By Michele Byers
You’re in bed when suddenly the nighttime quiet is broken by a clamor of howls and yips.
Or maybe you spot what looks like a stray shepherd-mix dog in your yard.
They may be Eastern coyotes, wild relatives of domesticated dogs. Coyotes are now regularly seen even in New Jersey’s not-so-wild places.
According to Andrew Burnett, a principal biologist for the state Division of Fish & Wildlife, there are an estimated 5,000 to 10,000 coyotes living in New Jersey.
“They’re seen pretty much everywhere in the state,” he says. “They’re in all 21 counties and at least 430 municipalities.”
In fact, he said, the only places coyotes haven’t been reported are in the area around Camden and in a cluster of small Bergen County towns.
Coyotes resemble small German shepherds, but with longer snouts and bushier tails. Their coloring can range from gray to black, brown, blond and red. One good way to identify them is by tail position: unlike most domestic dogs, coyotes tend to hold their tails below a horizontal position while standing, walking and running.
Coyotes are not native to New Jersey, and how they got here is somewhat of a mystery.
The state’s first reported coyote sighting was in Lambertville in 1939. While it’s possible coyotes naturally migrated to New Jersey from the west and north, some wildlife officials think private citizens may have smuggled some into the state prior to 1950. Contrary to rumor, said Burnett, New Jersey Fish & Wildlife has never “imported” coyotes from other states.
Like white-tail deer and black bears, coyotes have proven very tolerant to living in close proximity to humans and development. Yet they are generally shy and afraid of people.
They primarily hunt rodents and rabbits, but they’re omnivorous and opportunistic and will make a meal of just about anything, including garbage, pet food and roadside carrion.
Coyotes are mainly nocturnal, but parents raising a litter of pups may be seen hunting during the day. In late summer and fall, they usually stay in small family groups, but by the time their February breeding season approaches, they’ll become more solitary.
Coyotes may not be native to this state we’re in, but they’ve come to play an important role by keeping rodent populations down in urban areas in the absence of native predators like snakes and hawks. They also may be helping to reduce New Jersey’s over-abundant deer population, Burnett said, although there haven’t been any scientific studies to confirm that impact.
One thing for certain, Burnett said , is that coyotes are here to stay: “They’re extremely adaptable.”
Fish & Wildlife offers the following tips:
Never feed coyotes; it causes them to lose their natural fear of humans.
Don’t feed pet cats or feral cats outdoors; both the food and the cats could attract coyotes.
Put garbage in tightly closed containers that can’t be tipped over.
Bring pets indoors at night.
If you see coyotes in your yard, make loud noises, throw rocks or spray a garden hose to let them know they’re not welcome.
If you observe coyotes in the daytime that show no fear of humans or appear aggressive, contact your local police and the Division of Fish and Wildlife at 908-735-8793. Outside of normal business hours, call the DEP Hotline at 877-WARN-DEP.
Michele Byers is executive director of the New Jersey Conservation Foundation. For more information, contact her at info@njconservation.org or visit NJCF’s website at www.njconservation.org.
