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A coyote and an American badger may sometimes hunt in the same area because each predator is good at exploiting a different escape route. The badger can dig into a burrow and pursue prey underground; the coyote can wait aboveground, patrol exits, and chase animals that run across the surface.
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This is a temporary, opportunistic hunting association—not a friendship, permanent partnership, or wolf-pack-style team. When the habitat and prey make the arrangement worthwhile, both predators may gain access to food or spend less energy finding it.
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The basic division of labor: one goes over, the other goes under
Prairie dogs, ground squirrels, and similar prey can escape in two dimensions. They may sprint across open ground or disappear into connected burrows. Coyotes are capable runners and effective aboveground hunters, but they do not have the powerful digging adaptations of a badger. American badgers have broad forefeet, large claws, and strong bodies suited to excavating and pursuing animals in underground tunnels.
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That creates a useful contrast:
| Predator | Where it is most effective | What it can do during a joint hunt |
|---|---|---|
| Coyote | Aboveground | Wait near burrow entrances, cover likely exits, and chase prey that flees across the surface |
| American badger | Belowground and at burrows | Dig into tunnels and continue pursuing prey underground |
A typical encounter might begin with a badger excavating a burrow. Prairie dogs or ground squirrels may emerge from another opening, where a coyote is positioned to pursue them. The sequence can also work in reverse: a coyote may drive prey toward a burrow, allowing the badger to continue the chase belowground.
The animals do not need to follow a fixed plan or exchange proven, language-like signals. Their behavior can fit together simply because each responds to the prey and to the other predator’s movements.
Why hunting together can benefit both animals
The potential advantage is complementarity: the combined predators can make prey vulnerable in places that one predator alone cannot exploit as efficiently.
A lone coyote may lose a ground squirrel when it vanishes underground. A lone badger may spend considerable time and energy excavating a burrow while prey escape through connected tunnels or surface openings. With both species present, the coyote can cover the surface while the badger works belowground.
The classic field evidence comes from a 1992 study of coyotes and badgers hunting Uinta ground squirrels. Coyotes associated with badgers appeared to consume prey at higher rates, use a broader range of habitat, and incur lower locomotion costs than lone coyotes. Badgers hunting with coyotes spent more time belowground and active, and the researchers suggested that they may have experienced lower locomotion and excavation costs.
The researchers concluded that prey vulnerability appeared to increase when both carnivores hunted together. They linked the pattern to the predators’ different body forms and hunting methods, along with their tolerance of one another and behavioral flexibility.
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That result needs careful qualification. The reported increase in coyote prey consumption was suggestive rather than conventionally conclusive at the usual 0.05 statistical threshold: the study reported P = 0.09. It does not establish a universal percentage increase in hunting success, and it does not mean that every coyote or badger benefits every time. The strongest conclusion is that joint hunting can improve access to prey or reduce costs under suitable conditions.
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What newer prairie-dog research adds
A 2024 study examined coyote use of prairie-dog colonies and nearby grasslands using remote cameras, occupancy models, and activity-pattern analysis. Coyotes used prairie-dog colonies more often than surrounding grasslands, and coyote use was strongly associated with areas also used by American badgers.
In the relevant activity analysis, coyote and badger activity overlapped by 81%. However, only 17 independent badger detections were recorded on prairie-dog colonies. The overlap therefore supports an association in space and time, but it does not prove that every recorded co-occurrence was an active, coordinated hunt.
The study also found that coyotes were especially active on prairie-dog colonies during crepuscular periods—the times around sunrise and sunset—and used those colonies during daylight more than nearby grasslands. Those patterns are consistent with coyotes hunting prairie dogs when the prey are active.
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This work matters beyond the behavior itself. Prairie-dog colonies can also provide habitat for endangered black-footed ferrets, which use burrows and hunt similar prey. The researchers noted that more work is needed to determine how coyote–badger associations affect predation risk for black-footed ferrets during conservation reintroductions. The study is available through the Journal of Mammalogy, with a related record at the U.S. Geological Survey.
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Why coyotes and badgers do not hunt together everywhere
The association is only likely to pay off when the local conditions support it. Several factors can make joint hunting more or less worthwhile:
- Burrowing prey: Extensive burrow systems create the underground escape routes that make a badger useful to a coyote and vice versa.
- Abundant prey: A colony or dense population must offer enough food to support two predators competing in the same area.
- Vegetation and terrain: Dense vegetation or other cover can make it harder for a coyote to hunt efficiently alone. A badger’s digging may help compensate for those conditions.
- Connected burrows: If prey can move through a complicated burrow network, a badger may have difficulty catching them without a coyote covering surface exits.
- Overlapping schedules and ranges: The predators have to be in the same place at a useful time. If coyotes and badgers use different parts of the landscape or are active at different times, an association is less likely.
- Low human disturbance: Frequent disturbance can interrupt a hunt or make close proximity between two predators too risky.
- Predator tolerance: Each animal must tolerate the other’s presence long enough to gain a benefit. Tolerance does not mean that the species are generally social or that conflict cannot occur.
The 1992 researchers also proposed that high predator and prey densities, long-lived predator populations, and stressful physical environments could favor the behavior. In other words, this is a flexible response to local costs and benefits, not a behavior that every member of either species is expected to perform.
Is this cooperation, symbiosis, or friendship?
“Cooperation” can be a useful shorthand when both predators benefit from the same hunt, but the relationship is more accurately described as a temporary mutual benefit or opportunistic association.
American badgers are generally solitary foragers, and coyotes are flexible hunters that may hunt alone, in pairs, or in other loose social arrangements. A coyote and badger do not form a permanent pair bond. They may meet, tolerate one another, exploit the same prey, and then separate.
Nor does every sighting of the two species together demonstrate cooperation. They may simply be using the same productive prairie-dog colony, following the same prey, or arriving at the same place independently. Camera evidence can show spatial and temporal overlap, but observing a genuine joint hunt requires stronger behavioral evidence.
The National Park Service describes the interaction as a “you go over, I go under” relationship and emphasizes that relatively little research has tested exactly when the association occurs. White Sands National Park similarly cautions that the relationship is “not a friendship, per se”: the animals’ different abilities can simply make a shared hunting opportunity profitable.
What this behavior reveals about predators
The coyote–badger association is a good example of flexible predator behavior. It does not require a permanent social structure. Instead, it can emerge when:
- Both predators encounter the same prey resource.
- The prey can escape through routes that favor different hunting skills.
- The expected food or energy savings outweigh the risks of being near another carnivore.
- Both animals can adjust their behavior without needing a lasting partnership.
It also shows why habitat matters. Removing or fragmenting burrow systems, changing vegetation, reducing prey abundance, or separating predators from their normal hunting areas could alter how often the association occurs. The behavior is tied to an ecological setting—not just to the personalities of individual coyotes and badgers.
How to interpret a photo or video of a coyote and badger
If you see the two animals moving together, avoid assuming that a coordinated hunt is taking place. Look for several clues:
- Are they near a prairie-dog colony, ground-squirrel habitat, or another burrow system?
- Is one animal digging while the other waits near an opening or patrols the surface?
- Does prey movement connect the animals’ actions?
- Do they remain near one another for a meaningful period, or do they merely pass through the same area?
- Could the apparent association be explained by both predators independently using a high-quality food source?
These observations can make a joint hunt more plausible, but they still cannot establish a general rule about the species. Wildlife should be watched from a safe distance and never approached, baited, or cornered—especially near a burrow or a feeding site.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Further reading and identification
If you want to distinguish the animals discussed here in the field, a North American mammal field guide is a practical next step. Choose an edition appropriate to your region; the exact species coverage, publisher, price, and availability can vary. A wildlife-tracking guide may also help with tracks, scat, and burrow signs, although identifying signs is a separate skill from interpreting a hunting association.
The bottom line
Coyotes and American badgers sometimes hunt together because their abilities fit the same prey’s escape strategy. The badger can dig and pursue animals underground, while the coyote can cover the surface and chase prey that emerges. Studies suggest that this arrangement can increase prey vulnerability and reduce hunting costs in the right habitat, but the evidence does not support claiming that the animals always cooperate or that their success improves by a universal amount.
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It is best understood as a short-lived, context-dependent partnership of convenience: two mostly independent predators exploiting complementary opportunities around burrows.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are coyotes and badgers friends?
No. They do not form permanent pairs or routinely socialize. The association is temporary and opportunistic, occurring when both predators can benefit from exploiting the same burrowing prey.
Does seeing a coyote and badger together prove they are hunting cooperatively?
Not necessarily. A camera may show that coyotes and badgers use the same place or are active at similar times, but that does not prove they were coordinating a hunt. Stronger evidence requires observing connected hunting behavior.
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American badgers are the underground specialists. They have powerful forelimbs and claws for digging into burrows, while coyotes are better suited to covering open ground, waiting near exits, and chasing prey aboveground.
Where are coyote–badger hunting associations most likely?
The association is most plausible where abundant burrowing prey live in connected burrow systems, vegetation or terrain makes solitary hunting harder, the predators overlap in time and space, and human disturbance is relatively low.
The Bottom Line
Coyotes and American badgers sometimes hunt together because the badger works underground while the coyote covers the surface. This temporary, opportunistic association can make burrowing prey more vulnerable, but it is not a permanent partnership, a friendship, or a guarantee of greater hunting success.
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