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COTM is….
COTM is….
Text reproduced with permission
copyright: Project Coyote
copyright: Project Coyote
ABOUT PROJECT COYOTE
MiSSiON: Project Coyote is a North American coalition of wildlife scientists and educators promoting active coexistence between people and wildlife, and compassionate conservation through education, science, and advocacy. We champion progressive management policies that reduce human- coyote conflict, support and contribute to innovative scientific research, and help foster respect for and understanding of North America’s native “Song Dog”.
Project Coyote is a sponsored project of Earth Island Institute, a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supports solutions to protect our shared planet.
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| Copyright Sam Parks Photography |
COYOTE ECOLOGY
Two hundred years of costly persecution has not eliminated the resilient coyote from our landscape. In fact, coyotes have expanded their range two to threefold since the 1850s, largely in response to human changes to the environment and the eradication of wolves.
Coyotes have adapted to living close to people and now inhabit even the most densely populated metropolitan cities from Boston to San Francisco, Austin, and Seattle. Estimates are that 2,000 coyotes are on self-appointed “rat patrol” in the Chicago metropolitan area.
At least 19 subspecies of coyote roam North and Central America, from California to Newfoundland and Alaska to Panama, occupying a broad range of habitats. Coyotes play an important ecological role helping to maintain healthy ecosystems and species diversity. As the top carnivore in some ecosystems, coyotes help regulate the number of mesocarnivores (such as skunks, raccoons, and foxes) which helps to boost biodiversity.
Western coyotes typically weigh 18 to 30 pounds and look similar to a small Shepherd or collie-type dog but have longer, denser fur and pointed, erect ears. Coyotes have a long, bushy, black-tipped tail that is usually carried pointed down. Their eastern counterparts may be larger, averaging 35-55 pounds, which is believed to be a result of interbreeding with wolves 50-70 years ago. Coyotes are usually grayish brown with reddish tinges behind the ears and around the face, but coloration can vary from silver-gray to black.
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| Copyright Sam Parks Photography |
COYOTE CONFLiCTS
The very traits that have allowed coyotes to thrive, adapt, and coexist with people even in the most populated regions of North America have also led to conflicts with us and our domestic animals. Most coyotes fear people. However, those who associate people with food may become habituated to our presence. The abundance of food, water, and shelter offered by urban landscapes—coupled with unsecured garbage, unfenced gardens, and unattended domestic animals—can lead to conflicts. Documented cases of coyotes injuring people are very rare and most often related to people intentionally or unintentionally feeding them.
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| Original Coyote Painting by KneeDeepOriginals (sale benefits COTM) |
COYOTE MANAGEMENT
Historically, our society has attempted to solve human-coyote conflicts through killing. However, despite decades of poisoning, trapping, and shooting coyotes, there are more coyotes in North America today. Why?
The coyote’s remarkable success appears to be closely related to human attempts to control their populations. As with many wild species, coyote populations are naturally regulated by available food and habitat. Lethal control, however, can disrupt the group hierarchy, allowing more coyotes to reproduce, encouraging larger litter sizes because of decreased competition for food and habitat, and increasing pup survival rates. It is also highly likely that lethal control favors the survival of the most resilient and genetically robust coyotes.
At least half a million coyotes are killed each year—one per minute—by federal, state and local governments and by private individuals in North America. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Wildlife Services program kills approximately 90,000 coyotes each year. Approximately one coyote is killed every minute of every day. Most of this killing is carried out in the name of “livestock protection” and is a taxpayer subsidy for agribusiness/ranchers.
Despite scientific evidence suggesting this approach is misguided and ultimately ineffective, the emphasis on lethal coyote control persists. Coyotes are also killed for their fur, for “sport,” and in “body-count” contests where prizes are awarded for killing the most coyotes. Most states set no limit on the number of coyotes that may be killed, nor do they regulate the killing methods.
Killing to reduce coyote populations or relocating individual coyotes is not recommended. Disruption of family groups can cause more coyotes to be born or increase pup survival rates; orphaned juveniles may act unpredictably and other coyotes will simply move into vacant areas.
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| Prowling Coyote Original Photograph copyright Sue Klapholz (Sale benefits COTM) |
EDUCATED CO-EXiSTENCE
Urban landscapes offer an abundance of food, water, and shelter for coyotes. Take the following steps to prevent coyotes from being attracted to your home.
• Wildlife-proof garbage in sturdy containers with tight fitting lids.
• Don’t leave pet food outside.
• Take out trash the morning pick up is scheduled.
• Keep compost in secure containers.
• Keep fallen fruit off the ground. Coyotes eat fruit.
• Keep birdseed off the ground; seeds attract rodents which then attract coyotes. Remove feeders if coyotes are seen in your yard.
• Keep barbecue grills clean.
• Eliminate accessible water sources.
• Clear away brush and dense weeds near buildings.
• Close off crawl spaces under decks and around buildings where coyotes may den.
• If you frequently see a coyote in your yard… always keeping eye contact & waving your arms over your head... make loud noises with a pot or a pan or an air horn (alternatively one can haze the coyote with a water hose) and continue to do so until they have completely gone away. The idea is to scare and discourage the coyote from settling into human habitat.
• Share this list with your neighbors; coexistence is a neighborhood effort.
Help keep coyotes wild !
Look around
what unnatural food sources
may you be offering wildlife?
A fed coyote is a dead coyote.
Tune-in next week for part two...
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The coyote is one of my favorite animals, and I am so happy to promote and support this charity through our team. Anyone who works to educate the population and to protect wild coyotes is okay in my book! Thanks, Project Coyote, for all you do. I'm looking forward to the next installment, and I'm sharing this on FB!
ReplyDeleteThis is a wonderful and informative article. I too am fond of coyotes and love seeing them on my hikes in local nature preserves. There are 9 photographs of coyotes in my Etsy shop, all of which are now 100% team EFA donations.
DeleteIf people read nothing else, I hope they read the suggestions for keeping coyotes from being attracted to our homes. That would solve so many problems in itself. Here in NC, there is a controversial program (I don't know the current status) concerning coyotes. It involves the red wolf population...people can't tell the difference and the results are obvious.
ReplyDelete