A Detailed History of The CoyoteWCCoyAdmin2017-08-05T20:13:51+00:00

ABOUT THE WONDERFUL COYOTE!

updated 08/05/2017

The Coyote can be called a rascal of the highest level. Native Americans call them the “trickster”. He is funny, clever, intelligent, resourceful, deadly, a survivor, dangerous, one of the most destructive and expensive predators in the United States, Mexico, and Canada without challenge. They cause millions of dollars in damage to wildlife, livestock, crops, pets, and more each year. Millions of dollars are spent each year trying to control this aggressive and spreading predator.

We at the World Championship Coyote Calling Contest® (WCCCC®) like, respect, and enjoy the coyote and clearly recognize the need for continuous control of this great predator. They are a part of natures management tools but it is certain that left unchecked they will increase in numbers, spread to all areas of the connected to our part of the Western Hemisphere, and eat everything. It is said;

“when the end comes there will be coyotes and coach roaches left in the world and the coyote will eat the coach roach and that will be that!” Some say that “Cher” will still be on tour too though.

Lets cover the details of the amazing coyote today;
1. A grown adult coyote averages about 18 to 25 pounds in the western states. They have been know to reach 40 some pounds in some cases but it is not common. The further east they travel they are larger and are reported to reach 60 pounds in some cases. Over all they are 3 times smaller than a common Timber Wolf. With their thick fur in the winter they look much larger than they really are.
2. They do breed with domestic dogs and are called coy-dogs. It is a proven fact that the coyote genes are dominant in the cross bred animals and by the second breeding they are 100% coyotes again.
3. We have no records of a wolf and coyote cross. Wolves are the natural enemy of the coyote and kill them every chance they get. Why they would breed is puzzling to us? There are reports of DNA tests concluding that wolves and coyotes do breed but we have not finished studying them to determine their accuracy, many reports like this lack “peer” review and confirmation. In the medical and most of the scientific world all reports, studies, and papers require peer review before being accepted. For some reason in the animal world it is not required for the most part. It is all very confusing at this point.
4. Western coyotes are NOT sustained pack animals and are well know to be solitary most of the time. The
  young do run with the adults for a short period of time after birth but split up quickly. Gatherings at night for a good howling and barking event are a social event and nothing more. We did discover that the animal Biologist have declared that a “pack” only requires three (3) coyotes and we sure disagree with that. They are attempting to compare them with a wolf pack and there are thousands more coyotes than wolves. To us a “pack” of coyotes would be perhaps 6 or more that run together day and night and NEVER break up.
5. Informal surveys of those that live out among the coyotes and also call them confirm that 90% of all coyotes seen are alone. The survey continues though.
6. Coyotes do not have “pack leaders” since they do not run in packs. Just as with humans there are dominate ones and they can be male or female. This is well known and common fact with those that see and deal with coyotes.
7. If adult coyotes are removed the rest of the pack does not suffer the loss as they are NOT pack animals. It has been stated by researchers that a “dominate” member of a group of coyotes is replaced within 24 hours too. To think that this predator has an emotional side or actually “morning” the loss of another coyote is ludicrous for sure!
8. Coyotes do not mate for life. Meaning they are totally “true” to only one other mate. They may travel together but they do mate with other coyotes to keep the “gene”pool circulating. There are no scientific provable long term studies where coyote pairs are collared and monitored for the span of their life to prove such a claim. If you know of one send it to us for study. As we know, the dominate species on the planet, humans, often do not mate for life either.
9. Adult coyotes may share in the raising of the young as do ALL other wild animals. This is not a unique trait for this predator. It is a fact that during the denning time the night grows very silent as the denning coyotes do not want to give away their location because other coyotes will come and kill the young (competition). The grown young coyotes DO NOT stay with the group very long and they are generally solitary anyway. They DO NOT run in packs (6 or more). We do not agree that three (3) is a “pack”.
10. It is also said that coyote determine a territory and will defend that territory to the death! In 50 years of dealing with coyote we have not see battle scares on coyotes to support such a wild claim. We have observed coyotes in a large feed group and have NEVER seen them fight with each other. A mild amount of “chasing occurs” but an actual fight has not.
11. Attacks and injuries and even deaths to humans by coyotes are well documented and very provable for decades. They are a dangerous predator. They DO NOT have to be rabid to attack humans as is stated by many medical, and animal Control Officers. Nope NOT true.
12. Rural coyotes can travel many many miles for food each day. It is well documented that the general range is about 7 miles but they will travel up to 30 miles each way daily to feed on a downed animal.
13. Urban coyotes can have traits that vary greatly from rural coyotes. They are far less concerned about humans than a remote rural coyote will be. They have learned to live among the humans. The density per square mile for urban coyotes is much higher than rural coyotes too. Rural density is about 1 coyote per square mile and in the urban areas it can be 4 or 5 coyotes per square mile and growing.
14. Coyotes eat everything possible and are true survivors at the highest level. So far the only thing we have seen they do not seem to like are rocks. Horse and cow manure, nuts, seeds, fruit, candy, harness leather, paper, vegetables, grass, their own feces, and much more are common. On the rocks, give them time though.
15. Coyotes do not have a secret special sense that tells them they need to produce more pups. Pup production and survival greatly depends on the health of the female, available food sources, weather conditions, and the success of keeping the pups away from other predators and harm.
16. Coyotes do not “self regulate if left alone-no hunting-as some claim too. This means that they
  have some secret sense to know how many pups to have in a litter each year or how many coyotes need to breed to keep the population at a specific level. It is ridiculous to think this in anyway. If this had any truth to it then explain why there are 2,000 coyotes in metro Chicago where they are not hunted and the population is growing. They sure did not start with just 2 coyotes and stop there.Basically there are those that want to stop coyote hunting and basically let the coyote decide how many coyotes are in the world-not humans! Go figure???
17. Coyotes primary food varies depending on the area they live. Urban coyotes eat cats, dogs, trash, mice, rats, apples, bananas, chicken bones, and even some dog food. Rural coyotes eat rabbits, deer, all types of live stock, mice, voles, prairie dogs, gophers, quail, and on and on. They both will eat livestock feces and their own to survive.
18. Coyotes do eat carrion, watermelon, apples, corn, horse dung, cattle dung, snakes, fish, and more. Carrion is NOT a huge part of the diet unless there is nothing else available. They will survive. Many times when a coyote is seen on a rabbit struck by a car they are just investigating it first. They will eat it though if hungry.
19. Coyotes, like any warm blooded mammal including humans, can contract rabies. It is not common in them though. Basically cases are pretty rare but it can happen. Arizona averages 1 rabid coyote per year in the entire state as an example.
20. Coyotes commonly contract mange and most often die from it. As a social animal they pass it from one to another and generally loose all the hair except a few places like the tuffs of the ears, tip of the tail and a few other places. The sun generally burns the body black in the summer and with no fur for warmth they freeze to death in the winter. It is common to have a mange infected coyote move into a residential area and live under a house for the warmth in the winter too.
21. Like any canine, coyotes have fleas and ticks and most often get them from the animals they kill, from the soil, from the trees and brush, and during social contact with other coyotes. The quantity of fleas and ticks seem to be far less than foxes and bobcats for some reason.
22. Coyotes are known to kill grown large deer, large sheep and goats, and even larger calves single handedly. It does not take a pack to do this in any way. They will often run the larger animal until it becomes exhausted and can not run any longer and they are taken.
23. Coyote will cooperatively hunt at times with clever ways to guide a deer or rabbit to others waiting to catch them. They are competitive in the food consumption and generally do not share the catch except through tough-a-wars for the food. Sealing it from each other.
24. Coyotes are drawn to the familiar sounds of injured animals of all types (as do deer, rabbits, birdand many other types of animals). They will respond to the sound of human infants crying too. The sounds of a baby crying are very similar to those of injured animals for they come and investigate. At times quite aggressively too.
25. Coyotes are a part of the ecological system in nature and should not be totally eliminated. It is well documented that they need to be monitored and controlled though.
26. Over the years coyotes have expanded their range and are now reported in the majority of the states in America. In the late 1980’s it was thought that they had yet to cross the Mississippi river. Now they are seen in downtown New York City.
27. Vocalization of coyotes leads many to feel there are far more barking and howling than there really are. The general rule of thumb is;
28. If you think there are 3 or 4 barking it is likely 1 or 2.
29. If think there are 5 or 10 barking there are generally 2 or 3.
30. If you think it is group of 20 there are generally 4 or 5.
31. If you think they are celebrating just catching a rabbit with their barking excitement that is never the case.
32. The largest group we have reported over the years traveling or responding to a coyote caller is eight (8). Please tell us if you have SEEN (not heard) more.
33. Groups of up to 50 have been seen feeding together (not traveling together) without conflict on mulch pits and dead piles at dairies where dead livestock and garbage are taken in large quantities.
34. Coyotes have been regularly seen waiting near a cow, deer, elk, sheep or similar giving birth so that it can attack, kill, and eat the freshly born animal. It is very common in large dairies where calves are born daily.
35. Coyotes are well known and documented to work in cooperation to draw or lure a domestic dog out away for the house and protection and then attack, kill, and eat the dog. This includes large and small dogs.
36. Coyote move all the time. Basically they are often here today and often gone today.
37. Coyotes DO NOT live in dens year around. They are much like a dog and sleep on the ground and enjoy sunning on cool days or staying in the shade when it is hot. They use dens for a couple of months to rear the pups and that is it. They relocate to open dens on a regular basis. They DO NOT setup house and stay in one place for very long.
38. It is well documented that when coyotes are continuously controlled the populations of deer, elk, antelope, calves, quail, pheasants, and more improve. Basically the survival rate improves greatly for the young animals. The economic value of this control must be evaluated on a regular basis too. But, it is a well known fact that control improves young animals survival rates.
39. It is well documented that when controls on coyotes stop they “fill in like water” and fairly quickly return to similar populations as before the control efforts started. This means that continuous control of coyotes is required. Once you start DO NOT stop!
40. It is well known that when experienced adult coyotes are removed, that is no longer available to train younger coyotes, the losses for livestock and deer, elk, antelope fawns greatly drops.
41. In urban settings when experienced adults are removed the younger inexperienced coyotes react differently to humans and more until they are allowed to learn on their own.
SEE THE DANGER AND DAMAGE COYOTES ARE AND WHAT THEY DO! THEY MUST BE CONTROLLED!

WE ARE HUNTER/NATURALIST’S DOING OUR PART FOR CONSERVATION FOR EVERYONE! Controlling the coyote is a necessary thing and is NOT evil as some want you to believe. Before you decide how you feel look at 100 years of documentation. It is real, it is scary, you will see that monitoring and control of the coyote is needed.