Biologist urges leaving coyotes alone
Killing coyotes to protect Maine farm animals can actually have the opposite result, Geri Vistein warns.
By Keith Edwards kedwards@centralmaine.com
Staff Writer
AUGUSTA — Coyotes, unlike many other wild carnivores, can coexist in fairly close proximity with humans, according to a Maine conservation biologist working with a national advocacy group.
A coyote roams next to a development in Hallowell recently. A Maine conservation biologist working with a national advocacy group says efforts to protect domestic animals from coyotes often have the opposite effect.
Andy Molloy/Morning Sentinel
But well-meaning efforts to help coyotes or protect domestic animals from them often have the opposite effect, Geri Vistein said.
“Coyotes are very capable of coexisting with us,” Vistein said. “But we need to keep coyotes wild, by never providing them food, water or shelter.”
On the other hand, killing coyotes to protect farm animals can actually have the opposite result, she said.
Vistein, representing the national Coyote Project, spoke recently at Lithgow Public Library in Augusta.
Stable, healthy families of coyotes are likely to be wary of humans, she said, while wandering, unhealthy or starving coyotes are more likely to snag an unprotected chicken or other farm animal. Killing coyotes that have established territories opens those territories to wandering, dysfunctional coyotes, she said.
When coyotes are killed off, local populations respond by increasing birth rates, from three or four per year per female, to seven to 16 pups per year, Vistein said.
Good fencing, keeping a guard animal such as a llama or dog and keeping animals sheltered at night can help protect them from predators, Vistein said.
A healthy, stable coyote population can actually be beneficial by keeping down the population of rodents – their dominant food source, she said.
Coyotes have lived in North America for a half-million years, and exist nowhere else, she said.
There are about 19,000 coyotes in Maine during the fall, and the number drops to about 12,000 during an average winter, said biologist Wally Jakubas, mammal group leader for the state Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife.
Over the past 10 years, the number of coyotes tagged by hunters or trappers yearly has been declining, Jakubas said, but it is unclear whether populations are getting smaller, he said.
Coyotes can be hunted year-round during daylight hours in Maine. There is no limit on the number of animals a single hunter can kill.
Vistein said she could support regulated hunting, with bag limits and a set season.
Jakubas said there are no records of coyotes attacking people in Maine but people have been attacked in other states.
Usually, Jakubas said, attacks have involved food.
“Ninety-nine percent of encounters with coyotes will be nonconfrontational, and everything will be fine. They are fairly wary of us,” Jakubas said. “On the rare occasion, they may be aggressive. If you encounter a coyote, watch its behavior. Its normal behavior will be to identify you and, often, it runs off. If it becomes aggressive, treat it as you would an aggressive dog. Shout at it, don’t run away, and stand your ground.”
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15 COMMENTS
zombie9 said...
My guard llama will spit on any coyote.
May 24, 2010 at 6:58 AM Report abuse
antiwhine said...
Just wondering if this biologist has ever seen a half eaten deer carcas in the deep snow of the winter woods beside a trail. The deer have been ravaged by cyotes while they were still alive! Next we'll see a group trying to save porcupines! This lame theory doesn't hold water in the real world of rural living. You are telling us to restrict the freedoms of our gentle family pets and to reinforce our fencing for livestock in favor of these brutal predators. Do you even have a clue what type of expensive and elaborate fencing it would take to keep cyotes out of a pasture of sheep?
May 24, 2010 at 7:07 AM Report abuse
WireTeckel said...
I have had farmed animals for about 20 years now with coyotes as neighbors. My donkeys are fabulous guard animals and I would not want to be any coyote coming anywhere near my herd. Not once have I lost a calf, goat, or sheep to coyotes. My donkeys keep watch and my fencing has been no more expensive than it would have been without coyotes as neighbors. It's part of responsible farming and animal ownership to coexist in a sensible way with wildlife and to restrict the freedoms of pets and farmed animals for their own benefit and out of consideration for neighbors, human and non human.
May 24, 2010 at 7:31 AM Report abuse
Zmx1YmZsdWI%3D said...
Of course we need to regulate coyote hunting. EVERYTHING NEEDS TO BE REGULATED. People are stupid. They need to be told what to do, when to do it, how to do it, for how long, and when to stop. There is no activity that should not be micromanaged by the government. Government people know best, and everyone else is stupid. Just look at what happens when things are not regulated. The collapse of the economy was caused by insufficient regulation, as was the disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. Proper regulation can fix anything. We need to regulate coyote hunting NOW!
May 24, 2010 at 7:31 AM Report abuse
jake007 said...
antiwhine ....good point. I know in Evergreen cemetery(Stevens ave, PTLD) there are entire neighborhoods that border it, that have lost cats and small dogs to coyotes. Ihave seen them running around at Riverside golf course as well.
May 24, 2010 at 7:46 AM Report abuse
antiwhine said...
Wire Teckel, where can the people on Stevens Ave. in Portland buy donkeys? What a brilliant idea! And the deer in the deep snows of winter --- how appropriate to enlist the help of donkeys in the Maine woods! Obama just may have a czar job waiting for you!
May 24, 2010 at 8:15 AM Report abuse
MainenCrisis said...
Dingo stole my baybee...
May 24, 2010 at 8:28 AM Report abuse
Jack said...
In the article Jakubas said coyotes "are fairly wary of us”. They are wary of us BECAUSE WE SHOOT THEM. Duh. We need to keep shooting them. Not to get rid of them all, but to keep them wary. When the population drops below the level the State biologists believe is acceptable, then look at bag limits. Until then, no further regulation.
May 24, 2010 at 10:08 AM Report abuse
Bole said...
I hope they kill all the irritating dogs.
May 24, 2010 at 10:11 AM Report abuse
NMR said...
Coyotes are an invasive species and should not be protected.
May 24, 2010 at 10:35 AM Report abuse
dcl4500 said...
Coyotes occur naturally, they were not imported. They simply filled the niche left when the wolf population was decimated. Grew up on a livestock farm in the Midwest and never once saw a verified livestock kill by coyotes, saw plenty from domesticated dogs that were turned loose in the wild.
May 24, 2010 at 2:22 PM Report abuse
NMR said...
dc I don't doubt that you never saw a livestock kill. Ay number of things I haven't seen that still happen in great numbers. The fact is that coyotes kill tens of thousands of lambs, sheep and even calves to say nothing of small dogs. Also cats (a good thing in their favor) A young woman was killed this past year in one of the maritime provinces. Shooting them apparently does tend to increase the number of pups but it also deters them from roaming as close. The fact that they infiltrated naturaly makes them no less invasive
May 24, 2010 at 4:58 PM Report abuse
goaway said...
I just love the people who sit with the sheets pulled up around their head in fear of the terrible wild animals. Move to NYC!
May 25, 2010 at 11:15 AM Report abuse
goaway said...
I'd support importing more coyotes if they'd knock down the population of free-roaming house cats.
May 25, 2010 at 11:26 AM Report abuse
Swampdog said...
I live on 100 acres of prime hunting land (forests, fields,streams and swamps). Coyotes and deer have flourished and I enjoy both species. I abhorr that Maine allows running a coyote to exhaustion with dogs..then to have it torn apart by them. It's shamefull..and anything BUT "hunting". And I hunt. I respect the game I take. And I can only question the integrity of the IF&W Dept. for allowing such needless and irrsponsible practices ! The coyote is a much needed predator with which we can live nicely. I SUPPORT a controled hunting season on them...no question. But am I ignorant enough to think they are big scary evil bad Boogie-Dogs?!! (SNORT) ! I suggest those of you who so arrogantly DO, either get educated or move to the city; either would please me to no end.
May 26, 2010 at 11:29 AM Report abuse