The coyote, Canis latrans, is a highly adaptable canid species whose presence has expanded dramatically across North America. As these animals have become established in diverse environments, including the Southeast, questions about their origins have become common. This article addresses the status of the coyote in South Carolina, examining its native range, expansion, and current management.
The Direct Answer: Non-Native Status
The coyote is not native to South Carolina or the Eastern United States. Historically, the species’ range was restricted to the deserts and open grasslands of the Western and Central United States and Mexico. The native canids of the Southeast were the now-extinct Eastern wolf and the critically endangered Red Wolf. Coyotes were unknown east of the Mississippi River until the 20th century. The first sightings in South Carolina were not recorded until the late 1970s, making them a recent addition to the state’s fauna.
The Process of Eastern Expansion
The coyote’s journey from the plains to the Atlantic coast was driven by human actions and biological adaptation. The primary factor allowing this expansion was the widespread elimination of the gray and Eastern wolf populations in the 19th and early 20th centuries. With these larger predators removed, a vacant ecological niche opened up, which the adaptable coyote filled. The expansion followed two main routes: one northward through Canada and the Great Lakes region, and another across southern states like Louisiana and Georgia.
As coyotes moved eastward, they encountered remnant wolf populations in the Great Lakes region, leading to significant interbreeding. This hybridization resulted in the “Eastern Coyote,” which is a larger and more robust animal than its purely Western counterpart.
Genetic studies indicate that the Eastern Coyote’s genome is a blend of Western coyote DNA, mixed with varying percentages of Eastern wolf, Gray wolf, and even domestic dog DNA. This genetic mixing provided the Eastern Coyote with the physical size and behavioral traits necessary to successfully colonize the denser, forested habitats of the East.
The first coyotes appeared in the upstate South Carolina counties of Pickens and Oconee around 1978. They arrived through both natural range expansion and illegal human introduction. Some individuals were illegally translocated and released by groups for the purpose of hound running, which accelerated their establishment. The South Carolina Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) confirms that they never imported coyotes for any reason, including deer population control.
Management and Population Status in South Carolina Today
Coyotes have expanded their range and are now established in all 46 counties of South Carolina, existing across all habitat types, from swamps and forests to suburban areas. The SCDNR classifies the coyote as a non-game species, meaning it is not subject to the same regulatory oversight as game animals. This designation reflects the state’s approach to the animal as an invasive nuisance species requiring year-round control.
The current management strategy encourages landowners and hunters to reduce the population through liberal harvest regulations. This aggressive approach addresses the animal’s impact, particularly its predation on white-tailed deer fawns, which is a concern for the state’s deer population.
Harvest Regulations
There is no closed season on private lands, and no hunting license is required to shoot a coyote within 100 yards of a home. The state also permits night hunting on registered properties and issues depredation permits for removing destructive individuals.
The average adult coyote in South Carolina weighs about 35 pounds, though some can exceed 50 pounds. Their coats range from grizzled grayish-brown to reddish-tan or almost black. While populations appear to have stabilized, the SCDNR offers guidance to help residents mitigate common nuisance issues, such as livestock predation and pet safety. The state emphasizes that the species is established and requires ongoing management rather than elimination.