Native North American species like the Opossum, Cardinal and Mockingbird emigrated from the Southern portion of the Continent up into the North by taking advantage of favorable environmental and human-caused habitat changes ,,,,The ultimate native species "adapter" is the Coyote, a "flexible flyer" if there ever was one, colonizing Canada all the way down into Central America......In New Foundland, Canada, the Eastern Coyote population is estimated to range between 5000-10,000 with the average animal weighing 30-35 pounds......Caribou make up less than 10% of the Coyote diet on the Island with scavenged Moose left from human hunter gut piles accounting for 40% of Coyote nutrition...........Coyotes do not run in packs in New Foundland(or anywhere) but rather pair up(with pups of the year) and have family home ranges of about 98 sq miles(250 sq, kilometers)..........Nathan Spence of the Province's Dept. of the Environment provided these facts and also shed light on the fact that litters average about 6 pups with about a 50% survival rate past their first year on the planet...........If anyone thinks the province is being overrun with coyote, said Spence, just ask some of the hunters who have taken on the challenge of shooting or trapping them.“Some of these guys will go weeks and not see one,” he said. “It’s a real challenge to hunt coyote and it takes a lot of effort to understand how to hunt them".....Spence believes that, in time, people will come to understand the coyote better and be more comfortable heading off into the woods knowing these animals are out there. “We want people to understand encounters are going to happen and for them to educate themselves so they can handle these encounters appropriately”

Coyote largely misunderstood

thewesternstar.com

Coyote expert Nathan Spence sits next to a stuffed eastern coyote specimen at the Department of Environment and Conservation offices in Corner Brook.

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CORNER BROOK The eastern coyote is actually considered a native species to Newfoundland and Labrador That’s because the coyote found its way to the island all on its own — much like humans once did — and were not deliberately introduced by people, like moose were more than 100 years ago.

Not many people realize that fact and many other things about the canine species that has been generating a lot of discussion throughout Newfoundland and Labrador in recent years and particularly in the past week or so.

Eastern coyote in New Foundland

Nathan Spence is a training specialist with the conservation services branch of the Department of Environment and Conservation. His job involves educating hunters and the general public about the habits of the eastern coyote, how to hunt them and how to respect the fact they are now part of the province’s wildlife scene.

Concerns about the coyote population decimating caribou stocks and infringing into human habitat have been in the media for years. Last week, much was made of a coyote that was seen outside a school in eastern Newfoundland. Even more hype was generated by the killing of an 82-pound animal by a hunter on the Bonavista Peninsula last week. That animal is being tested to see if it is a coyote, a wolf or some hybrid between those two distinct animals or between a coyote and a dog.

Spence acknowledged the 82-pound animal is an oddity, since a 50-pound coyote would be considered huge. He opted not to speculate on where that animal came from until DNA testing has been carried out. Ironically, Joe Fleming, the hunter who shot the 82-pound mystery canine, was one of the hunters who attended a workshop conducted by Spence recently. Spence actually taught Fleming the male challenge call that lured the big beast into Fleming’s sights to defend its territory.
Spence has seen thousands of coyote carcasses and they average 30 to 35 pounds. Less than 1.5 per cent are more than 40 pounds.

Eastern Coyote in New Foundland

The population of coyote in Newfoundland is estimated to be in the range of 5,000 to 10,000 animals. Spence said this is not a particularly large number, but it may be on the rise since predator species will tend to have higher reproduction rates if there are adequate resources

Another misconception is that coyote are wiping out the caribou and moose populations on the island because they are hunting those ungulates down. In fact, according to Spence, caribou make up less than 10 per cent of the coyote diet. Moose make up more than 40 per cent, but the moose is actually not an animal that a coyote typically hunts down as prey.

“Coyotes are eating moose that have died from natural mortality or they are eating the gut piles left behind by hunters,” said Spence. “If there is a 10 or even 15 per cent natural mortality rate on the 100,000 moose in the province and if there are 30,000 moose licences with a 70 per cent success rate, that is a lot of meat left out in the country to supply the coyote.”

The brunt of the coyote’s predatory tactics is being borne by the rabbit, said Spence.
Many people also falsely believe coyotes travel in packs, which is something wolves would do. Coyotes do pair up and each pair has a home range of about 250 square kilometres, but the only times there would normally be a group of them is if the parent coyotes still have their young with them.

“They do sometimes spend their first winter together, but the adults will drive off their young when they are ready to breed again,” said Spence, adding that a typical coyote litter would be about six or seven pups, about half of which will survive.

With the coyote population on the rise, encounters with them are also bound to become more common, as has been seen in recent years. Spence said it is important that people treat coyote, or any form of predatory wildlife, with the respect it warrants.“If you come across a coyote and it doesn’t know you are there, just give it space and back off slowly,” said Spence. “If it starts to come towards you, throw rocks or sticks at it, make yourself look big and yell at it. Like any canine, it will back off if you show your dominance and it thinks you are going to put up a fight. You should never turn and run away because you would be imitating prey by doing that.”

If anyone thinks the province is being overrun with coyote, said Spence, just ask some of the hunters who have taken on the challenge of shooting or trapping them.“Some of these guys will go weeks and not see one,” he said. “It’s a real challenge to hunt coyote and it takes a lot of effort to understand how to hunt them.”

Spence believes that, in time, people will come to understand the coyote better and be more comfortable heading off into the woods knowing these animals are out there. “We want people to understand encounters are going to happen and for them to educate themselves so they can handle these encounters appropriately,” he said.

If anyone is interested in having an information session for their school or group, or would like to learn more about how to hunt coyote workshops, contact Spence by calling 637-2006 or emailing him at nathanspence@gov.nl.ca.

There is also plenty of information about coyote and other wildlife available at the Department of Environment and Conservation office on Riverside Drive or on the government website at www.env.gov.nl.ca/env/.
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Living with Coyotes in Newfoundland and Labrador

• Coyote: Harvest providing valuable insight into coyote ecology (15.0 MB)
• About Coyotes (5.5 MB)
• Living with Coyotes in Newfoundland and Labrador (101 KB)
• Coyote: new predator, new territory (1.4 MB)
• Coyote: Biology, Management and Harvest Strategies (399 KB)

New Predator, New Territory

The Eastern Coyote belongs to the Canidae family, which also includes wolf, fox and dog. Although coyotes are relative newcomers to insular Newfoundland, they have quickly carved their niche here since their arrival in the mid-1980s.

• Coyotes were first reported on insular Newfoundland when “wolf-like dogs” were seen crossing the ice near the Port au Port Peninsula in the spring of 1985. The first confirmed coyote on the Island was a pup hit by a car near Deer Lake in 1987.
• By the mid-1990s, coyotes were confirmed throughout most of the Island of Newfoundland. Reports have also confirmed the presence of coyotes in central and southern Labrador.

Coyotes are now considered native to Newfoundland and Labrador because they extended their range naturally and through their own efforts. No other carnivore in recent years has expanded its range as successfully as the coyote, which has moved from the Midwestern United States throughout most of North America in the last 100 years.
One reason for the coyote’s success is its ability to adapt to a variety of habitats. These carnivores are opportunistic and will eat anything available, including caribou, moose carrion, snowshoe hare and other small mammals, birds, fruits and berries, garbage, birdseed, and on occasion, house pets.

Identifying Coyotes

Photos by: Jim Robertson

Like most animals, coyotes usually have a natural fear of people, but they also possess natural intelligence and can quickly get used to life in residential areas as long as they have easy access to food. Although attacks on humans are extremely rare, they can occur if a coyote becomes too comfortable around people and starts associating humans with food.

• Slimmer and smaller than a wolf, usually weighing about 25 to 40 lb., and measuring about 4-5’ long and about 2’ high at the shoulder. Females are slightly smaller than males.
• Tawny, black-tipped, bushy tail, generally carried below the horizontal line of the animal’s back, with a scent gland located at the root of the tail. Strong-smelling urine is used to mark its territory. Coat is usually tawny gray with black tips, with white fur on its throat, belly and inside the ears. Long, soft fur is light-coloured in winter, darkening in summer.
• Legs, paws and long, pointy muzzle are reddish yellow. Unlike most dogs, the top of a coyote’s muzzle forms an almost continuous line with the forehead. Eyes are yellow; ears are wide, pointed and erect.
• Communicate using a complex vocal system; commonly two short barks and a long, wavering yodel. Excellent hearing and vision. Agile runners, reaching speeds of more than 60 kilometres an hour.

Are coyotes dangerous?

We live in harmony with most wildlife in Newfoundland and Labrador, often without even realizing it. Our forests and barrens are home to many animals; unless we intentionally seek them out, some people can go a lifetime without being aware of their presence. As long as humans and wildlife respect each others’ boundaries, conflicts can be avoided – but we all have to do our part to make sure we don’t encourage behaviour that could cause problems for wildlife.

If coyotes are near your home:

• Never leave edible garbage or pet food outside.
• Limit use of birdseed, and pick up fallen fruit around your property.
• Keep pets indoors, or under supervision when outside. Roaming or unattended pets
  are an easy target for coyotes. Have pets spayed or neutered to avoid attracting coyotes.
• Never attempt to tame a coyote by feeding it.
• If you are having a problem with coyotes near your home,
  contact a local Conservation Officeror other authority.

If a coyote approaches you:

• Stop, remain calm and assess your situation.
• Never approach or crowd a coyote — give it an escape route.
• If the coyote seems unaware of you, move away quietly when it is not looking in your direction.
• If the coyote is aware of you, respond aggressively: wave your arms, shout, and maintain eye contact. Carry a whistle and blow it to startle the animal.
• Throw rocks, sticks or other objects at the coyote. It’s a good idea to carry a walking stick with you for protection if necessary.
• If the coyote continues to approach, back away slowly and move toward buildings or human activity. Do not turn away or run. This will encourage the coyote to chase you.
• If the coyote attacks you, fight back.

For more information, or to report a coyote sighting, please contact:

Department of Environment and Conservation

Wildlife Division

P.O. Box 2007
117 Riverside Drive

Corner Brook, NLA2H 7S1

Tel: (709) 637-2025