NATURE

Wily coyotes are showing up all over Dane County

Are there more of them, or are they just less afraid of humans?
By Linda Falkenstein
athleen Schatz was visiting her parents home on Madisons east side, near Edna Taylor Conservation Park, in early December. She looked out the window to the front yard and saw what looked like a coyote with something in its mouth. She shrugged off the sighting, figuring the animal was a coyote-like dog. But when she investigated the spot later, she found the remains of the animals kill probably a rabbit and went back to believing it was a coyote. Schatz isnt the only one spotting coyotes. Mention a sighting, and someone is bound to chime in with their own I-thought-I-saw-onetoo story . There is good evidence that throughout much of the state coyote numbers have increased fairly drastically in the last two decades, says Adrian Wydeven, mammalian ecologist and conservation biologist with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. According to the DNRs Summer Wildlife Inquiry for 2004, coyote sightings have increased consistently on a statewide basis during the long-term survey period of 19882004. The survey, based on responses from rural Wisconsin landowners, indicates that

56% of the approximately 300 respondents from south central Wisconsin saw a coyote on their property during 2004, up from 18% in 1988. Local wildlife biologists say there is no explosion in Dane Countys coyote population, even though city dwellers may indeed be seeing more of them. Coyotes have been around Madison for decades, says Scott Craven, a UW-Extension Wildlife Specialist, and every so often a sighting will cause a flurry of excitement. They are part of the fauna of Dane County, he notes. Theres nothing to suggest that this has been a particularly good reproductive year. But Craven admits hes not going on anything but my gut feeling.

The coyote, Canis latrans, is one of eight

species in the genus Canis. They look like medium-size dogs, stand one and a half to two feet tall, and weigh 20-50 pounds. Their coats are gray to reddish gray, with rust or yellow on the legs and a yellowish underbel-

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ly The tail is bushy; the . ears prominent and erect; the eyes yellow. They can mate with other canids, including dogs, and produce fertile offspring. There are no hard numbers on the coyote population in Madison or Dane County. Coyotes are hard to census even if you are trying, and were not trying, says Mike Foy, wildlife biologist with the DNRs Fitchburg office. The perception is that there are more. Foy gets calls on coyote sightings all the time. We dont even keep records on that. Pat Comfort, animal control officer with the city of Madison, agrees that coyote sightings have increased over the past several years, as the animals have become more habituated to people. Most of Madisons bigger parks have coyotes, he says, including Hoyt Park on the citys near west side, OlinTurville off John Nolen Drive, and Warner on the north side. Mark Bugher of the University Research Park reports seeing coyotes on both the east

and west sectors of the park, off of Whitney Way There must be a couple of dens, he says. . In the spring, hes seen them sunning themselves on a berm near one of the buildings. A few years ago, there was a feral cat population problem in Owen Park, the 93-acre conservation park on the citys west side. But then, says Comfort, The coyotes moved in and the cats vanished completely Parks . division workers have heard them howling in the park. They respond to sirens, notes Comfort. Most calls that come into animal control are for simple coyote sightings, and most callers want to know what were going to do about it, says Comfort. But unless the animal is aggressive or hurt or sick, the city treats a coyote like the rest of the indigenous wildlife that we share the city with. Comfort stresses there have been no reports of coyotes harassing peoples pets. There have been no known dog losses, although its harder to tell what happens to outdoor cats when they disappear. Injured coyotes have been found at West Towne Mall and near Lakeside Street in recent years. But none has been as aggressive as a raccoon who was chasing kids out of a wading pool.

Even so, a 2004 University of California

report on suburban coyote attacks in that state warns of a pattern that begins with increased neighborhood night sightings, followed by more morning and evening sightings. As coyotes discover ample food and water and no aggression from a wildlifeloving general public, they begin to hunt pets, chase joggers and show themselves in midday . Moreover, the report recommends nipping the problem in the bud, by chasing coyotes away from neighborhoods before coyote attacks on pets become common. Adults are most often bitten while trying to save their dogs from an attack, but not always: Coyote on golf course ran up to woman, jumped on her back and bit her on right forearm (daytime) is one of several golf-course incidents in the California report. After the coyotes become that aggressive, shooting and trapping is necessary. Closer to home, the Cook County Coyote Project is tracking 200-some coyotes in the northern and western suburbs of Chicago. Their presence has been seen as a plus, as they have stemmed the population explosion of Canada geese in the area. But the studys biologists remind people not to feed coyotes and to assert yourself when you see one. How do you remind a coyote that youre the boss? Number one: Dont feed it. The California report recommends keeping food sources and water away from coyotes, including pet food, garden fruits and seeds, and putting garbage at the curb in sealed containers only. The report also suggests the importance of maintaining a fear of humans in wild animals. This can be done by shouting, acting aggressively and waving your arms, throwing rocks and so forth.

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ISTHMUS | FEBRUARY 17, 2006 | THEDAILYPAGE.COM

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