![]() ![]() Make loud noises, blast a canned air siren, throw rocks, or spray them with a garden hose. If coyotes are present, make sure they know they’re not welcome.Coyotes, as well as other predators, are attracted to areas where rodents are concentrated like woodpiles. Clear brush and dense weeds from around dwellings – this reduces protective cover for coyotes and makes the area less attractive to rodents and rabbits.Install motion-sensitive lighting around the house.Parents should monitor their children, even in familiar surroundings, such as backyards. Pick up fallen fruit and cover compost piles.Īlthough extremely rare, coyotes have been known to attack humans.Provide secure enclosures for rabbits, poultry, and other farm animals.Put away bird feeders at night to avoid attracting rodents and other coyote prey.Remove sources of water, especially in dry climates.Put garbage in tightly closed containers that cannot be tipped over.The coyotes feed on the pet food and also prey upon the cats. Feeding pet cats and/or feral (wild) cats outdoors can attract coyotes. Deliberately feeding coyotes puts pets and other residents in the neighborhood at risk. The following guidelines can help reduce the likelihood of conflicts with coyotes: Relocating a problem coyote is not an option because it only moves the problem to someone else’s neighborhood. They may cause property damage and threaten human safety, requiring euthanasia. However, coyote behavior changes if given access to human food and garbage. Although attacks on humans are extremely rare in eastern states, as with any predatory animal they can occur.Ĭoyotes play an important role in the ecosystem, helping to keep rodent populations under control. In suburban and urban areas, coyotes have occasionally attacked small pets. Allowing coyotes access to human food and garbage is irresponsible and can lead to problems. The loss of fur can result in making identification of a coyote difficult, resulting in reports of a “mystery” animal, or even a cougar.Ĭoyotes primarily hunt rodents and rabbits for food, but will take advantage of whatever is available, including garbage, pet food and domestic animals that are left unattended. Conflicts between coyotes and humans are most likely to develop as adults forage for food for the pups in the spring and summer.Ĭoyotes, along with foxes, are sometimes afflicted with mange which can result in significant hair loss. Coyotes bear litters during April and May, with females delivering between three and nine pups. They are tolerant of human activities and rapidly adapt to changes in their environment.Įastern coyotes differ from their western counterparts with a larger average size and various color phases, including blonde and black. They also consume carrion (decaying tissue). They prey on rabbits, mice, birds and other small animals, as well as young and weakened deer. Coyotes adjust well to their surroundings and can survive on whatever food is available. and exceptionally large ones may be up to 55 lbs. In New Jersey, adult coyotes range in weight from 20-50 lbs. Past interbreeding between wolves and coyotes may be responsible for the larger size and color variations in our eastern coyote. ![]() Another key difference from a domestic dog is readily noticeable even from a distance: The coyote has a habit of holding its tail below a horizontal position while standing, walking and running.Įastern coyotes differ from their western counterparts with a larger average size and various color phases, including blonde, red and black. The coyote is a wild member of the dog family and closely resembles a small German shepherd with the exception of its long snout and bushy, black-tipped tail. Regardless of how they got here, the coyote’s extremely adaptable nature have allowed them to survive and thrive throughout the state. To date, coyotes have been documented in nearly 400 municipalities from all 21 counties (94% of the state’s land area):Ĭontrary to public opinion, NJ Fish & Wildlife has never imported coyotes at any time in the past, although there is evidence that private citizens throughout the state have done so prior to 1950. NJDEP Fish and Wildlife received another 29 reports statewide sporadically over the ensuing 40 years, but increased significantly since 1980. The mounted skin is in the collection of the New Jersey State Museum in Trenton. The animal was described in newspaper accounts as “a long, bushy tailed animal looking something like a police dog but with the coloration of a coyote”. The first known record of coyote occurrence in New Jersey was recorded near Lambertville, Hunterdon County in 1939.
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