COYOTES IN CONNECTICUT
Spring 1999

Coyote in the wild. (Photo by Paul Rego)

by Paul W. Rego CT DEP Wildlife Biologist Paul Rego is a seasoned wildlife biologist in the "Furbearer" program of the CT Department of Environmental Protection's Wildlife Division. He is stationed at the Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area in Burlington, CT. As part of his job he deals with all aspects of having furbearers (such as coyote, bear, bobcat and fisher) on the landscape and monitoring their habits and status. This task includes the handling of human conflicts with these species.

At my office building in the back of a room relegated for storage, sit cardboard boxes with contents from the days of carbon paper and manual typewriters including old memos, articles and photos. One black and white photo shows a man displaying a

small, dead coyote laid on the snow. I imagine that the photo dates to the 1950s when the first coyotes were appearing in Connecticut and the uniqueness of the odd, never before seen specimen drew special attention, perhaps to the point of deserving a photo. Now, some four decades later, Connecticut seems a landscape saturated with coyotes. This adaptable species is found in remote forests and residential suburbs, from farm fields to golf courses. Coyotes have dramatically spread across North America. Until about one-hundred years ago the species only ranged through the western states -- out with the antelope, cowboys, and howl-inducing prairie moons: coyotes are integral to western folklore. Then like a prairie wildfire the population began to spread past former boundaries, extending north into Canada, south into Mexico and, as if assisted by prevailing westerlies, east across the Mississippi River through the upper Midwest and southern Canada. One could be convinced that New England was the goal of this latter, eastward vector,

Photo of dead coyote found in Connecticut in the 1950's.

Many factors may have contributed to the coyote's rapid range expansion. One plausible theory holds that coyotes were filling a void or open niche created by the extirpation of wolves and mountain lions. Another factor may have been the increase in some prey populations, especially deer, during the same time as the expansion. Theories aside, coyotes are biologically well equipped to pioneer new territory. They are adaptable in diet and habitat use, fecund, and mobile. And, contrary to the rumor that periodically surfaces, the government did not introduce coyotes into the east to control burgeoning deer populations. (Some coyotes were privately stocked in southeastern states and this may have contributed to their presence there.)

Several studies in the northeast have investigated the biology of this recently arrived predator. Coyotes in the east differ from western coyotes, enough so that some feel they deserve distinct subspecies status. The most obvious difference is size -- eastern coyotes are an average of five to ten pounds heavier than western coyotes. In Connecticut adult females weigh 30 to 35 pounds and adult males weigh 35 to 40 pounds. Rarely do they exceed 50 pounds, although claims of 70 and 80 pounders can be heard atmany coffee shops (or other beverage-based gatherings). As often as not, the vernacular moniker "coydog" accompanies these claims. The best evidence indicates this is a misnomer -- Canis familiaris (the common dog)is not in the eastern coyote's pedigree,

Drawing by Paul Fusco

but, Canis lupus (the timber wolf) is. A small amount of wolf lineage, probably a result of contact between the two species during the eastward expansion through Canada, may account for the larger size in the east. Another difference is the wide range of coloration seen in eastern coyotes; they vary from blonde to red to charcoal gray. The standard coloration is a light brown with dark highlights concentrated on the back and light cream on the underparts. Standard equipment that distinguishes coyotes from other canines includes erect ears; a relatively narrow, pointed muzzle; and a full, bottle-brush tail that is held straight and lowered.

To examine the eastern coyote's diet, biologists have identified food remains in scats and in stomachs of dead coyotes. Over one-hundred stomachs of Connecticut coyotes were examined in the early 1980s. To a coyote's tongue, our woods, fields, and suburbs provide a diverse buffet. The main course is small mammals: voles, mice, woodchucks, and squirrels. Coyotes welcome snacks of insects such as grasshoppers they encounter while hunting summer meadows and fields for mice and voles. Many coyotes have found enhanced hunting opportunities in freshly worked hay fields, to the extreme of tagging behind tractors mowing or baling hay. In late summer and fall, ripening berries and fruits are added to the diet. Coyotes have even been observed rearing up to reach corn on the stalk.

They are both predator and scavenger, particularly when the food is venison. In winter, when alternative foods such as small mammals and fruits become scarce, remains of white-tailed deer are common in stomachs and scats. Discerning whether the deer was killed, a feat within a coyote's capabilities, or scavenged is difficult from this evidence. Birds, both wild and domestic, are eaten. Coyotes can attack livestock and pets as well. Each year about one dozen attacks on sheep are reported in Connecticut. Reports of attacks on cats are common, while reported dog attacks number about three to six per year. Coyotes are not known for raiding garbage cans but will selectively eat table scraps left in backyard compost piles. Perhaps the most bizarre gastronomical account reported to me involved coyotes visiting a backyard to dine on dog droppings. In short, the diet is diverse and opportunistic.

Several studies have also shed light on the eastern coyote's social organization. Researchers in Maine and Vermont captured coyotes with leg-hold traps (contrary to popular perception these traps, especially the padded versions, can capture animals with minimal injury) and fit them with radio collars. Radio tracking revealed that the social grouping of coyotes is centered around an adult pair. Their mating in February results in an April litter. Research in Connecticut has estimated the litter size at birth to be seven, and found that nearly all adult females breed. The pups are raised by both adults and remain with them until late fall and winter arrive. Nearly adult size, near the summit of independence, most disperse from the adults' home range. As in many wild animals, mortality strikes heavy on the young and perhaps only three to five young survive to independence. The adult pair remain in the home range and the cycle is repeated.

Coyote Home Ranges The arrangement of coyote and fox home ranges as illustrated by Paul fusco

Each family group's home range is exclusive, like pancakes on a griddle, with little or no overlap with neighboring home ranges. In Connecticut these "pancakes" probably encompass ten square miles. With such a high reproductive rate and three to four decades to establish home ranges across the terrestrial "griddle" that is Connecticut, the nutmeg coyote population has probably reached its upper limit of growth, and is estimated to number from three to five thousand. What is the fate of dispersing young now that Connecticut is fully inhabited by coyotes? They can travel remarkable distances, some have traveled 200 miles, but with few vacant home ranges most probably do not survive. What are the consequences of cohabitating with this nonnative canid? The ecological consequences are not black and white, quantified and defined as many people wish, rather they are complex and dynamic, occurring in shades of gray. One consequence, revealed by several telemetry studies, is that red foxes appear to be excluded from coyote home ranges, therefore the advent of coyotes has been negative for fox populations. Although coyotes kill deer, we believe that their territoriality and the high deer densities at our latitude will preclude them from controlling deer populations. Relationships with other wildlife are not well studied. Turkey hunters that wonder if coyotes will decimate the turkey

population, particularly those that have had coyotes ambush decoys (faux hens used to entice amorous toms into shotgun range), fail to consider that coyote populations and turkey populations have risen simultaneously. Other anecdotal accounts of Canis latrans "wiping out" this or that species have little basis, although localized decreases in woodchucks and rabbits are given some validity based on repeated accounts.

The consequences from a human perspective are varied. Farmers (both hobby and vocational) must contend with a new threat to livestock. Birdwatchers, hunters, and hikers have a new animal to accent outings, both visually and audibly. A small number of hunters have a new, exceptionally challenging game species. Airport managers have another runway safety hazard. (Coyotes find the open fields of airports quite attractive.) Pet owners have a new consideration in caring for their outdoor pets. Some have had

Discouraging Coyotes Near Homes: -frighten coyotes with loud noises, unnatural odors (e.g. deodorant soap) along coyote travel routes  -remove food attractants such as pet food, table scraps on compost piles, fallen fruit -remove vegetation that provides cover for prey and hiding cover for coyotes; trim away lower limbs of shrubs and conifer trees  -use yard lights with motion detectors Protecting Pets: -keep pets in fenced areas or kennels -limit time outdoors, midday is preferred over night dusk and dawn -human supervision while outdoors

to deal with the unexpected loss of pets to coyotes. (One individual, angered at the loss of two cats, concluded that the lost cats were worth more than all of the coyotes in Connecticut). But most frequent and widespread has been a high level of worry by citizens for the safety of their children and themselves when they have seen or heard coyotes near homes and schools. We receive worried, impassioned phone calls nearly every day of the spring and summer. The situation is exasperated by a growing frequency of coyotes that have become habituated to living near homes, buildings and roads. Although these coyotes are not aggressive, they don't run off, they might not even walk off, when humans try to scare them at close quarters. In contrast, non-habituated coyotes flee at the slightest glimpse or scent of a human. In some towns "the coyote problem," as it comes to be called, has been a potent catalyst, prompting meetings among town officials and demands of elected officials. The common chorus rising from town residents across the state (and from many other states) is "why doesn't somebody come and take them somewhere else." With coyote-human conflicts found throughout the state there is no "somewhere else." Removing coyotes simply because they've been sighted near residences is unwarranted, given that coyote attacks on humans are exceedingly rare. But, if a coyote were displaying aggression, removal would be warranted. The same biological traits that enabled the coyotes' range expansion will impede any efforts to control their population. The howls and yipping will flow from our woods, meadows and backyards for years to come. Aware of this reality, along with knowledge of coyotes' habits and threats, humans will need to mimic the coyotes' ability to adapt if the two species are to share our landscape with minimal conflicts.   For more information, contact the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection Sessions Woods Wildlife Management Area at (860) 675-8130.