, chapparel, cat claw, and huisache, all of which have thorns. On larger ranches consisting of thousands of acres, the pasture is cut through with little drivable trails called "sinderas". Not sure of the spelling.
Then there is the wildlife in the brush. Javelinas, feral hogs, fire ants, chiggers, ticks, rattlesnakes all of which have a nasty disposition.
Since moving back from NYC, I live about 15 miles from the center of San Antonio. Still very rural where I am, though I can see downtown from my deck. I listen to all the different sounds, and it provides a great deal of pleasure. Lot of coyotes out there these days.