Coyotes are highly adaptable canids found across North America, thriving in diverse environments from wilderness to urban settings. Their ability to adjust to human-altered landscapes has brought them into increasing contact with people. Despite their ecological role in managing rodent populations and maintaining biodiversity, coyotes often face significant animosity from the public.
Threats to Pets and Livestock
One primary reason for public dislike of coyotes stems from the threats they pose to domestic animals. Small pets, such as cats and small dogs, are particularly vulnerable to coyote predation. Coyotes are opportunistic predators and may target these animals, especially during dusk, dawn, and night. Attacks on small dogs can occur rapidly, even when on a leash or in a fenced yard.
Beyond household pets, coyotes also prey on livestock, including chickens, sheep, and young calves, especially in rural and semi-rural areas. Lambs and newborn calves are most frequently attacked, with coyote predation being the most significant cause of livestock loss in the U.S. While the overall percentage of calves lost nationwide is low, typically around 0.5% of all calves, some individual farms experience substantial losses. These incidents lead to emotional distress for pet owners and economic hardship for farmers, contributing significantly to negative public sentiment.
Misconceptions About Coyote Behavior
Misinformation fuels animosity towards coyotes. A common misconception is that coyotes actively stalk humans for attack or are inherently aggressive without provocation. While attacks on humans are rare, they are often highly publicized and can involve younger children. Most coyotes avoid humans, and aggression is often linked to habituation from intentional or unintentional feeding by people.
Coyote behaviors, such as curiosity or territoriality, can be misinterpreted as aggression. For instance, a coyote following a hiker might be curious, or staring could be a sign of caution rather than boldness. Coyotes defending territory or pups during breeding season (February to June) may also act defensively towards other animals, including dogs. Urban coyotes, while more tolerant of human presence, generally remain wary and retreat from assertive human approaches.
Legacy of Conflict
Negative perception of coyotes has deep historical roots. Since European colonization, coyotes have been viewed as pests and competitors for game, an attitude that continues in many areas. Throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, this led to extensive eradication campaigns and bounties across North America. Early efforts to control predators, including coyotes, began in 1843, with bounties offered for their scalps.
Government predator eradication intensified, with the U.S. federal government participating in killing thousands of coyotes and wolves by the early 1900s. In 1934, the USDA stated its goal of total extermination in the United States. This history of human-wildlife conflict has ingrained a negative cultural narrative about coyotes, fostering distrust and dislike that persists even as scientific understanding of their ecological role has evolved.
Nuisance Behaviors
Nuisance behaviors also contribute to public dislike. Coyotes communicate through howling and yipping, which can be perceived as disturbing noise in residential areas. These vocalizations are primarily for social communication, such as locating pack members or defending territory, rather than signaling a hunt.
Their increasing presence in urban and suburban environments, including sightings in yards, parks, and streets, also contributes to unease. As human developments expand, interactions with coyotes become more frequent. Although coyotes are typically reclusive, their visible presence can create a sense of encroachment, leading to annoyance and a desire for their removal.