Coyote Love

Its Coyote mating season here on Mount Desert Island. How does one know? Well not by seeing them just being waken up in the middle of the night by some really scary howling. Last night I stumbled down the hall to check on my six year old. I thought he was having a nightmare and letting out some kind of moan. It wasn't until the way back to bed that I heard more oooooohhhss coming from outside. When you live in the middle of nowhere those coyotos can send a shiver up your spine!

About Coyotes:

A coyote reminds one of a small German shepherd dog. Coyotes weigh between 20 and 45 pounds, have a bushy tail with a black tip, are yellowish gray with a whitish throat and belly, their ears are prominent, and their tail is held below their back while running.

90% of a coyote’s diet is small mammals, but they will also eat birds, snakes, insects, fish, fruit and vegetables. Coyotes are opportunistic hunters, feeding primarily on what is most available: squirrels, voles, mice, rabbits, injured or sick deer. They rarely kill prey larger than themselves, but will scavenge on a fresh carcass. Coyotes are capable of taking a small dog (less than 15 pounds) or a cat, but they rarely take supervised pets.

Coyotes live in prairies, brushy areas, and wooded edges; however, not in heavily wooded areas. They prefer suburban areas with broken forests. Coyotes like to travel along trails/paths or ridges and waterways. They often deposit feces or scent mark with urine along the way. They are mostly active at night, but may be seen during the day, especially in the summer when young are more active. They sometimes hunt in family units, but are more often alone or in male / female pairs.

Their barks and yips usually increase in power and pitch and ending in a long, flat howl. Young have a higher pitch than adults do. Howls increase during mating season, but decrease when they have young. Coyotes can also howl at sirens or whistles. Howls carry 2 –3 miles. Young are born in April and May in dens found along drainage ditches, fence rows, under abandoned buildings. Young are on their own at 6-9 months.