"jmcquown" <jmcquown@bellsouth.net> wrote

Coyote populations have pushed eastward into places previously unknown to
them. Some of the very last pockets of unoccupied space are falling even
today, such as suburban Washington, D.C.

Coyotes are one generalist species of wild animal that not only tolerates
cities and towns, but actually thrives in them. Urban coyotes were
noteworthy enough in the greater Los Angeles area to be singled out for
study in the 1960s. Living in the natural strips of vegetation left in the
canyons and ravines, these urban coyotes moved easily in and out of settled
areas, traveling and foraging in some of the more densely settled places.
Since then, coyotes have shown up in Chicago and New York and dozens of
smaller cities, perfectly happy to build dens in out-of-the-way woodlots and
to forage the abundant food sources that cities provide.

In natural migration, they moved across the Mississippi River in the 1960s
into Tennessee. From there, the coyote expanded its territory into North
Carolina. It has taken it some 200 years to extend its range from the
northwest corner of the U.S. where it originally lived. Now they are sighted
in Florida, New England and eastern Canada.

The mournful howl of the coyote, long apart of Western lore, can now be
heard across the entire State of Tennessee. Because these animals are able
to adapt to the habitat so well, their numbers are increasing.

Coyotes were not known in Tennessee prior to the 20th century. No wild
(coyote-like) animals, other than occasional feral dogs and extremely
isolated pockets of red wolves, occurred in southern states east of the
Mississippi River from 1900 until about 1965. Coyotes moved eastward through
Tennessee, Mississippi, and other eastern states during the 1960s and early
1970s. First occurrences in Tennessee were mainly in the western portion of
the state. By the mid-1970s, frequent occurrences of this species were
reported in counties west of the Tennessee River. Today, coyotes are well
established in West Tennessee and populations in Middle and East Tennessee
are increasing.

No one knows for certain when, or how, the first coyote found its way across
the Mississippi River, but it is suspected that they began by trickling
across bridges in St. Louis, Mo., at some point in the 1950s or '60s. What
is known, however, is that the lush eastern terrain has proved to be perfect
coyote habitat, and it didn't take them long to fill it.

"I can almost guarantee that there is no state in the eastern United States
that does not have coyotes," said Gary Cook. "And it hasn't taken them very
long to become established."

Cook, a 26-year veteran of the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, should
certainly know. His department has likely done more recent research on the
eastern coyote than anyone, and he is widely regarded as one of the leading
experts on the animal.

"In Tennessee," said Cook, "we first started to get reports of coyotes in
the western part of the state in the mid-1970s. Within a very short period
of time after that they had occupied the entire state. Coyotes are
incredibly effective when it comes to establishing themselves in new
territory."

On Mississippi Wildlife Forums on 05/19/2005, one member posted that he had
seen a coyote "enter an apartment complex within Memphis city limits in
broad daylight..."

I've been hearing reports of them in some of the most urban areas
here lately. I read an article that said the eastern coyote is larger
than the western, more bold, and could be cross-bred with wolves.

We have foxes, not coyotes.  And not many of them.

Jill

Hell with coyotes   come to Florida  we got bears, cougars, bobcats, and the
most dangerous species out there it is called the I can't see over the
steering wheel old fart  who happens to be driving the biggest car around