Coyotes

Project Coyote Dogs and Coyotes Coexistence PDF

Project Coyote Hazing Field Guide (Coexisting Safely)

Project Coyote Why Killing Coyotes Doesn’t Work

Project Coyote Coexisting with Coyotes Downloadable Brochure

Masachusetts Learn About Coyotes

Massachusetts Prevent Conflicts with Coyotes

Massachusetts Printable Coyotes PDF

Texas Parks and Recreation: Coyotes

Newhouse Wildlife Rescue What To Do If You See a Coyote with Mange

Why You Shouldn’t Kill Coyotes in Urban Settings

Coyotes are known to overbreed or increase their reproduction rates when their population is reduced through culling or hunting. This phenomenon is referred to as a compensatory reproduction response and is common among species with high adaptability and resilience like coyotes. Here’s how it works:

Litter Size Increases: When coyote populations are reduced, the remaining coyotes often have larger litters. This is likely due to reduced competition for resources like food and territory, which leads to better overall health and reproductive success.

Higher Survival Rates: With fewer individuals, there is less competition for resources, so more of the pups in each litter survive to adulthood.

Earlier Mating: Female coyotes may breed at younger ages when population density decreases, which further boosts reproduction rates.

More Breeding Pairs: In stable populations, only the dominant pair in a pack usually breeds. When populations are reduced, subordinate coyotes may start breeding as well, increasing the overall birth rate.

This resilience makes coyote population control efforts particularly challenging. Killing large numbers of coyotes often results in a rebound effect, where their population can recover quickly and even exceed previous levels. This is why non-lethal methods like habitat modification and deterrents are often recommended for long-term coyote management.

Here are several scientific studies and authoritative sources indicating that killing coyotes is ineffective for population control and can be counterproductive:

1. “Why Killing Coyotes Doesn’t Work” by Project Coyote: This document explains that indiscriminate killing of coyotes fails to serve any beneficial wildlife management purpose and can disrupt ecosystems.

2. “Killing Coyotes Is Not As Effective As Once Thought, Researchers Say” by NPR: This article discusses how lethal control methods do not effectively reduce coyote populations, as new coyotes quickly replace those that are removed.

3. “Why Killing Coyotes Doesn’t Make Livestock Safer” by Scientific American: This piece highlights that there is no clear evidence that lethal control reduces human-predator conflicts and may even exacerbate the problem.

4. “Coyote Control” by The Hunting Ecologist: This source indicates that attempts to decrease coyote populations through hunting are ineffective, as coyotes have resilient reproductive strategies.

5. “Coyote Populations Continue to Grow Throughout U.S.” by Kansas State Research and Extension: This article notes that despite long-term efforts to control coyote populations through lethal means, such methods have proven ineffective.

These sources collectively demonstrate that lethal control methods are not effective in managing coyote populations and can lead to unintended ecological consequences.