Coyotes howl a variety of tales
Jeff Westerfield, a wildlife officer with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, believes coyotes are the most misunderstood animal, even more so than its cousin the wolf.
“Coyotes are solo hunters, unlike their cousin the wolf, and the only time you’ll see them hunt together is when mom is teaching her young how to hunt,” he said.
“Wolves will hunt in packs, circling their prey and closing the circle tighter and tighter until one wolf finally will move in for the kill.
“Coyotes don’t hunt this way. While they do live and travel in packs, they are solo hunters.”
Westerfield said coyotes prefer to eat small rodents like mice and field voles, squirrels, and of course rabbits. They also eat small livestock, as any chicken owner will attest. Eating the family dog? Probably not.
“When I hear a story about a dog being attacked by a coyote, I always ask two questions. Was the dog left outside to roam
about at night without its owner present? Did the dog chase after the coyote?”
Westerfield said coyotes would rather pick small prey for dinner than to scrap with a dog. When coyotes do attack dogs, it’s most likely a very small dog that has been allowed to wander its yard at night without any kind of supervision. Domestic cats, he said, are a meal favorite, but he noted more cats are killed on the roadways than by coyotes.
Coyotes are timid and generally afraid of people. People never should feed them or set out food for them as these actions will diminish their fear of people. This is the Ohio coyote, according to Westerfield.
Others studying wildlife in Ohio have a different opinion of Mr. Coyote.
For example, the Ohio Wildlife Center suggests covering pet fence enclosures, as coyotes easily can jump a 6-foot fence. Wikipedia cites conflicting opinions on coyotes, claiming coyotes often hunt in pairs to bring down larger game, like deer, when smaller game is scarce. In urban settings, coyotes have been known to intimidate hikers, stalk large dogs and attack small dogs, leashed and walking with their owners, according to Wikipedia. Coyotes are opportunistic, Wikipedia claims, and will change their hunting techniques to match the availability of their prey.
There are a few facts all experts agree upon. The coyote (Canis latrans) is a member of the same family as wolves and domestic dogs. In fact, the word coyote means barking dog in Mexican-Spanish. While they do bark like a dog, the sound they make is typically higher in pitch than that of a dog the same size. It has been described as a high-pitched bark-howl.
They have been known to breed with dogs and wolves, although a coyote-dog union is much more common. The offspring are known as “coydogs.” These offspring remain fertile and will continue to pass on both dog and coyote traits. Researchers have determined coydogs may be more aggressive than the pure coyote, as they carry some of the same traits of a dog and consequently are less afraid or intimidated by humans. Some researchers studying DNA have said many of today’s coyotes are a soup-mixture of coyote and dog, which may account for the differences in behaviors from animal to animal.
Coyotes are not native to Ohio but arrived here in about 1919. Today, they may be found in all of Ohio’s 88 counties. Once preferring farmlands bordered by woods with a water source, coyotes now also can be found living in cities and suburbs.
The animals grow to about 12 to 16 inches high, measured at the shoulder, and generally weigh 20 to 50 pounds. They range in color from rust to gray to all-white but usually display only white on their bellies and necks. Their tails are dark-colored at the tip and are carried at a 45-degree angle when walking. Their ears are carried upright and are longer than those of a wolf. Their legs are also longer than those of a wolf.
Coyotes breed once a year, usually between January and March. They carry their young for 63 days, as does a dog, and give birth to between one and 12 pups, but instances of coyotes giving birth to as many as 19 pups have been documented. It is noted that some coydogs may breed more than once a year, as a domestic dog would.
Coyotes are considered to reach maturity at 1 year. Both the male and female play a role in rearing the young. Males are kicked out of the pack at maturity and may travel as far as 100 miles to establish a pack of their own.
Coyotes may burrow into the ground for shelter or steal the burrow of a groundhog or badger. They also have been known to seek abandoned houses or barns for shelter. In urban settings, they may call a sewer or drainpipe home. They adjust better to living near humans than the wolf and can adapt to urban settings quite well. They have a typical life span of 10 years but have lived in captivity to as old at 19.
Experts studying coyotes believe they are better at observational learning than dogs, and many people have in fact reported coyotes watching them from a distance. During those times, it was reported the coyotes did not appear aggressive but simply “interested.”
Coyotes are wild animals. The best advice, regardless of the source, is not to forget that. Although not a recreational killer, food availability will drive a wild animal to act out of character and to seek out a meal wherever possible. All accounts note coyotes to be opportunistic and adaptable, leading the way for various moods, temperaments and behaviors. The best advice may be to contain your trash, watch your dog, and keep Mr. Whiskers the cat inside.
Northeast Ohioans may enjoy tracking coyotes in the fresh snow. Their tracks are more oval-shaped than those of a dog, and somewhat smaller than those of a dog of the same size. A dog track will appear more rounded with a loose-toe pattern and often with four nails showing an imprint in the snow. A coyote track usually shows only the front two nails, and the toe pattern is closer together or tighter than a dog’s track. Dogs tend to meander when they walk. A coyote most often will walk a straight, purposeful line.
“Coyotes are solo hunters, unlike their cousin the wolf, and the only time you’ll see them hunt together is when mom is teaching her young how to hunt,” he said.
“Wolves will hunt in packs, circling their prey and closing the circle tighter and tighter until one wolf finally will move in for the kill.
“Coyotes don’t hunt this way. While they do live and travel in packs, they are solo hunters.”
Westerfield said coyotes prefer to eat small rodents like mice and field voles, squirrels, and of course rabbits. They also eat small livestock, as any chicken owner will attest. Eating the family dog? Probably not.
“When I hear a story about a dog being attacked by a coyote, I always ask two questions. Was the dog left outside to roam
about at night without its owner present? Did the dog chase after the coyote?”
Westerfield said coyotes would rather pick small prey for dinner than to scrap with a dog. When coyotes do attack dogs, it’s most likely a very small dog that has been allowed to wander its yard at night without any kind of supervision. Domestic cats, he said, are a meal favorite, but he noted more cats are killed on the roadways than by coyotes.
Coyotes are timid and generally afraid of people. People never should feed them or set out food for them as these actions will diminish their fear of people. This is the Ohio coyote, according to Westerfield.
Others studying wildlife in Ohio have a different opinion of Mr. Coyote.
For example, the Ohio Wildlife Center suggests covering pet fence enclosures, as coyotes easily can jump a 6-foot fence. Wikipedia cites conflicting opinions on coyotes, claiming coyotes often hunt in pairs to bring down larger game, like deer, when smaller game is scarce. In urban settings, coyotes have been known to intimidate hikers, stalk large dogs and attack small dogs, leashed and walking with their owners, according to Wikipedia. Coyotes are opportunistic, Wikipedia claims, and will change their hunting techniques to match the availability of their prey.
There are a few facts all experts agree upon. The coyote (Canis latrans) is a member of the same family as wolves and domestic dogs. In fact, the word coyote means barking dog in Mexican-Spanish. While they do bark like a dog, the sound they make is typically higher in pitch than that of a dog the same size. It has been described as a high-pitched bark-howl.
They have been known to breed with dogs and wolves, although a coyote-dog union is much more common. The offspring are known as “coydogs.” These offspring remain fertile and will continue to pass on both dog and coyote traits. Researchers have determined coydogs may be more aggressive than the pure coyote, as they carry some of the same traits of a dog and consequently are less afraid or intimidated by humans. Some researchers studying DNA have said many of today’s coyotes are a soup-mixture of coyote and dog, which may account for the differences in behaviors from animal to animal.
Coyotes are not native to Ohio but arrived here in about 1919. Today, they may be found in all of Ohio’s 88 counties. Once preferring farmlands bordered by woods with a water source, coyotes now also can be found living in cities and suburbs.
The animals grow to about 12 to 16 inches high, measured at the shoulder, and generally weigh 20 to 50 pounds. They range in color from rust to gray to all-white but usually display only white on their bellies and necks. Their tails are dark-colored at the tip and are carried at a 45-degree angle when walking. Their ears are carried upright and are longer than those of a wolf. Their legs are also longer than those of a wolf.
Coyotes breed once a year, usually between January and March. They carry their young for 63 days, as does a dog, and give birth to between one and 12 pups, but instances of coyotes giving birth to as many as 19 pups have been documented. It is noted that some coydogs may breed more than once a year, as a domestic dog would.
Coyotes are considered to reach maturity at 1 year. Both the male and female play a role in rearing the young. Males are kicked out of the pack at maturity and may travel as far as 100 miles to establish a pack of their own.
Coyotes may burrow into the ground for shelter or steal the burrow of a groundhog or badger. They also have been known to seek abandoned houses or barns for shelter. In urban settings, they may call a sewer or drainpipe home. They adjust better to living near humans than the wolf and can adapt to urban settings quite well. They have a typical life span of 10 years but have lived in captivity to as old at 19.
Experts studying coyotes believe they are better at observational learning than dogs, and many people have in fact reported coyotes watching them from a distance. During those times, it was reported the coyotes did not appear aggressive but simply “interested.”
Coyotes are wild animals. The best advice, regardless of the source, is not to forget that. Although not a recreational killer, food availability will drive a wild animal to act out of character and to seek out a meal wherever possible. All accounts note coyotes to be opportunistic and adaptable, leading the way for various moods, temperaments and behaviors. The best advice may be to contain your trash, watch your dog, and keep Mr. Whiskers the cat inside.
Northeast Ohioans may enjoy tracking coyotes in the fresh snow. Their tracks are more oval-shaped than those of a dog, and somewhat smaller than those of a dog of the same size. A dog track will appear more rounded with a loose-toe pattern and often with four nails showing an imprint in the snow. A coyote track usually shows only the front two nails, and the toe pattern is closer together or tighter than a dog’s track. Dogs tend to meander when they walk. A coyote most often will walk a straight, purposeful line.
