Over the last several decades, coyote (Canis latrans) populations have spread eastward, sometimes into populated areas. This continuous range expansion coupled with constant development and human population growth has led to a marked increase in human/coyote interactions.
With an increase in the number of interactions comes an increased potential for human/coyote conflict. This potential has garnered the attention of communities, wildlife professionals, and researchers in the northeast. For example, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) has recorded increasing numbers of complaints about coyotes from residents in suburban areas around the state.
To provide communities and managers with the tools needed to make informed management decisions, the DEC and Cornell University are conducting a multi-year study. We will investigate a variety of issues surrounding suburb dwelling coyote populations and human/coyote interactions. The study will include research into the behavior of suburb dwelling coyotes and well as the attitudes and behaviors of people in areas where coyotes live. You can find a more detailed description of the study methods below.
To understand coyote ecology in suburban areas, the research team will document the behavior of coyotes by measuring home range size, habitat use, movement patterns, and den-site selection.
Coyotes will be safely captured and equipped with VHF or GPS tracking collars. Each coyote will be marked with ear tags (color coded and numbered) for later identification by researchers and residents. Capture locations will be monitored once a day at a minimum, and checked more frequently relative to the proximity of people and pets in the area.
In conjunction with the movement data, diet analyses will be conducted to determine food sources used by the local coyote population. Researchers will sample transects regularly for coyote scat (fecal material), and analyze it for composition of undigested food items. This information will help to evaluate coyote use of suburban areas.
The human dimensions aspect of the study is designed to evaluate the interests of various stakeholders. This component of the research will include a series of informant interviews and surveys. To begin this process, discussions with community members who have encountered coyotes, and interviews with various town and county official will be conducted. This information will be used to formulate citizen surveys designed to assess the public’s beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors toward coyotes.
Interested parties can assist this study in a variety of ways. Researchers will need access to private and public lands for coyote capture and other monitoring activities. As part of the human dimensions work, community members may be contacted by one of our researchers and asked to participate in the study through interviews or surveys.
Now that a number of coyotes have been collared and tagged, community members can help with coyote observation. Coyote sighting information from residents will be vital to the study. You can report coyote sightings on this website by submitting a form through the “Sightings” link. Important information to record includes: date, time, street address, ear tag color and number, total number of coyotes seen, and a brief description of observed behavior.
The initial phase of this study will provide important insight into the ecology of suburban-dwelling coyotes and their interactions with people. It is anticipated that a comprehensive understanding of these circumstances will lead to management decisions that can help avoid human/coyote interactions with significant negative consequences.