January 29, 2016
Connect the Dots-Creating a Paradise for Coyotes
When was the last time you played Connect the Dots?
I remember Grandma Erickson giving me a book of those kid-friendly puzzles, and spending hours under her dining room table–the best place to play, when you’re four–trying to find the “1,” then the “2,” and so on until, glory be! A picture would emerge: A snowman. A flower. An elephant.
Now, the cool thing about being a naturalist is that I get to play Connect the Dots even today—just not under the dining room table. Other than that, the concept is the same; the steps are just a little more subtle. Instead of having numbers, the “dots” are various elements in our environment. Connecting them involves knowing a little bit about nature—the plants and animals around us—and how various actions and reactions affect them. The final trick is being able to put them together in the right order, so that a clearer picture of what’s happening in our natural world begins to form.
Lately, the “dots” I’ve been working on have to do with coyotes. Their breeding season is nearly upon us, and with it will come an increase in sightings. (Fun fact: Coyote-pet conflicts are not always hunger related. ‘Yotes can view any canines, including domestic dogs, as threats to their future offspring, and won’t hesitate to enforce territory boundaries.)
Some people are supportive, others are fearful. Clearly, it’s time to connect some coyote dots, to see what sort of a picture forms.
But first I need to add a couple of disclaimers. One, I’m not trying to say coyotes are good, or coyotes are bad. In nature, there is no good or bad; everything just “is.”
Second, I’m no expert. But I do have access to the internet and know where to click. Here in the Chicago area we are fortunate to be a part of one of the longest-running and most comprehensive studies of coyote behavior in urban and suburban environments, the Urban Coyote Research Project. If you’re looking for the best and most up-to-date information on coyote behavior in our region, visit urbancoyoteresearch.com.
Back to our dots. The following list takes into account little things I’ve noticed, and maybe you have too:
• Neighborhoods without fences. Many newer housing developments have restrictions on where and how fences can be built. Meant to prevent eyesores and create open vistas, these rules have simultaneously created vast areas of open space where wildlife can travel unimpeded. Now, this is not to say a coyote can’t scale a fence—they can and do, even clambering over 6 footers when particularly determined. But a complete lack of fences just makes roving that much easier. What makes it all even better? Many lot lines are delineated by trees and shrubs, which provide excellent cover for animals of all types.
• Trash collection day. With the advent of waste haulers providing curbside toters with lids, garbage day is less of a boon for wildlife than it used to be. But there still are those instances where lids go missing, cans get tipped, bags get torn; also, some people still use open bins for curbside recycling. This refuse creates a smorgasbord of smells, as well as the possibility of free food. If you want to see a coyote, drive around on garbage night.
• No hunting pressure. In rural areas, coyotes are shot. Here in suburbia, they are not. Enough said.
• Ground-level decks. Thousands of homes in our area have these adjuncts, which are great for entertaining and often function as additional living space. But if their sides aren’t protected by heavy-gauge hardware cloth, buried a foot underground, they also will function as a ready-made shelter for anything from rodents, opossums and skunks to feral cats, red foxes and more. These animals can be both directly and indirectly linked to coyotes.
• Birdfeeders. Who doesn’t love to see birds feeding on seeds, nuts and suet? But birds are only one of many critters taking advantage of these offerings. All the animals that might be inclined to live under a ground-level deck, plus deer and raccoons and, yes, even coyotes themselves, can find something to eat at a well-stocked feeding station.
• Vegetable gardens. With all the focus on eating locally produced foods, more and more people are growing their own vegetables. While some of these gardens are fenced, many others are not. More free food! Rabbits especially like to graze in gardens. And guess what animal accounts for a high percentage of coyote diets? Yup, bunnies.
• Feral and outdoor cats. In short, the TriCities have many, many feral cats. We also have many, many people who let their pet cats outside. Either way, there are many, many porches, decks and garages with bowls of cat food on them. Sometimes it’s this food that acts as a lure for coyotes, and sometimes it’s the cats themselves.
Okey doke, I think that’s enough dots for now.
When you connect them you see we’ve created acres of barrier-free open space that comes with a bonus of vegetative cover. We’ve supplemented this space with weather-proof shelter, and plentiful food that free for the taking—with no gunshots to fear.
The next time you hear someone saying we have too many coyotes and that something has to be done, maybe you could offer up a few of these dots, connecting them as needed. Maybe even add a few of your own. The picture that emerges will show the ideal conditions we humans have created.
Can you really blame coyotes for taking advantage of such paradise?
Pam Otto is the manager of nature programs and interpretive services at the Hickory Knolls Discovery Center, a facility of the St. Charles Park District. She can be reached at 630-513-4346 or potto@stcparks.org.
Want to know why coyotes are so successful in our area? All you have to do is connect the dots.
Photo courtesy of Scott Fontaine.