THE COYOTE RULES
by Anita Rafael
Why coyotes are here to stay
Problem? Does Aquidneck Island have a coyote problem? Not really, according to wildlife biologist Charles Brown of the Rhode Island D.E.M. There are coyotes in every community in the state (except on Block Island he says), and controversies arise, from almost every naturalist’s point of view, because of the things that people do, not necessarily because of what the coyotes are doing.
Many of the factors that have made Canis latrans a “successful species,” as Brown puts it, are the same exact things that make our cultivated pastures, sprawling suburbs and landscaped streets so attractive and livable. For example, people like open spaces – for agriculture, scenic views and broad lawns. Coyotes like open spaces, too. In fact, the best places to go to observe coyotes are along the bushy borders of fields, vacant lots and golf courses. That is where they typically search for their preferred prey, a diet that includes field mice, rabbits, fawns, and even snakes and grasshoppers.
Prior to 1900, coyotes ranged only in the western and south-western U.S. The first confirmed presence of coyotes in Rhode Island was a non-rabid animal that was shot in Warren in 1969, although there were certainly some here before that date since both Massachusetts and Connecticut reported them as far back as 1957 and 1958.
The way you live and how coyotes live have much in common. Gardeners, for example, like compost piles, which they lavishly enrich with kitchen scraps. Coyotes adore compost piles ripe with such tasty snacks as yesterday’s salad, spoiled fruit and your stale donuts. Then, there are the suburbanites who spend a fortune on birdfeeders, filling them with all kinds of seeds, corn, fruit and nuts to attract a variety of species. You are right if you are thinking that to coyotes, birdfeeders are like the Golden Arches. They will show up regularly for whatever is on the menu. All the birds and mammals nibbling at your compost heap and clinging to your feeders are mouth-watering morsels to them, as well. Finally consider this: People build roads, and so, logically, the more asphalt we roll out, the more road-kill there will be. Coyotes know that paved surfaces offer fine dining and they are often seen trotting down the breakdown lane, hoping to scavenge fresh flesh along the double yellow line.
Coyotes, which average about 30-35 pounds for females and more for males, are bold predators, but they are otherwise extremely shy and elusive. Although they typically hunt at night, mainly to avoid people, says Brown, coyotes with a litter to feed will be out and about in daytime, too. A coyote seen crouching, then pouncing in a snow-dusted field in the dead of winter is not a deranged animal; it is one stalking its next meal.
A small male, with its long, dense fur, pointed nose and ears and black-tipped tail, one that you perhaps see languishing about, is likely to be a young adult without its own territory or mate, according to Brown. “Coyotes are highly territorial and pair for their lifespan,” he says, “but it takes a while for them to find a mate and establish hunting grounds.” Over a season or two, a transient may survive, but it will not breed. That is Mother Nature’s method – without traps, poison or ammo – of controlling their population. The natural death rate among young coyotes is brutal, Brown says, and there is a formula to it. Where food is scarce, their range may be up to 25 square miles, and therefore people see fewer coyotes. Fewer survive to adulthood. Where food is plentiful, their territories shrink accordingly and there are likely to be more encounters with people in populated areas like ours.
Lean, but not necessarily mean, these wild cousins to the family pooch are not exactly being driven out of their wilderness habitats by ruthless developers who are bulldozing fields and forests for new housing projects and mega-shopping malls; on the contrary, coyotes are naturally adapting to all the places where they can score an easy meal and dig a cozy den away from larger predators. In other words, to a coyote, your manicured “ranchette” is prime real estate, as comfy to them as a Wyoming prairie. Their ability to rely on animals, bugs or plants as a food source, and to thrive in any environment, from the frozen tundra to a festering trash heap, is in many ways enviable.
Here is an ecosystem tip: learn the general rules of encounters with wild animals, but find a way to give the coyotes in our midst their space, too. “No one knows exactly how many coyotes there are on Aquidneck Island, and it would be hard to even guess,” admits Brown, but since like you, they have abundant food sources, he points out that, like you, they are here to stay. In order to make our private properties coyote-proof, many more South American llamas may be here to stay, as well. Bueno, hablamos español?
DON’T SHOOT
What should you do when you repeatedly see a coyote on your property -- or a pack of them, which is likely a pair with 4 to 6 pups and tag-along adolescents? Admire them, but never lose sight of the fact that they have sharp teeth and a killer’s survival instincts. Here are a few coyote rules.
- Do not leave trash or pet food outdoors and stop composting temporarily. Young coyotes may actually become fond of you for providing them with a free lunch every day and fearlessly hang around even more.
- Trim and clean out all shrubs and brush that provide cover for coyotes or for the animals on which they prey.
- For peace of mind, fence your toddler’s play area at least 6 feet high with the bottom edge buried a few inches below ground.
- Get rid of sources of fresh water that are close to your house, for example, birdbaths.
Reconsider how many birdfeeders you really need and place them far away from your house. - In a paw-to-paw-to-hand match up with a coyote, you and your pet are likely to be the losers. Personally supervise your outdoor pets and in the event of a bite (out of Fluffy or yourself) get medical attention immediately.
- Inform wildlife officials if the coyotes become habitual beggars or if you feel threatened by their behavior.
