{"id":10679,"date":"2016-06-20T08:00:52","date_gmt":"2016-06-20T12:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/?p=10679"},"modified":"2017-04-14T18:16:36","modified_gmt":"2017-04-14T22:16:36","slug":"coyotes-in-maryland","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news.maryland.gov\/dnr\/2016\/06\/20\/coyotes-in-maryland\/","title":{"rendered":"Coyotes in Maryland: Where they came from and what to expect"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Adult coyote; by Matt Knoth<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

No, coyotes didn\u2019t ride into the state at the hand of insurance companies looking to thin out the deer herd to reduce deer-vehicle collisions. And no, wildlife management agencies didn\u2019t stock them across the state. These are two funny but common myths surrounding the arrival of these highly adaptable mid-sized canines and their arrival in Maryland.<\/p>\n

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Adult coyote;\u00a0by Steve Thompson<\/em><\/p><\/div>\n

An expanding range<\/strong><\/p>\n

While humans may have been indirectly responsible for the migration, these wily animals expanded on their own without any direct assistance.<\/p>\n

Coyotes were originally a mid-western species that occupied the prairies, west of the Mississippi River and east of the Rocky Mountains. They were confined to the Great Plains largely due to the absence of two larger predators in that area\u2014mountain lions and wolves. As humans developed the east coast, wolves and mountain lions eventually became extirpated<\/em>, or removed from that portion of their range.<\/p>\n

Human settlers also cleared eastern forests for agriculture, shipbuilding and other industries. This change in the landscape created a better setting for coyotes\u2014more field and edge habitats similar to what they had been accustomed to in the Midwest.<\/p>\n

With less competition and a friendlier landscape, coyotes began to expand their range in the early 1900s, following two major courses: a northern route that led out of the plains through Canada, around the Great Lakes, into New England and then south, and a southern route that went across the Mississippi River, through the southeastern states and then north.<\/p>\n

Maryland and Delaware were the last two states in the east to be inhabited by coyotes, since the northern and southern expansion routes met here. They can now be found nationwide and throughout most of Canada and Central America.<\/p>\n

The first reported Maryland sightings came in 1972 in Cecil, Frederick and Washington counties. Though they were slow to establish a breeding population, they now inhabit all counties, with higher numbers in the western part of the state.<\/p>\n

Adaptations and sightings<\/strong><\/p>\n

True generalists, coyotes thrive in a variety of different conditions and terrains, including forests, open fields, tidal wetlands and the greenways that surround many suburban communities. It appears they have been utilizing these spaces for decades, though they typically avoid being seen.<\/p>\n

Wildlife biologists monitor the population primarily through harvest reporting and surveys. Results reveal that sightings are relatively low. Both of the species\u2019 canine cousins\u2014the gray fox<\/a> and the red fox<\/a>\u2014are observed much more frequently. While observation rates drop significantly from west to east, coyote sightings are reported statewide, suggesting they inhabit some areas in every county.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the population increase is likely to continue, there is little cause for concern. Coyotes will likely continue to go unnoticed by most residents, just as they have for the past few decades. Here are some common sense steps to reduce the possibility for conflict:<\/span><\/p>\n