Able to easily adapt, coyote population continues to increase
The population of the ever-resourceful and easily adaptive coyote continues to increase in the state of Iowa, as it has done the past three decades. The most populated area in the state appears to be western Iowa, including the counties of Montgomery, Mills and Page, where numbers are almost double that of other state regions.
Vince Evelsizer, furbearer and wetland biologist for the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, said coyotes deserve respect due to their ability to survive and adapt. In fact, those two characterizations used by Evelsizer are main reasons behind their growth in numbers.
IDNR Wildlife Biologist Matt Dollison explained the IDNR obtains data on coyotes through the IDNR annual bow hunter observation survey, amongst other ways. He added an ideal habitat and an abundance of food are found in more rural areas, such as those in southwest Iowa.
“We have a nice mixture of woodland, grassland and cropland that is ideal for coyotes. We also have different prey available to them,” said Dollison.
Evelsizer said the main food source for coyotes is mice and rabbits, but they will also eat upland birds and deer, especially fawns, when given the chance. He added coyotes are often blamed for attacking livestock, which does occur occasionally, but more often the culprits are wild dogs.
“There is a lot of emotion and polarization with people hating or loving the coyote. We’re not saying the coyote is innocent, but they are often wrongfully accused,” said Evelsizer.
Coyotes are native to North America and nowhere else. Evelsizer said they can live alone or in packs, sometimes doing both.
“Coyote packs usually start with a male and female pair, with members of the litter sometimes joining. Some nights, or at certain times of the year, the packs will stay together and other times, split apart,” Evelsizer said..
Coyote packs are usually either a nuclear family centered around a reproductive female and her monogamous mate or an entirely unrelated group of animals, who may be bachelors or too young to reproduce. Evelsizer said the unrelated groups disband much more readily than families, who will generally stay together for at least the better part of a year, sometimes more.
“Non-reproductive sisters or daughters may stay with a reproductive female for another whole season to help raise the next litter of pups. Even when they don’t, familial females generally stay closer to their mother’s home range than their brothers do,” Evelsizer said.
An average litter size is five to six pups born in the spring. He added pups have a relatively high survival rate.
Able to run at speeds up to 40 miles per hour, a small coyote pack can be fairly formidable. Adult coyotes weigh roughly 30 to 35 pounds and have a pointed snout with ears that is larger proportionally in to their body.
Evelsizer said 10,000 to 15,000 Iowa hunters annually pursue the state’s top predator in January, when the season starts and especially if there is fresh snow on the ground.
He continued to say that although the coyote’s hunting season is open year-found, they are hunted most often during the winter and the number of coyote hunters has been steadily increasing as are the values of a coyote’s pelt.
“In 2017, coyote pelts in Iowa ranged from $2 to $30 per pelt depending on the quality and Iowa’s pelts are considered average in the Midwest. Last year’s average price in Iowa was $21. The top pelts come from the Dakotas, Montana, and Saskatchewan and Alberta, Canada. Coyote fur is used as trim for hoods and coats in foreign markets.”