While there’s not a clear picture on the local population of coyotes, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation says there’s a stable population in Niagara County.
Coyotes have been present in the state since the 1930s and firmly established since the 1970s. While no specific local population data is available, Jennifer Pettit, a DEC wildlife biologist who oversees Niagara County, said monitoring over the past 10 years shows that the coyote population is stable statewide. Research has shown that coyote strains in the East are somewhat larger than in the West.
“They are able to make a home in urban and suburban settings and in farmland as well,” said Pettit. “In rural areas, they are more skittish of humans and less often seen. Coyotes do not want interaction with humans or pets. Even when they are suburban and used to sights and sounds, they still want to avoid us.”
Known for their adaptability, coyote populations can be as large in developed areas as in wilder places.
“We have reports of them in our higher density areas in Region 9, including Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Lockport,” Pettit said. “They are present, but people aren’t really picking up on that. In springtime, when they’re denning, raising their young, and expending energy to feed them — that’s when we’ll see them.”
Josh Randall, natural resources educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension of Niagara County, said residential areas near fields and woodlands can be prime coyote habitat. The escarpment, where there are long stretches of trees, can support the small mammals that are prey, and support resident coyotes, Randall said.
Pettit said coyotes are “absolutely” beneficial. “One of their food sources is dead deer, for instance,” she said. “They’re eating mice as well. They have their own place in our ecosystem.”
The sounds of coyotes howling at night can lead to the mistaken impression that they live in packs. “They live in a family group, which is usually an adult mating pair and their young of the year from springtime,” said Pettit. “That family group will live in their own home range. For the home range, they will select areas with a good amount of cover to feel safe. It’s impressive how just a few coyotes can manipulate their voices to sound like a bunch of coyotes.”
Cover, and dens for offspring, can be a former fox or woodchuck burrow, a thick pile of brush, a downed log, or manmade junk that forms a shelter. Pettit said coyote parents will typically use different den locations throughout the spring, moving their young several times.
Just as important as the availability of dens, the presence of prey can determine whether coyotes are living nearby. While coyotes hunt small mammals like mice, squirrels, woodchucks, and rabbits, Pettit said dogs and cats are not a common food choice. Pettit said at 35-45 pounds, coyotes don’t confront animals of significant size.
“A lot of people have dogs that are at that weight or bigger.” Coyotes tend to back down from similarly sized domestic dogs, she said.
Sources say the best way to keep pets safe includes supervision and eliminating sources of food and shelter.
“You need to take out their food source by keeping small animal populations under control,” Randall said.
Pettit agrees, pointing out that bird feeders and brush piles can bring rodents into residential areas, with coyotes to follow. Other forms of unintentional feeding include leaving pet food outside and allowing garbage to be accessible.
Pettit advised to keep dogs leashed, or in a yard with 4-foot fencing that is ideally buried in the ground. “Cats should really stay inside,” she said. “Cats that are free-ranging are subject to a lot of threats, including cars and owls.”
If you believe coyotes are living near your home, Pettit said another strategy to discourage them is hazing. “We need to make sure that coyotes are aware that their presence is unwelcome by making loud noises and making yourself look big to them. Show that we are a threat to them.”
Residents should be aware that possessing any kind of New York state wildlife is against the law. If you are concerned about an injured or orphaned animal, contact an animal control officer or wildlife rehabilitator.
DEC staff are available to help residents with wildlife concerns at 716-379-6402 during business hours.