Coyotes...?

I was wondering the other day if there are any coyotes in Sligo Creek and surrounding neighborhoods. I took a very informal poll of anyone who might have an opinion on it, and came out with very mixed results. The answer seems to be a firm maybe.

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) states that coyotes are found in every county in Maryland and can be found in every kind of habitat, from dense woodland to swamps to inner cities. Coyotes have been spotted in Boston, downtown Chicago, Central Park in New York City, Philadelphia, and as the Humane Society puts it, "coyote populations have pushed eastward into places previously unknown to them. Some of the very last pockets of unoccupied space are falling even today, such as suburban Washington, D.C."

There are an estimated 20,000 coyotes in Virginia and 20,000-30,000 in Pennsylvania. I do not know the estimates for Maryland.

So if the coyotes are not here yet, they are probably on their way. Coyotes are traditionally not an eastern species, but coyotes are now found all along the eastern seaboard. There are fossil records of coyotes in the East, but at the time of European settlement, the coyote was found predominantly west of the Mississippi. Due to a number of factors, most importantly the removal of other large predators, coyotes have filled the niche of eastern predator.

Interestingly, the eastern coyote is almost twice the size of the western coyote. Eastern coyotes average 30-40 pounds, 60 inches in length, and 1.5-2 feet in height at the shoulder. With pointy ears and a bushy tail, eastern coyotes look like small German shepherds.

Coyotes are often mistaken for dogs, or are often thought to be coydogs–a coyote-dog mix. In truth, this rarely happens, since the breeding cycles are quite different (coyotes breed in February and have a litter of 5 or 6 pups in April). In most cases, sightings are either coyotes or feral dogs.

Despite their increasing numbers, it’s rare that one will see or even hear a coyote, although they do howl in early morning and early evening and more often in their breeding season. They are shy and elusive, but as their contact with man increases they will likely become less skittish and more bold.

Coyotes are social animals, but not to the extent of their cousins, the wolf. Eastern coyotes do not run in packs, though they may pair up with other adults to hunt. Coyotes generally choose a mate for life, and both parents, sometimes along with older siblings, care for offspring. Coyotes can start breeding at about one year of age. A territory for a mated pair can be anywhere from 5 to 25 square miles.

Delaware and Maryland were the last two states to be colonized by coyotes. Coyotes were first documented in Maryland in 1972 in the counties of Cecil, Frederick, and Washington in Western Maryland. Since then they have made it all the way over to the Eastern Shore, but populations are still highest in western part of the state.

Coyotes have been able to expand their range not just because their "competitors"–wolves, cougars, bobcats and foxes–were removed from the landscape, but because they are smart, adaptable animals and fast breeders.

Coyotes are opportunists–meaning that they will eat almost anything. In general, the coyote is interested in the easiest meal possible. Its diet can range from fruits and vegetables and insects to deer and carrion, depending on the availability of food sources. They are also happy to eat mice, rats, pets, pet food, and garbage in their more urban environs. Takoma Park and Silver Spring would seem to provide perfect habitat for coyotes–lots of woods and wooded yards and a plentiful supply of food.

The rise in coyote populations will have an effect on other predators–most likely the red fox–in our area. Red foxes and coyotes prefer similar habitat: forested areas; shrubby, open fields; marshy areas; and river valleys.

Livestock may also be affected by a rise in coyote populations. Coyotes will not usually go after livestock, but once they realize it is an easy source of food, coyotes will become repeat offenders. With some preventative measures and smart management, coyote livestock kills can be controlled, but old fears die hard. Across the country, coyotes are incorrectly perceived as threats to human existence. The federal government, through its animal damage-control program, killed over 85,000 coyotes in 1999. Incredible.

The coyote hunting season in Maryland is all year long. Maryland statute permits the hunting of coyotes during any hunting season for other animals and using methods legally allowed during that season, or at any time of the year by predator-calling during daylight hours. DNR now specifies in regulation that coyotes may be hunted at night with artificial lights during the same time frame that raccoons and opossums may be hunted at night.

Despite every effort by federal and state governments, coyote populations continue to rise across the country. There seems to be no link between human predation of the coyote and reduction in its populations.

So, next time you see a dog running across the street or through a field around dusk, take a closer look–it might be your newest neighbor.