The Eastern Coyote - at a glance

(Courtesy of the
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation) 

Description:  The Eastern coyote looks like a medium-sized German shepherd dog, with long thick fur. The tail is full and bushy, usually carried pointing down. Ears are erect and pointed.

Length:  4 to 5 feet (including tail)

Weight:  35 to 45 pounds (males usually larger than females.)

Color:  Variable, from blonde or reddish blonde to dark tan washed with black. Legs, ears and cheeks usually reddish.

Coyotes in Suburbia

The Eastern coyote, commonly believed to live only in the more wild parts of New York, readily adapts to living close to people. Coyotes live throughout upstate New York. They have been sighted in parts of New York City, and are common in the suburbs north of the City. As unlikely as it may seem, human development makes surprisingly good coyote habitat. The abundant coyote food supply (e.g., rabbits, squirrels, deer, cats, small dogs, garbage, and pet food) makes living in close to people worthwhile.

As coyotes increasingly adapt to people, more encounters between humans and coyotes will occur, either as sightings, confrontations with pets, disturbed garbage or pet foods, or howling at night. Some background on coyote habits may help people understand these encounters and solve any problems that occur. To minimize conflicts, it is important that suburban residents do their part to maintain the natural fear that coyotes have of people.

The Coyote Diet

What do New York coyotes eat? A coyote's diet depends on one thing - what is easiest to find or catch and kill. During the summer, coyotes will feed heavily upon berries, insects, and rodents. During early fall they rely on abundant grasshoppers. Small mammals become the prey of choice during late fall and winter. As winter becomes harder and small mammal populations decline, coyotes turn toward their largest prey - whitetail deer. Deer killed by vehicles and other causes (carrion) can be an important food source for coyotes. Lacking any carrion, coyotes can, will, and do kill healthy adult deer. Coyotes in the spring time can have an impact on fawn survival in localized areas.

How Many Coyotes live in New York

After hearing a family group of coyotes howl, it is easy to get the impression that the woods must be overflowing with coyotes. In reality there were probably five or six. A few coyotes make a tremendous amount of noise when they want to. The eastern coyote does not form a true 'pack' with multiple adults living together like their relative the wolf. Instead they are organized as a 'family unit'. Each family unit is made up of the adult pair and their pups from the current year. A family unit will defend a territory of 6 to 15 square miles against other coyotes. It is the territorial behavior of coyotes that limits their numbers in any one area. The coyote population in New York during the Summer is approximately 20,000-30,000.

Young of the year coyotes are driven from their parents' territory between September and March. These young coyotes travel up to one hundred miles in search of a vacant territory to claim as their own.

How Did Coyotes Arrive in New York?

There are two theories to explain the presence of Eastern coyotes in New York. The first theory is that coyotes were here before Europeans settled North America. The clearing of the forest for farms and homes forced coyotes to retreat to unsettled areas of the northeast, e.g., the Adirondack mountains. The return of the forest during this century coincided with the return of the coyote.

The second, and more widely accepted theory, is that the Eastern coyote is a relatively new species in New York. This theory suggests that western coyotes extended their range eastward, eventually forming a distinct subspecies.

Whichever theory is true, coyotes have been present in New York at least since the 1930's, and firmly established themselves by the 1970's. They are here to stay.

Coyotes or Coydogs?

The large canid which resides in New York is a true species; they are not a hybrid. The proper name is the Eastern Coyote, Canis latrans. Coyotes and dogs theoretically can interbreed to produce what is called a 'coydog'. However, these crossbreeds have a reproductive cycle of dogs, not coyotes, and will give birth at times of the year when the pups cannot possibly survive (i.e., January). In addition, there are behavioral differences between dogs and coyotes which prevent crossbreeding from occurring. Coyotes want to mate with other coyotes and not with dogs. Coyotes are actually more likely to prey upon a domestic dog instead of mating with it. It is in this manner that dog genes are prevented from entering the gene pool of true coyotes, maintaining the two separate species. Coydogs occurred at the leading edge of coyote range expansion during the 1950 to early 1970's. The occurrence of a coydog would be an extremely rare event in New York today.

Coyote Hunting and Trapping

New York hunters and trappers report harvesting over two thousand coyotes each year.

All of Upstate New York is open for coyote hunting, a small game hunting license is required. All of Upstate New York is also open for coyote trapping, a trapping license is required.

Consult the NYS Department of Environmental Conservation's (DEC) Hunting and Trapping Regulations Guide for more information on Coyote hunting and Trapping.

The Environmental Conservation Law allows 'problem coyotes' to be killed at other times of the year. Section 11-0523 says coyotes that are "injuring private property may be taken by the owner, occupant or lessee... at any time in any manner."

Tips on Avoiding Conflicts with Coyotes

New Yorkers may see coyotes more frequently during the spring and early summer because they will be raising their litters. Coyotes live throughout upstate New York, and the period from April through June is the peak of their pup-rearing activity.  Coyotes have a high demand for food at this time of the year, and residents are more likely to see a coyote because of their increased activity in our environment.

DEC Recommendations

Coyotes are seen in both developed and rural areas. Homeowners should take sensible precautions to avoid attracting coyotes to their property. As highlighted in the April 2005 issue of the New York State Conservationist, DEC has issued the following recommendations to reduce the chances for a negative encounter with a coyote:

• Never feed or attempt to get close to a coyote.
• Keep pets under control, and be sure not to leave them out at night. Coyotes may kill or injure a pet, especially small dogs and cats. Walk your dog on a leash and accompany your pet outside, especially at night. Provide secure shelters for poultry, rabbits, and other vulnerable animals.
• Control other sources of food that may attract a coyote-keep your trash secure and compost bins covered; closely monitor your bird feeders to ensure that they are not attracting other wildlife, and keep dog and cat food bowls inside. Coyotes that rely on wild food sources remain wild and wary of people.
• Coyotes like areas where they can hide, yet still be near food. You can help by thinning brushy areas in your yard and closing off crawl spaces. Coyotes may use areas under buildings for resting or raising young.
• If others in your neighborhood are attracting coyotes, tell them about the hazards posed by coyotes and ask them to take the measures recommended above.

Be Cautious and Sensible

People should never try to get close to coyotes. Any coyote that shows unusual boldness or acts tame should be avoided. Coyote attacks directed toward people have occurred in the western United States. However, aggressive coyote behavior has also been reported in the eastern United States and in New York State.

DEC estimates that there are currently 20,000-30,000 coyotes statewide. As coyotes become more adapted to living near people, hearing or seeing coyotes may become more common. These increased sightings should not be interpreted as aggressive behavior. A coyote seen in overgrown fields, brushy areas, woodlands, or habitats in between these areas of natural cover is normal.