Coyotes

During the 1800s, coyotes were most abundant in the plains and semi-arid areas of the central and western U.S.  Coyotes were present in Iowa, but likely not in high numbers. 

Large apex predators, such gray wolves, mountain lions, and black bears, were also present and likely kept coyote numbers low naturally. As European settlement advanced westward across the Midwest through the 1800s, most of the large apex predators were eliminated from the landscape due to unregulated killing. From the late 1800s and early 1900s, ranchers raised herds of grazing livestock, mainly cattle and sheep, throughout the Midwest, Plains, and Western Rocky Mountain regions. 

During this era, government programs attempted to eliminate coyotes through poison, bounty shooting, and trapping due to conflicts between coyotes, people, and livestock. These efforts temporarily reduced coyote numbers, but unlike other predators which were functionally eradicated during this time, coyotes were extremely resilient and adaptable and their population increased quickly soon after these programs were reduced or eliminated.

In Iowa, coyotes were found statewide during European colonization, but were most common in the open prairies of central and western regions. Like other predators, coyotes were often killed whenever possible. Coyote bounties and circle hunts added further incentive for early Iowans to attempt to eliminate coyotes. Coyote numbers likely reached a low point during the 1920s, but were never fully extirpated like black bears, cougars, and gray wolves.

Coyotes are carnivores, primarily feeding on small mammals, including mice, voles, and rabbits, which comprises up to 90% of their diet. They will also feed on deer and their fawns at certain times of the year. 

But coyotes have an omnivorous diet that varies throughout the year, and including fruits, insects, birds, grains, plant matter, or other easy to access food items. 

In cities, studies have also found coyotes will scavenge in garbage, eat pet food, or occasionally capture and eat free-roaming cats. Around farms, coyotes may prey on chickens, calves, sheep, or goats. Coyotes will also scavenge wild animals or livestock killed by other means, such as vehicle collisions, hunters, or disease.

The variety of foods coyotes take advantage of throughout the year illustrates their adaptability to living in different types of areas whether it’s urban or rural habitat.

Coyotes are most active at night, especially in cities or other areas where humans are active during the day. In areas with fewer people, coyote activity tends to peak around dawn and dusk. These contrasting patterns demonstrate how coyotes have adapted to live with people.

Coyote social structure revolves around a territorial alpha pair and their offspring that forms a ‘pack.’ The male-female alpha pair participate in defending the territory, establishing a den, and raising the young to maturity. Other coyotes in the social group are subdominant and most often related to (i.e. offspring) the dominant pair. 

The pair typically has one litter per year with six pups per litter. Born around April or early May, the pups are initially nursed and then fed prey captured by both parents. Around six weeks of age, the pups start leaving the den to feed more on their own. 

Non-breeding coyotes are often solitary during summer when food is abundant, then form groups during the winter when food is scarcer. Eventually, young coyotes will disperse to establish new territories or replace their parents when one or both die or can no longer defend their territory.

Coyotes defend their territory through direct interactions with other coyotes, vocalizations, and scent marking. The most commonly observed behavior is vocalizations - high pitched yips, barks, and howls – that announce their presence to other family groups and help strengthen social bonds within their family group. This is commonly at dusk or the first hour of darkness. 

This noisy behavior can lead to overestimates of coyote numbers which can add to misconceptions about the risk coyotes pose to humans, pets, game, or livestock.

Another behavior, witnessed often in urban settings with high human traffic areas, is escorting. This behavior comes about as coyotes keep an eye on activity in their territory, especially near active den locations. Coyotes will watch, sometimes sitting in one place or sometimes by following at a distance, to make sure that potential threats to their pack leave the area. This behavior is often confused with stalking but it differs by not being predatory in nature. Careful attention to body language can help tell the difference.

Coyotes are considered a habitat generalist, meaning they can be found almost anywhere. But they are most abundant in landscapes with large natural areas where prey is plentiful and people are relatively rare. 

In rural areas, this means coyotes are most abundant in landscapes with interspersed grasslands, pastures, forests, or other natural areas not in row crops. In cities, this means that coyotes are most common around green spaces, including parks, preserves, walking/biking trails, golf courses, river corridors, or neighborhoods with more landscaping or other natural features.
 

Coyotes have been adapting to urban areas over the past 100 years, but even more so over the past 50 years as urban sprawl extends into what was once wildlife habitat. In today’s world, coyotes often live in urban areas and are seldom seen, but often heard in the evening, in the form of loud vocal yips and howls.

Ecologically, coyotes are at the top of the food chain in Iowa and play an important role as scavengers. Coyotes often provide free rodent control in urban areas by preying upon mice, rabbits, squirrels, groundhogs, and rats. They’ll often readily eat carrion they find such as roadkill or other animals that died from disease. In some way, they can be thought of as a “clean-up crew” in urban areas.

Besides their roles as predator and scavenger, there is inherent value in having coyotes around. Although they may take advantage of food scraps and abundant prey in urban areas, they are still wild and live on their own. While coyotes can become a nuisance in certain situations, many carry out their lives without being seen, adapting to our modern landscape. 

While largely categorized as a carnivore with most of their diet consisting of rodents and small mammals, coyotes consume a wide range of food items. Much like other canines, coyotes will often take advantage of easy food sources. Examples include spilled trash, items from compost bins, spilled bird seed, and pet food. Taking steps to minimize these items will decrease the draw of coyotes to humans.

• Do not feed coyotes. 

• Do not feed or water pets outside, or only do it once per day and immediately clean up any leftover or spilled food.

• Do not leave food for feral or stray animals.

• Contain garbage in a closed receptacle.

• Dispose of uneaten food from outdoor gatherings in the garbage.

• Do not dump food in backyards.

• Composting care:

  • Do not compost meat, poultry, fish or dairy

  • Turn compost often to speed up breakdown of food materials

  • Contain compost in a manner that is not accessible to wildlife

• Cleanup spilled birdseed and make sure birdfeeders are high so coyotes cannot reach them.

• Cleanup any dropped fruit from fruit trees.

• Clean grills regularly and/or store them inside.

Predator species compete with other predator species indirectly by utilizing the same food and space. They compete directly with aggression towards each other. Canine species are no different and are aggressive towards other canines as well as other predators. This is true in urban and rural settings and includes dogs and cats. During the mating season and near den sites, aggression will be increased further. These conflicts can be physically harmful or fatal.

Additionally, cats and small dogs may be perceived as potential food sources by coyotes. Food left out for unattended pets is an even more attractive food source. Steps should be taken to keep pets separate from wildlife to reduce the chance of negative interactions.

• Keep your pets separated from coyotes

• Do not leave pets unattended outside.

  • “Outdoor” cats and small dogs are potential prey for coyotes.

  • Keep the yard well lit while pets are outside or consider installing motion sensor lights.

• Do not feed or water pets outside, or only do it once per day and immediately clean up any leftover or spilled food.

  • Do not leave out food for feral or stray animals.

  • Cat feeding stations are a major attractant for coyotes and other wild animals.

• Particularly in the late winter breeding season and spring during pup rearing season coyotes will be more aggressive towards dogs. Keep dogs supervised and on a leash.

• If a coyote is encountered while walking a dog, do the following:

  • Do not let the dog engage with the coyote.

  • Keep the dog nearby or, if it is a small dog, pick it up.

  • Haze the coyote (see the Keep Coyotes Wild section).

  • Slowly and calmly leave the site by the way you came.

Exclusion can come in many forms and can be effective at keeping wildlife out of specific areas. This does not need to necessarily be a specific style. However, there are some things to consider.

If pets are kept inside a yard with an in ground electric fence or invisible fence, treat this as not having any fence for pet security. Invisible fences will have no bearing on wild animal movements despite being effective for the pet wearing the associated collar. Keep these pets under close supervision in areas known to have coyotes.

Chain link or mesh wire fencing can be effective for keeping wildlife out; however, interactions between pets and coyotes can still occur ‘through’ the fence. While the barrier should prevent any major injury, know that the interaction through the fence could lead to increased aggression and if the fence is not of sufficient height or has gaps in any location then the pet may get out or the coyote may get in. Maintain the fence and make sure there are no gaps. Additionally, make sure the fence extends under the ground 12 to 18 inches to prevent animals from digging under the fence.

Whether the fence is wire or wood, coyote rollers can be an effective solution to help keep coyotes out. Cats, dogs, coyotes, and other wildlife are able to leap, climb, and scramble impressive heights to get over fences. A coyote roller is a simple roller bar just a few inches in diameter that can be attached to the top of the fence. This takes away the ability for animals to use the top of the fence as leverage or to grab onto it. There are a number of different manufacturers for the product and most tout the product as easy to install by the customer.

If pets are in a fenced yard be sure the fence is appropriate for keeping coyotes out:

• 5 to 6 foot fence with a ‘coyote roller’ type structure on top or 8 foot fence of material that is not climbable

• Keep the yard lit while pets are present or install motion sensor lights.

• Supervise pets when they are outside even in a fenced yard.

• Loud noises such as yelling, whistles, clanging pots and pans, air horns, homemade noisemakers, etc… directed at the coyote from you.
• Make yourself look big by raising your arms in the air or waving an object in your hands.
• Throw objects towards the coyote such as sticks, rocks, or other objects.
• Use a garden hose or squirt gun to spray water at the coyote.
  • If you live in an area with more greenspace and increased coyote activity, consider investing in motion sensor sprinkler systems.
• Haze loudly and aggressively. Let it know that you are serious and give it 100% effort.
  • As with training dogs: Don’t ask it–tell it!
• Do NOT hide behind something when hazing: make sure the coyote knows it is a human that is hazing.
• Do NOT run away, but also do NOT chase the coyote.
  • Continue to haze until the coyote leaves.
• If the coyote does not leave the area with increased hazing efforts, remove yourself from the situation and report it to the city.
• Haze anytime a coyote is seen in an area that it should not be.
• Do NOT haze a coyote if it appears sick, injured, is cornered, or is with pups.

Nuisance Wildlife Control Operators (NWCOs) are private businesses that are licensed through the Iowa DNR to remove wildlife for hire and outside of standard seasons. NWCOs can be contracted to conduct trapping efforts in specific areas. They have experience with trapping and removal techniques for a number of wildlife species and work closely with and report activities back to the Iowa DNR. Contracting with an NWCO may be the most appropriate response in urban areas.

Coyote hunting is open all year. Coyote trapping season is from the first Saturday of November through the end of February.

• Iowa Hunting, Trapping, & Migratory Game Bird Regulations
  • Local ordinances apply

Trapping will not necessarily catch the specific intended coyote. However, it will target coyotes active in the specific area including the coyote involved with any incident.  Foothold traps are safe in case of accidental dog capture.  However, cable restraint devices (aka snares) may be needed in some circumstances. Snares can be effective but pose a higher risk of injury to other non-target animals in the area.  Walk-in style or cage traps are typically not effective with coyotes.