Coyotes are widely present across Wisconsin, found in every county. These adaptable canids have successfully integrated into various landscapes, from rural areas to urban centers.
Where Coyotes Are Found
Coyotes demonstrate exceptional adaptability, thriving in a broad spectrum of habitats across Wisconsin, including rural farmlands, suburban developments, and urban green spaces within cities like Milwaukee and Madison.
These animals often favor woodland edges, brushy areas, and prairies that offer sufficient cover and hunting opportunities. In urban environments, they frequently utilize parks, golf courses, cemeteries, and other natural corridors, moving between these patches of green space. Urban coyotes tend to have smaller home ranges compared to their rural counterparts, adapting their territories to the availability of food and shelter in human-dominated landscapes.
Understanding Coyote Behavior
Coyotes are opportunistic omnivores. Their diet is diverse, including small mammals like rodents, rabbits, and hares. They also consume insects, fruits, berries, and carrion, with deer carcasses being a common food item in Wisconsin.
While often perceived as solitary, coyotes can exhibit various social structures, from living alone or in pairs to forming small family groups or packs. In Wisconsin, mating typically occurs between February and March, with litters of 3-7 pups usually born in April. Pups are raised in hidden dens, often abandoned burrows or self-dug sites, and are cared for by both parents, with the male bringing food to the female and young.
Coyotes are primarily crepuscular and nocturnal. However, daytime sightings are not uncommon, especially in areas with minimal human interference or when they are actively hunting. Their keen senses of sight, hearing, and smell assist them in navigating their territories and locating prey.
Coexisting with Coyotes
Minimizing conflicts with coyotes involves reducing attractants and establishing clear boundaries. Securing outdoor food sources is a primary step; this includes keeping trash cans tightly lidded, avoiding leaving pet food outside, and collecting fallen fruit from trees. Bird feeders can also attract rodents, which are a natural prey for coyotes, so managing spillage is also important.
Protecting pets requires vigilance, particularly for small dogs and cats, which coyotes may perceive as prey. Keeping cats indoors and supervising dogs on leashes, especially between dusk and dawn when coyotes are most active, can help prevent encounters. Fencing yards with barriers at least six feet tall and extending below ground can also deter coyotes.
If a coyote appears too comfortable around humans, hazing techniques can help re-instill their natural fear. This involves making yourself appear large, making loud noises (like yelling, clapping, or using noisemakers), and throwing objects towards, but not at, the coyote. Continue hazing until the animal leaves the area completely.
Distinguishing coyotes from other canids like wolves or domestic dogs involves observing several physical characteristics. Coyotes are generally smaller and more slender than wolves, weighing 25-42 pounds, with a more pointed muzzle and larger, more erect ears. Wolves are heavier, 50-100 pounds, with blockier snouts and shorter, rounder ears.
Coyotes also typically carry their bushy, black-tipped tails low, often below a horizontal line, while wolves tend to hold theirs more in line with their backs. Domestic dogs vary widely by breed, but many have floppy ears, thicker builds, and their tracks often appear more erratic than the direct, purposeful stride of a coyote.