From: Meril, Rick
To: 'brent.patterson@ontario.ca' Sent: Tue Jul 10 07:05:19 2012
Subject: Re: Waterloo coyotes
Brent
Kind of you to respond.........it would be truly gratifying to be able to report in the near future ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,that coyote numbers flattened out due to a growing eastern wolf population causing coyotes to live on wolf territory margins...........That the Wolves had a stable population where they bred only with their own kind,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,and as happens with Gray Wolves and Coyotes in Western America, the two species co-exist, with Coyotes wary of their larger cousins...............A multi carnivore matrix in the East with Wolves, Blcak Bears and Eastern Coyotes, Pumas, Bobcats and Lynx all "dancing" alongside White Tail Deer, Elk, Moose,,,,,,,,,,,,and yes, even Caribou..............We all live for that day!
Have a good Summer!
Rick
Eastern Coyote
----- Original Message -----
From: Patterson, Brent (MNR)
To: Meril, Rick
Sent: Tue Jul 10 06:33:47 2012
Subject: RE: Waterloo coyotes
Hi Rick,
As you know coyote and wolf populations tend to follow that of their prey, and based on lower deer and hare/ rabbit numbers in recent years we had been expecting coyote numbers to decline as well. They finally did but it took a little longer for the decline to start than anticipated. The interesting thing is that rabbit/ hare numbers have bounced back very quickly across much of southern Ontario and so coyote pup survival should be excellent this summer/ fall and the decline in coyote abundance may be short-lived. Time will tell...
Eastern Wolf
I should also mention that the decline in coyote numbers is occurring across most areas of southern Ontario and that it hasn't been dramatic, but is noticeable. We index coyote numbers based on sightings recorded by deer and moose hunters and in most areas sightings of coyotes have dropped 15-30% over the past couple of years.
Finally, we still have mange in some areas but it never seems to reach epidemic proportions here. Rather it always seems to be locally common among coyotes in some areas of the province with most other areas being relatively mange-free.
Regards,
Brent
Brent Patterson
Research Scientist – wolves and deer
Adjunct Professor, Trent University, Environmental and Life Sciences Graduate Program
President, Ontario Chapter of The Wildlife Society
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources
Wildlife Research and Development Section
Trent University, DNA Building
2140 East Bank Drive
Peterborough, ON
K9J 7B8, CANADA
Tel: (705) 755-1553
Fax: (705) 755-1559
http://people.trentu.ca/brentpatterson/
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-----Original Message-----
From: Meril, Rick [mailto:Rick.Meril@warnerbros.com]
Sent: July 9, 2012 11:40 PM
To: Patterson, Brent (MNR)
Subject: Waterloo coyotes
Brent
Read the artile in THE RECORD today where u are quoted as saying the coyote population has fallen in recent years in the Waterloo region
Can you expand on that for me? Why the reduction? Saturation of territories? Disease?
Many thanks
Rick
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Urban coyotes at home in the city
Tim Krochak/The Canadian Press
WATERLOO REGION — There’s a reason the beloved cartoon coyote is named Wile E.
Coyotes are highly intelligent animals, possessing keen hunting skills and the ability to adapt to their surroundings and to learn from their experiences.
They’ve learned to take advantage of the bounty of food that an urban area can provide, while typically remaining out of sight from most of their two-legged neighbours. It’s only when they deviate from their low profile that it becomes newsworthy.
In January, a coyote is believed to have killed a dog running off-leash in Cambridge's Dumfries Conservation Area, while in April, a hound dog fended off an attacking coyote near the Huron Natural Area in Kitchener. More recently, a coyote was struck by a vehicle on East Avenue in Kitchener last month. The injured animal was caught by an officer from the Kitchener-Waterloo Humane Society and was humanely euthanized. Those kinds of calls are rare, said the humane society’s Gary Boes. “They’re pretty wary animals.”
Eastern Coyote
But experts say we’d likely be surprised by the number of city coyotes living quietly in our midst “There are a lot more coyotes in urban areas in southern Ontario than people think,” said Brent Patterson, a research scientist with the Ministry of Natural Resources.
“Most do a great job of staying under the radar … Most of them are well-behaved and keep to themselves.” Coyote populations across southern Ontario, on the whole, have actually been declining in the past year and a half to two years, Patterson said. That follows about a decade of population growth. “It will be interesting to see where it goes from here,” Patterson said. “It’s possible they come back quickly.”
And the past winter was a good one for coyotes, as a lack of snow made small animals even more vulnerable to the canine hunters. Rough population estimates for Ontario place about 30 to 40 coyotes in every 100 square kilometres, Patterson said. “The coyotes are here, they’re in most of our urban areas, but that’s not a problem in itself,” Patterson said
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