Coyotes are an extremely common and widespread presence across New Mexico, thriving in nearly every environment the state offers. The coyote is a highly adaptable canine predator that has successfully colonized diverse landscapes across North America. Their ecological flexibility allows them to persist in areas ranging from remote wilderness to densely populated urban centers throughout the state.
Widespread Presence Across New Mexico
The coyote’s success in New Mexico stems from its ability to exploit a wide range of available resources and habitats. They are found across all of the state’s 33 counties, from the low-lying grasslands along the Rio Grande to the high-elevation mountain forests. Their population remains robust because their primary means of survival is not dependent on a single prey species, allowing them to adjust quickly to local conditions.
The ecological resilience of the coyote is evident in their ability to bounce back from human management efforts. In New Mexico, coyotes are classified as unprotected furbearers or nongame species, meaning residents do not require a license to hunt them, and there is no closed season or bag limit. This lack of restriction has historically failed to control their overall population, as coyotes often compensate for increased mortality by having larger, more frequent litters. This biological response ensures they quickly refill territories.
The state’s varied terrain, including the vast public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management and the US Forest Service, provides ample space for movement and denning. Their presence in these areas helps maintain the balance of the ecosystem by controlling populations of smaller mammals. Coyotes are the largest and most common apex predator in the New Mexico portion of the Chihuahuan Desert.
Understanding Coyote Habitats and Diet
Coyotes display physical and behavioral adaptations depending on the bioregions they inhabit. Those living in the high desert or mountainous areas often have fur with more black and gray shades, while their counterparts in warmer, lower elevations may exhibit more fulvous or whitish-gray coats. They typically establish dens in protected areas like enlarged burrows abandoned by other animals, arroyos, thick brush, or rocky outcrops.
Their diet is broadly omnivorous and highly flexible. In arid regions like the Chihuahuan Desert, their diet favors medium-sized prey, such as black-tailed jackrabbits and other rodents, which provide a high energy return for the effort. They also consume significant amounts of vegetative matter, including berries and cactus fruit, depending on the season.
In forested and mountainous areas, their feeding habits shift to include deer remnants, carrion, and a wider variety of small mammals. Urban coyotes, particularly those near Albuquerque and Santa Fe, are known to primarily consume small rodents, like voles and mice, alongside cultivated fruits and unsecured human food sources.
Coexisting with Coyotes in Urban and Rural Areas
Managing human-coyote interactions requires consistent, practical measures to discourage their presence. A primary step is eliminating attractants that draw them into yards and neighborhoods, such as securing all garbage bins with tight-fitting lids. Pet food and water bowls should never be left outside, and fallen fruit from trees should be removed promptly, as these provide easy, high-calorie meals.
Coyotes may view small dogs and cats as prey. It is advisable to keep small pets indoors, particularly at night, and to never allow any pet to roam unattended, even in a fenced yard. In rural settings, livestock owners can utilize specialized fencing, such as net-wire, or employ guard animals like donkeys or llamas to deter predation.
If a coyote approaches or lingers, residents should use “hazing” techniques to reinstate the animal’s natural fear of humans. Hazing involves being loud, waving arms, throwing small objects nearby, and maintaining direct eye contact until the coyote retreats. While the state has prohibited organized coyote-killing contests, lethal control is still permissible for individuals protecting people or property, though non-lethal deterrence is generally the most effective long-term strategy for peaceful coexistence.