My plan was to write a blog post about coyotes a couple of months ago, but the summer got away with me. I just returned to Costa Rica and was driving through a a vibrant green pasture of Brahman cows with my windows down, when something darting through the grass caught my eye. As I slowed to a stop a coyote ran right up to the edge of the road, stopped and locked eyes with me. Time slowed as he held my gaze for what seemed like several minutes. Eventually I turned to grab my phone to take a photo and when I turned back, he was gone. I left my car in the middle of the road and scrambled onto the nearest boulder to see if I could get a final glimpse of the enigmatic creature, but he was gone.
As I slowly drove away mulling over my experience, it dawned on me. The greatest trickster and jokester of them all, the coyote, was reminding me to get to work and tell his story. Coyote people have a long history of conflict with humans, so I am excited to share more about these intriguing canines that closely resemble man’s best friend. Coyotes, a keystone species, are one of the most persecuted and misunderstood animals in the Americas. Often considered a pest, coyotes have little policy protection and are often killed as a means of management which raises significant animal welfare concerns and has also been proven to be ineffective. Known as North America’s song dog, their brilliant vocalizations have graced ancient lands since the Pleistocene era. Coyotes are a respected part of Native American storytelling and hold a sacred place in many cultural traditions. We need to respect and have compassion for these native carnivores and learn to coexist.
LIFE HISTORY & BIOLOGY
Coyotes are medium-sized canids that typically weigh between 24-46 pounds (11-21 kg). They have a slender build, pointed ears and a bushy tail. Their fur color varies from grayish brown to rich reddish tan. One way to tell coyotes apart from wolves or dogs is that coyotes usually run with their tails pointed down.
Coyotes are native to North America and have expanded their range from Alaska and Canada all the way down to Panama. They are highly adaptable and can live in diverse environments, including forests, deserts, grasslands and urban areas. Coyotes are territorial animals, with each pack establishing and defending a territory. Territories can range from 5 to 30 square miles (13 to 78 square kilometers). A pack usually consists of a breeding pair that mate for life and their offspring from one or more breeding seasons. Older siblings often help care for younger pups.
Coyotes use a range of vocalizations, including howls, yips and barks to communicate with pack members and mark territory. Coyotes are incredibly fast and agile; they can run up to 40 mph and jump a distance of 13 feet. Coyotes are opportunistic feeders and have a varied omnivorous diet. They consume small mammals (such as rodents, rabbits, and squirrels), birds, insects, lizards, snakes, fruits and carrion (dead animals). In regions where they are larger (eastern and midwestern United States), they can hunt adult deer. In urban areas, coyotes may scavenge for human food, garbage and pet food.
Coyotes typically breed once a year. The gestation period lasts about 60-63 days. Female coyotes give birth to a litter of 4 to 7 pups, though litter sizes can vary. Pups are born in a den or burrow and pack members hunt and return to regurgitate food for the pups. In the wild, coyotes typically live around 3 to 6 years. The highest mortality rates are from humans, vehicles and disease.
Coyotes are highly intelligent and social animals that learn quickly. They are highly adaptable and can modify their behavior in response to changes in their environment. This includes adjusting their diet, activity and reproductive patterns and adapting to urban settings.
ECOSYSTEM IMPORTANCE
Coyotes help regulate populations of small to medium-sized mammals, such as rodents (e.g., rats and gophers) and rabbits. By controlling these prey populations, coyotes prevent overgrazing and the potential spread of diseases. Studies indicate that coyotes also limit meso-carnivore populations (foxes, feral cats, raccoons, skunks) largely through competitive exclusion, thereby having a positive impact on ground-nesting birds and songbird diversity and abundance. Coyotes also contribute to seed dispersal as they consume fruits and berries as part of their diet. The seeds of these fruits pass through their digestive systems and are dispersed in their feces, which can help in the propagation of various plant species. Coyotes also clean up the environment since they scavenge on carrion (dead animals) and recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem.
CONFLICT WITH HUMANS
As human populations expand and farms and urban areas replace wild areas that were historically coyote territories, coyotes have been forced to adapt. This has led to many conflicts with humans, especially when coyotes prey on livestock such as sheep, cattle, goats and poultry, or domestic animals such as cats and dogs. Although rare, there have also been reports of aggressive behavior toward humans, often when coyotes are habituated to human presence.
Historically, management strategies have focused on culling the population to reduce population numbers and thereby reduce interactions with humans and livestock; however, this has been proven to be an ineffective strategy. In the United States coyote hunting and trapping is regulated at the state level and in nearly all states it is legal to hunt and trap coyotes year-round without limits. Killing methods are rarely regulated. Coyotes are also often killed out of hate, for recreation, their fur, bounties and in wildlife killing contests that offer prizes for gruesome achievements like killing the most, smallest or largest coyotes.
Lethal control methods persist despite scientific evidence that it is misguided and ultimately ineffective. Typically, only the parents (the ‘dominant pair’) in a family of coyotes reproduce, and they behaviorally suppress reproduction among subordinate members of the group. Lethal control breaks up these family dynamics, allowing more coyotes to reproduce, encouraging larger litter sizes because of decreased competition for food and habitat and increasing pup survival rates. This phenomenon, known as "compensatory reproduction," means that the surviving coyotes may have more pups, which can offset the effects of culling within a year or two. In addition, learned hunting behavior of wild prey is not passed down (since the experienced individuals are killed), which leads to the increased killing of livestock. Finally, the void created by removing coyotes who are not causing conflicts may be filled by other coyotes who may be less wary of humans and cause more conflicts.
According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the estimated number of coyotes killed annually for management as well as recreation is between 500,000 to 700,000. This includes aerial gunning, trapping, poisoning and shooting and does not necessarily include the destruction of dens and killing of pups. State and Federal programs kill most animals in the name of livestock protection and their actions are subsidized by U.S. taxpayers. Despite this, the USDA reports that in 2015 less than 0.30% of the U.S. cow and sheep inventories (including calves and lambs) were lost to all carnivores combined—including coyotes, wolves, cougars, bears, vultures, dogs and unknown carnivores. The predominant sources of mortality to cows and sheep, by far, are non-predator causes including disease, illness, birthing problems and weather.
It is important to stress that coyotes do not overpopulate nor does their population need to be controlled, as many people believe. Coyotes, and all top predators, self-regulate their populations and will only produce as many coyotes as an area can support through resources like food, water and shelter. Killing coyotes does not work as a control option and is inhumane and unethical. Prevention of interactions with humans and livestock and coexistence should be the focus.
EFFECTIVE MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES
States and Federal Governments should recognize the value of all animals. Hunting and trapping of coyotes should not be permitted year-round without limits. Killing contests should be prohibited completely. Effective management strategies focus on prevention and include measures such as public education, habitat modification to make environments less hospitable to coyotes, the use of deterrents like noise makers, hazing (using stimuli to discourage coyotes from approaching humans), and the use of guardian animals for livestock. Educating the public about avoiding feeding coyotes, securing trash and supervising pets is a crucial component of management strategies. In addition, providing farmers with resources and strategies on how to reduce the loss of livestock to coyote depredation is essential.
The following are general guidelines for areas with coyotes:
1. Never feed wildlife. Our best approach for safe and harmonious coexistence is to avoid conditioning wildlife with food and humans. We need to ensure our inappropriate actions do not negatively influence their instincts and wariness towards humans. This is the best way to promote a safe and healthy community for people, pets and wildlife.
2. Keep pet food and water bowls indoors. Do not leave small pets unattended outside, especially between dusk and dawn.
3. Keep trash cans covered and use wildlife-proof lids.
4. Pick ripened fruit and clean all rotted fallen fruit from the ground.
5. Do not allow a large amount of wild bird seed to accumulate. Birdseed attracts birds, rabbits, squirrels, and rodents, which are prey for coyotes.
6. Close off crawl spaces under decks and around buildings where coyotes may den. Clear away brush and dense weeds near buildings.
7. Keep chickens, rabbits and other small animals in covered enclosures, constructed with heavy mesh wire with a buried apron so predators cannot dig under neath. Dogs, coyotes, raccoons and weasels can break through normal chicken coop wire.
8. Consider installing motion-activated lights and noise emitters to deter coyotes.
9. Neutering pets is a responsible and good practice. Although a very rare occurrence, a domesticated dog may attempt to mate with a coyote.
10. Do not approach coyotes, their dens, or their pups, even if it appears the parents are not in the vicinity. The parents often leave to hunt and leave pups in their den.
The following are general guidelines for ranchers/farmers:
1. Properly dispose of all carcasses/placentas/etc. of livestock.
2. Put livestock in pens at night.
3. Ensure fencing is adequate to deter coyotes. Consider using net-wire, electric fencing and roller exclusion fences. Use fladry (flags, caution tape or aluminum pie plates tied or hung on the perimeter fence).
4. Use livestock guardians, such as trained guardian dogs, llamas, alpacas and donkeys.
5. Consider installing motion-activated lights, strobe lights, fox lights, ultrasound deterrents and noise emitters to deter coyotes.
6. Employ rotational grazing and regular inspection.
In summary, a new approach to carnivore conservation and management needs to be adopted that is based on the best available science and incorporates ethics and animal welfare. Non-lethal management is the most effective way to address human-wildlife conflicts and maintain ecological balance.
SPIRITUAL SIGNIFICANCE
In many traditions, coyotes are viewed as spiritual guides, teachers and creators. The coyote’s ability to adapt and survive in diverse environments can be seen as a metaphor for resilience and resourcefulness. We can look to the coyote for guidance in navigating life’s challenges and in learning how to be more adaptable. Coyotes teach us to drop sentimental attachments to the way things used to be and get on with the way things are now. Coyote knows that life is change and nothing is too sacred to change. Coyote medicine encourages us to cultivate a lighthearted perspective, to infuse joy into our lives and to use humor as a tool to navigate through life's trials with resilience and optimism.
The coyote is often seen as a symbol of the natural world and its interconnectedness. Their presence in spiritual practices can remind people of the importance of living in harmony with nature and recognizing the lessons that animals can teach about the natural order. By helping to shift attitudes toward coyotes and other native carnivores, we replace fear and ignorance with understanding and appreciation.
I would like to end with a reminder that for many of us the animal we are closest to, the domesticated dog, is a very close relative of the coyote. They share many traits and behaviors, such as loyalty, playfulness and intelligence. There are many more cases of dog attacks on humans compared to coyotes and dogs also often attack and kill livestock, but for some reason the coyote has been vilified while the dog has become our best friend. It’s time to view all canines through the same lens and let wild ones stay that way.
For many more resources, facts, ways to take action and donate to the cause please visit: https://projectcoyote.org/.
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