Program for March 6, 2025 – Eastern Coyote Project

Chris received her M.A. in the 1970s in wild conservation biology with a focus on grey wolves. She taught at UNH, winning numerous teaching awards.  She began raising sheep in the 1980s when her interest turned to eastern coyotes, still her chief area of focus.  Chris was a knowledgeable and enthusiastic speaker who did a great job condensing her normal 60-minute presentation into 20 fascinating minutes.

• This was Chris’s first talk to a Rotary Club (Thanks, Dave Crandall!)
• She spoke about the differences and similarities between western wolves and eastern and western coyotes.
• She has never lost a sheep to eastern coyotes.
• Populations in NH of red fox, grey fox and fishers have been in a dramatic decline since 1990. Rodenticides are a huge problem for these animals, not just hunting.  In a recent study in VT, 98%  of the fishers examined had rodenticide in their bloodstream.
• The Eastern Coyote is a unique animal.  Chris showed photos of two coyotes from the same litter, one weighing 72 lbs. and the other 27 lbs; both are eastern coyotes having 30% eastern wolf DNA.  Hybridization has been going on for 67,000 years among wolves and coyotes.  Eastern and Grey wolves from Canada are migrating back into the US their native territory.
• Some coyotes are documented at 75% DNA wolf but are killed as coyotes!  Very hard to tell the difference when hunting.  Closer examination of ears can help:  wolf ears sit atop the head with an angle; coyote ears are more forward.  Wolf tails are shorter; coyote tails almost to the ground.  Wolf jaws are squarer; coyotes’ more pointed.  Wolf legs are longer.
• Eastern wolves are protected by the Protected Species Act.  Coyote hunting is open season 365 d/yr.
• The northeastern coyote is a hybrid of western coyote and eastern wolf and maybe some dog.  2/3 live in packs.  They are solitary hunters of rodents.  Each pack has one breeding pair.  They self-regulate their population through brief female heat, monogamy, and their social structure.  They mate only once a year.  Coyote pups experience a 50-75% mortality.
• Annual cycle

• Comparing coyotes to wolves:

• Pack size:  coyotes avg. 3-4/wolf – 5-8 wolf
• Lifespan:  3-5 yrs coyote/17 in captivity
• 2/3 of female coyotes never breed due to short estrus
• 63 day gestation/the den is in use only during whelping

• From March to mid-June female coyotes are in the words protecting young. Don’t let dogs loose in the woods.
• Coyotes howl to connect with each other, to locate family members.  Not about hunting or celebrating a kill.