A 2 MINUTE VIDEO OF A BEAUTIFULLY COLORED PENNSYLVANIA EASTERN COYOTE
SEEKING OUT A PORCUPINE MEAL-CLICK ON LINK TO VIEW
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qej8qqjthh8
Coyotes in Pennsylvania: What's the latest information and research?
Coyotes have been showing up in neighborhoods
across Pennsylvania with increasing
across Pennsylvania with increasing
frequency, often seen as threatening pet dogs and
cats, and occasionally snatching a
cats, and occasionally snatching a
pet for a meal. They also prey on the state's deer
herd, earning them some sworn enemies
herd, earning them some sworn enemies
in the ranks of Pennsylvania's hunters.
Wildlife researchers have revealed much about the
canines as they spread from the
American west to the East Coast, mixing with wolves
and dogs along the way. But,
and dogs along the way. But,
interest in coyotes remains high and new research
projects are being launched every year.
projects are being launched every year.
Here are some of the most recent details learned
about coyotes and their place among us.
about coyotes and their place among us.
The common misconception that coyote populations
can be controlled through
can be controlled through
mass-eradication efforts and organized coyote hunts
has been disputed for many
has been disputed for many
years, but late last year the biggest user of
mass-eradication efforts was hit with an
mass-eradication efforts was hit with an
official complaint.
The Public Employees for Environmental
Responsibility filed the complaint against
Responsibility filed the complaint against
the U.S. Department of Agriculture Wildlife Services’
use of a 1975 USDA study to
use of a 1975 USDA study to
support its mass-killing programs.
Wildlife Services’ coyote eradication program, and
state programs based on that
state programs based on that
national effort have killed 10s of thousands of coyotes
each year for several decades.
each year for several decades.
According to PEER, the 1975 study was never
peer-reviewed, as USDA guidelines
peer-reviewed, as USDA guidelines
require, and was based on data the authors concede
were largely speculative and
were largely speculative and
based on inadequate research. In addition, the 1975
study was based on western
study was based on western
coyote, but is used to support eradication efforts on
other coyote populations, like
other coyote populations, like
the eastern coyote in Pennsylvania and other eastern
states.
states.
Under its Information Quality Act guidelines, USDA is
supposed to make a decision
supposed to make a decision
on the complaint within 60 days. If it rejects the
complaint, the groups may appeal,
complaint, the groups may appeal,
thereby triggering a requirement that USDA create a
panel of experts to make a final
panel of experts to make a final
decision.
The genetics of the eastern coyote continue to
fascinate researchers like Roland Kays,
fascinate researchers like Roland Kays,
coyote biologist with the North Carolina Museum
of Natural Sciences.
of Natural Sciences.
His DNA work on the subspecies – one of 19 across
North America – indicates that
North America – indicates that
eastern coyotes are genetically 8-25 percent wolf
and 8-11 percent dog. The mix is
and 8-11 percent dog. The mix is
the result of coyotes expanding to the east and
interbreeding with wolves and dogs
interbreeding with wolves and dogs
along the way.
As a result of their genetic makeup, eastern coyotes
are significantly larger than their
are significantly larger than their
ancestors in the American West, an average 35
pounds, and some much larger,
pounds, and some much larger,
compared to an average 25 pounds in the West.
Maybe more than a million coyotes in the East
Kays estimates there are more than a million eastern
coyotes, inhabiting the entire
coyotes, inhabiting the entire
East Coast and as far west as Ohio. They live
everywhere from deep woods to the
everywhere from deep woods to the
largest cities.
With coyotes increasingly preying on pet dogs and
cats, often right in backyards,
cats, often right in backyards,
communities across the continent have been looking
for the means to deal with the
for the means to deal with the
large predators.
Everything from tracking coyotes fitted with
radio-collars to compiling reports of their
sightings and activities by the citizenry are being
employed to develop maps of their
employed to develop maps of their
whereabouts, even online, interactive maps.
Limited trapping and euthanizing has been
employed against particularly troublesome
employed against particularly troublesome
coyotes
Agencies like the National Park Service also have
been attempting to demonstrate that,
been attempting to demonstrate that,
despite their forbidding presence and vicious
reputation, and an occasional media story,
reputation, and an occasional media story,
coyotes do not kill all that many dogs and cats
DISTINCTIVE COYOTE SCAT
.
DISTINCTIVE COYOTE SCAT
.
Although it focuses on the smaller western coyotes,
an NPS citizen-science project has
seen volunteers dissecting coyote poop to determine
what the canines had eaten. From
what the canines had eaten. From
2001-03, more than 1,300 scat samples have been
examined, and very few remains of
examined, and very few remains of
pets have been found.
While many hunters worry about what they see as
an increasing impact on the deer
an increasing impact on the deer
population, in Pennsylvania and elsewhere, the
eastern coyote may not yet have fully
eastern coyote may not yet have fully
occupied the niche of an apex predator on
whitetails, according to John Benson,
whitetails, according to John Benson,
assistant professor of vertebrate ecology at
University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The subspecies may still be evolving in ways
that will enable it to take on that role
that will enable it to take on that role
completely.
In the meantime, the size of the eastern coyote – still
smaller than the wolf – allows it
smaller than the wolf – allows it
to be more of a generalist predator, able to prey on
everything down to rodents and
everything down to rodents and
insects and sustain itself with the nutrients available
from that smaller prey.
from that smaller prey.
A five-year study with radio-collared coyotes in New
York found that the canines eat a
York found that the canines eat a
wide variety of animals and plants, preying on fawns
heavily in spring and early summer,
heavily in spring and early summer,
and adult deer in the winter, although in relatively
small numbers and primarily on those
small numbers and primarily on those
already crippled or diseased.
The study also indicated that deer numbers
were actually growing in the presence of
were actually growing in the presence of
coyote populations
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