Eastern Coyotes

The eastern coyote resembles a medium-sized dog but has a longer, denser coat and erect ears. The tail of a coyote is long, bushy, and has a black tip. Coyotes can range from gray to red to nearly black, they generally weigh between 33 and 47 pounds depending on age and gender. Adult coyotes actively maintain a territory ranging from 2-30 square miles, this is where they travel, den, and hunt. Coyotes breed in mid-February; pups are born in a den in April or May. Summertime is when humans tend to see the most coyote activity because the pups are out and about during day light hours. Coyote pups leave their den and explore, generally people see more than one pup, sometimes the entire litter together. Coyotes are opportunistic feeders; they’ll feed on whatever is easy and readily available. Their omnivorous diet includes rodents, rabbits, deer, birds, insects, fruits, and berries. In suburban areas coyotes have been known to prey on unprotected small pets. Coyotes do not generally attack dogs for food; if a dog is attacked by a coyote the coyote most likely saw the dog as a territorial threat.