Coyote mating season begins this month and peaks in February and March. Sightings of the furtive animals tend to increase during this time, so it’s good to know what to do if you spot one.
“Coyote sightings typically increase this time of year when they are mating, and through July when they are raising pups,” said Laura Palmer, wildlife biologist for the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources, in a 2023 press release. “Human conflicts can be avoided by having a basic understanding of these wild animals.”
Coyotes are highly adaptable and resilient as a species, meaning they can survive in almost any environment, including urban environments and other populated areas. They have been documented in all 120 Kentucky counties and in all 88 Ohio counties.
Most coyotes aren’t dangerous, but misconceptions about the animals persist. Award-winning author of “Urban Coyotes” (which profiled the work of scientists at the Urban Coyote Research Project in Chicago) and Cincinnati Public Library Writer-in-Residence Mary Kay Carson said that many people are worried about coyotes and their pets. While it’s true that coyotes may snatch a small pet if they have the opportunity, the animals aren’t relying on pets as staples in their diet.
“Most urban coyotes – at least, they found in the Chicago study – aren’t living off of people’s pets,” Carson said. “They’re living off of what they eat regularly, mostly rodents and squirrels and rabbits and other things.”
Another misconception, Carson said, is that coyotes hunt in packs like wolves.
“People sometimes see them in groups, but they’re not pack animals like a wolf,” Carson said. “If you see a coyote in a group, it’s a family group.”
Here are some basic tips from both the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources and the Humane Society for dealing with coyotes in your community:
- Do not feed coyotes – Coyotes that seek out or are aggressive to humans often do so in response to being repeatedly fed.
- Remove or secure any food from the exterior areas of your property – This includes pet food, spilled bird seed around feeders, fallen tree fruit and trash. Any food that can’t be taken inside should be locked up.
- Don’t leave small pets unattended outside. If you’re walking a small pet outside, and you see a coyote, pick up your pet and move away. Employ non-retractable leashes to keep your pets close.
- Don’t leave small children unattended.
- Shout, wave your arms and throw things at coyotes if you want to scare them off. Do not run at them or get close.
- Fence any gardens and compost bins.
- Keep outdoor cooking equipment, such as grills, clean and free of grease, as the smell can attract coyotes.
- Tell your neighbors if you spot a coyote.
Coyotes usually aren’t aggressive towards humans, but they may approach or observe a human out of curiosity if you’re in their territory. They also tend to become less tolerant of dogs during the mating season. Shouting and making noise, waving your arms, standing up tall, and brandishing a walking stick or similar implement should frighten them off.
“They can be run off pretty easy,” Carson said.
The one exception to this is if you approach a coyote’s den, as they will naturally try to defend their young against intruders. Coyotes tend to make their dens in easy-to-conceal hideaways like hollowed-out logs, dead trees, junk piles, abandoned buildings and the abandoned burrows of other animals. They may also dig their own burrows. If you know a coyote den is nearby, it’s best to stay away.
It is legal to trap and hunt coyotes for their fur in Kentucky (consult the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources’ annual hunting guide for more information on state hunting and trapping regulations), but culling or capturing coyotes in an effort to rid them from a particular area aren’t effective means of controlling their numbers.
“Trapping and removing coyotes will only result in new coyotes moving in to occupy empty territories,” according to the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources. “Efforts to eradicate coyotes have resulted in females breeding at younger ages, birthing larger litters and increasing the survival of pups due to less competition for food. Total eradication of coyotes is not possible.”
What if coyotes become dangerous or a nuisance?
While most coyotes don’t pose much of a danger, there are times when they can become disruptive enough that they need to be removed.
Although the state and counties don’t directly remove nuisance wildlife, they can provide some tips on removing them or direct you to a private company that can humanely remove them.
You can get more information from the Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources by calling 1-800-858-1549 or emailing Info.Center@ky.gov. You can also look up a state-certified Nuisance Wildlife Control Operator, which is a private firm trained in removing nuisance wildlife, by consulting the state’s handy list page.
Although coyotes can sometimes be an unwelcome sight, they’re an important part of the local ecology, especially given that large predators, such as wolves, bears and pumas, are no longer a factor in the region’s environment.
“Coyotes have really fulfilled that role,” Carson said. “They take a lot of fawns, and we definitely need something to keep the whitetail deer in check. So, even though they don’t eat the full-grown deer, they do help keep the fawn population down. Another animal that has sort of taken over are Canadian geese, and [coyotes] eat lots of eggs, lots of geese eggs. So, predators are important.”
Check out some more resources below to learn more about coyote ecology and their interactions with humans:
- Urban Coyote Research Project
- Preventing Coyote Conflicts from the Humane Society
- Coyotes in the Suburbs from the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Management
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