This time of year, you’re more likely to hear coyotes as they look for mates. While they can sometimes be a threat to small pets and livestock, a Purdue University expert said coyotes are mostly harmless and play an important role in the ecosystem.
Coyotes can help control pests because they eat small, wild animals like mice. But Purdue extension wildlife specialist Brian MacGowan said coyotes are adaptable — they’ll also eat cats, small dogs, chickens, sheep, calves and even food scraps in the trash.
That can sometimes cause conflicts with people — particularly in the winter, when they’re defending their territory.
MacGowan said there are simple things you can do to coexist well with coyotes. You can leash your pets or keep them indoors at night.
“In my neighborhood, I know I have two social groups of coyotes. I hear them all the time. And I've got a little dog and she's, you know, very small. And we walk around the neighborhood and it's fine," MacGowan said.
MacGowan said people concerned about small livestock can keep them in a barn or coop to avoid coyotes — particularly at night. They can also consider getting a guard animal like a llama.
MacGowan said not to feed coyotes — that includes securing trash cans and not leaving pet food outside. Much like bears, he said it’s not good for coyotes to associate food with people.
“It's kind of a similar situation where you're just setting up potential and more likely conflicts between the animal and people," MacGowan said.
MacGowan said he’s only heard of one instance of a coyote attacking a human in Indiana and that those attacks are extremely rare.
He said coyote populations have been growing in the past 50 to 70 years — particularly as the number of wolves have declined, which can displace coyotes.
