Should I be concerned about coyotes when I'm working outside?

ASK THE HORT AGENT

Question Should I be concerned about coyotes when I’m working outside?

Answer Most folks think of the Looney Toon or Merrie Melodies cartoons when they think about coyotes. These cartoons introduced the eastern U.S. to Mr. Wile E. Coyote. They also started and perpetuated two big misconceptions.

First, coyotes only live in the southwest desert areas. This is not 100% true. They are evenly distributed from southern Mexico to northern Canada. Coyotes have been spotted in every county in North Carolina. They are the only medium to large mammal that increases in number yearly despite human encroachment. Their population growth is primarily due to their adaptability. They can eat almost anything, live anywhere, and keep a low profile.

Second, coyotes are unsuccessful hunters. This is also not true. They hunt as individuals or in family packs. Mice, rabbits, snakes and other small animals are their primary food sources. However, coyotes can also kill fawns (baby deer), calves, cats and small dogs.

Since the average coyote weighs only 30 pounds, they are not really a threat to adults. On the other hand, children have been attacked all over the U.S.

“Ain’t he cute? He looks hungry. Give him a bowl of scraps.” These are famous last words. Like a stray dog, a coyote will return for more food. Unlike a stray dog, a coyote will never build a sense of loyalty simply because he is fed. Feeding is the number one reason people are attacked by wild animals. If you want to keep all your fingers and toes, try to resist the urge.

Simply allowing a coyote to hang around your house can also get you or your kids bit. With time and exposure a coyote will lose his natural fear of humans. This process may take regular exposure for weeks or months. This loss of fear may cause small children to be placed on the menu. On the other hand, just because you see a coyote a couple of times a month doesn’t mean he is any less scared of you.

A gardener is more likely to hear a coyote than see one. Coyotes make a mixture of high-pitched calls that may be a long rising and falling note (a howl) or a series of short notes (yips). These vocalizations are usually heard at dusk or night. While they make noise throughout the year, coyotes are most vocal during the spring and fall.

For more info on coyotes, check out http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/nreos/wild/pdf/wildlife/COYOTES.PDF or http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/UW127 If you have questions, then call 910-893-7533 or email me at gpierce@harnett.org

Wile E. (Ethelbert) Coyote and the Road Runner were created in 1948 by Chuck Jones for Warner Brothers. Mr. Jones based the cartoons on Mark Twain’s Roughing It, where Twain noted that “coyotes are starving and would chase a roadrunner.”

During each cartoon, a scientific name would appear under Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. Over a 50 year period, nearly 30 different scientific names were used in these cartoons. While the actual scientific name for a coyote is Canis latrans, my favorite cartoon scientific names are Eatibus anythingus, Hungrii flea-bagius, and Dogius ignoramius.

Gary E. Coyote

Super Genius

Harnett County