The coyote has long been thought of as an animal of the American West. This was true during the pre-Columbian era when the coyote primarily roamed the Southwest and Great Plains of the United States. Today, however, its ever-expanding range stretches across all of the lower-48 states (and Alaska) and much of Canada, as well as Mexico, Central America, Panama—and likely beyond. Some populations have colonized offshore islands (coyotes are known to be good swimmers) and have even shown up in Central Park.
During the 19th and 20th centuries as land was cleared for agriculture and lumber, coyotes and humans increasingly came into contact. At the same time the wolf—both a competitor and a predator of the coyote—was systematically hunted to near extinction. Ongoing removal of traditional habitat and resulting urban encroachment often forced the resilient coyote to live nearer to areas populated by people. Additionally, dramatically decreased wolf populations meant that coyotes could expand into wolf territory and reproduce with reduced threat of predation.
The coyote’s wide-ranging diet is one key to its robust survival success, and as an opportunistic omnivore, the coyote adapts its diet to what is available—even eating berries and insects. A typical urban area offers a wide range of food for coyotes from rodents such as rats and mice, to rabbits, wild turkey, squirrels, and deer; but it also offers enticements such as pet food left outside, garbage, uncleaned grills, and fallen birdseed.
While the coyote is often maligned for its increasing presence in metropolitan areas, emerging research suggests that it may fill an important ecological niche. Because the coyote can be the apex (top) predator in some landscapes—especially those in which larger carnivores have been extirpated—its role in managing an overabundance of a range of animals in urban areas may be more important than is currently understood.
Perhaps coyotes are most vilified due to the widespread belief that they routinely kill livestock, and hunt for cats and dogs. For this, tens of thousands of coyotes are poisoned, shot, or leghold trapped each year. “Claims that coyotes threaten humans and domesticated animals are greatly exaggerated,” and, “Most coyotes do not prey on domesticated animals” are statements backed by research.
Research also reveals that when a pack is disrupted and members are killed, it has the paradoxical effect of enlarging the coyote population.
Coyotes move in from other territories and new packs are formed by the disrupted family unit as well as the new arrivals. Members from the disrupted pack tend to experience increased reproduction and larger litter size. It is within the context of this disequilibrium that the killing of livestock is often heightened. The best coyote management seems to be little or no management so that intact family units can defend a territory, which keeps other coyotes away. In these cohesive packs, reproduction is typically suppressed and reserved for the dominant pair so that populations are kept in relative equilibrium within a territory.
Refer to this Humane Society guide for more information on “debunking coyote myths” and simple tips to
humanely coexist with coyotes.