Backyard encroachment: As habitat changes with season, so does coyotes' hunting ground

In fact, with its hiding places cleared away, that canine seeking cover along the tree line probably isn’t a lost German shepherd. It’s probably a coyote, and the sight shouldn’t come as a surprise to anyone in Hancock County.

 “Oh, they’re out there. They’ve always been out there, and they’re not going away,” said Jeff Leffel, director of Greenfield-Hancock County Animal Management. “And now that the farmers are cutting the last of their beans and corn, you’re taking away about 90 percent of the habitat to hide in.”

Coyote contacts can occur throughout the year, but the combination of losing hiding places and hunting habitat, along with the approach of winter breeding season, puts the animals on the move, said Shawn Rossler, furbearer biologist for the Indiana Department of Natural Resources.

That sometimes puts the animals in close proximity to suburban and rural backyards. Have a Pomeranian or a Shih Tzu? These days, you probably should keep an eye on your pet when it’s outside, experts say.

Coyotes are native to the state, but while once limited to western Indiana prairie land, the animals have been steadily adapting to the state’s expanding urban landscapes, Rossler said.

Intelligent and crafty, about all coyotes need are food reserves and some green space.  

A park or open area will do nicely, experts say.

Leffel has spotted them along Green Meadows Drive on the busy north side of Greenfield and near the intersection of State Street and Davis Road on the south side of the city. He has begun to hear reports of other sightings as well.

“They’re just out for an easy meal,” Leffel said.

Being “generalists,” coyotes will adapt to a variety of diets, Rossler said.

According to the DNR, they eat primarily small mammals, such as mice, moles and voles, small birds, rabbits and deer fawns.

They will also raid pet food left outside, and they will scavenge garbage.

Coyotes also have been known to take unattended small pets and young or weak livestock. Experts say that is where much of the trouble starts.

“The main conflict we have with coyotes is loss of pets,” Rossler said.

Earlier this week, a Purdue Animal Hospital veterinarian reported that two small dogs – one in Lafayette and another in Frankfort – were attacked within a 24-hour period last week, The Associated Press reported. Both pets had been left outside for short periods of time before the coyotes appeared.

However, seeing a coyote peering from the trees or in the yard is no reason to panic, wildlife experts say.

“Odds are that coyote has been around for years, and you just didn’t know it,” Rossler said.  

And don’t call the police.

“They’ll be gone long before we get there,” said Greenfield Police Chief John Jester, who said he regularly sees coyotes while hunting in the area.

“Just make a loud noise,” Leffel advises. “They need to feel unwelcome. They may or may not move when they see you, but if they hear a pack of firecrackers going off, they’ll be gone.”

The chance of aggressive behavior toward humans is “very slim,” Leffel said, and might occur only when the animal’s food source is drastically depleted.

However, in all cases of chasing a coyote away, the DNR warns against cornering an animal and eliminating a free escape route.

To keep the wily animal away, proaction and vigilance is the key.

If you feed animals outside, make sure the food is taken in. Garbage should be secured in closed containers. Coyotes are not as bad as raccoons and skunks, but a free meal is a free meal.

And if you have small pets, accompany them when they go outside.

Most times, the animals are simply moving and hunting, and just because a coyote has been seen in the yard doesn’t mean it’s a nuisance. However, if conditions are right, the animals can become habitualized to an area that has a constant source of food.

“If there’s a draw for them, they’re going to hang around,” Rossler said.

And that can become a problem that requires removal, “and that’s unfortunate because it’s not the animal’s fault,” he said.

Killing coyotes is also not a long-term solution, either, Rossler said. The animals’ adaptability and ability to reproduce quickly makes management challenging.

Coyotes can be hunted and trapped from Oct. 15 through March 15 in accordance with all DNR rules, regulations and permitting requirements.

Where an animal has been habitualized to an area and requires removal, state Conservation Officer Scott Johnson said professional help is available through the use of DNR-licensed nuisance wild animal control operators.

“Those folks have permits issued by the DNR that allows them to take animals outside the normal hunting seasons,” Johnson said. “For a lot of those guys, that’s what they do for a living.”

A county-by-county list of the DNR licensed operators can be found on the DNR’s website under nuisance wildlife.

Short of stalking a “very intelligent animal with keen eyes, keen ears and a keen nose,” Leffel has some general advice for keeping a coyote at bay.

“Just don’t make it easy for them.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.