One of the smartest wild animals in Lake County is without question the coyote. In fact, wildlife biologists consider the coyote to be the smartest of all the animals in the canine species. Many people don”t know it but coyotes often live in residential backyards even though homeowners rarely see them.
I live just outside the city limits of Lakeport and I hear coyotes yapping and howling every night, but have only see one a few times. However, they are regularly seen within the city limits of both Lakeport and Clearlake.
Recently I received a number of calls from readers who say they have either seen coyotes near their homes or heard them howling. They wonder what”s happening and if their pets are safe. This is especially true in the Clear Lake Riviera and Buckingham. Coyotes have become urbanized and moved into neighborhoods because of the availability of food.
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), in spite of being hunted and trapped for more than 200 years, more coyotes exist today than when the U.S. Constitution was signed in 1787. They will eat just about anything and that includes small animals, insects, garbage and even small pets. Studies have shown that domestic cats and small dogs are at the top of the list of animals coyotes prey upon. I had an experience last year when I let my little house dog out after dark to do her business. She growled and ran off, but within a minute I heard her yelp. She ran back to the house and jumped into my arms. Right on her heels was a large male coyote. He didn”t see me until he was about five feet away. He skidded to a stop, whirled and ran out of the yard.
Coyotes like small puppies so much that some coyote hunters use a “puppy in distress” call to lure in a coyote. They say it works every time.
One biologist told me coyotes are so smart they have learned to attack a house cat when it”s eating. They hide and watch the cat. When the cat is busy eating and not paying attention, they strike.
Coyotes have become so bold in Southern California that they have even attacked humans, especially toddlers. Last year in Riverside County a coyote tried to pull a toddler out of a stroller his parents were pushing. The parents beat off the coyote but the youngster suffered a number of bites.
Coyotes also take a huge toll on other wildlife. Baby fawns are especially vulnerable to coyotes. A study by the University of California has shown that in Lake and Mendocino counties only 20 percent of the fawns born live to be a year old and coyote predation is one of the main reasons why. Once a coyote homes in on a fawn it will run it until it”s exhausted and then kill it and eat it.
Fifty years ago in counties such as Lake and Mendocino, ranchers kept the coyote population in check because they raised sheep. When the coyotes bothered sheep they were trapped with leg hold traps or killed by poison guns that fired a burst of cyanide into the face of the coyote. These methods were outlawed a number of years ago and now the only way a coyote can be killed is by shooting it. Ranchers also no longer raise sheep to any extent.
A coyote is an interesting critter. He is a native of North and Central America and has been around for several million years. In Lake County, an adult coyote weighs up to 50 pounds and lives in the wild for up to 10 years. They are mostly nocturnal but will occasionally be seen during daylight hours. In the past 30 years they have become so urbanized that they have lost their fear of humans and will often take up residence in backyards. They live in dens or even under old sheds. A female and male will mate and both raise their litter of pups, which averages about four to five, however, more than half will only live a few weeks. A coyote is considered an adult at the age of one year but will often stay with its mother for an additional year. Unlike wolves they don”t normally hunt in packs, preferring to hunt in twos or threes.
In areas where they are hunted or trapped, coyotes are extremely wary of human beings. However, in urban areas where they are less likely to be harmed and more likely to associate people with an easy and dependable source for food, they can become very bold.
Coyotes were here long before man and will be here after we are all gone. As one scientist put it, “The last two creatures on earth will probably be the cockroach and the coyote.”
