Hunting may be better for coyotes than previously thought.
Up until now, many believed hunting was a big threat to the species. A groundbreaking new study published in Ecography reveals that that may not be the case. As the first large-scale study on American coyotes, it showed that hunting may increase coyote populations in the long run.
Seems counterintuitive, right? Well, when you look at the bigger picture, like the authors of the study, it makes sense. Hunting typically leaves behind younger coyotes, who eventually reproduce and travel more rapidly than their elders. This results in a population boom.
"In our study, we detected more coyotes in places where hunting was allowed," Remington Moll, a study author from the University of New Hampshire, said. "This trend occurred over several years, suggesting that, on average, hunting did not reduce coyote abundance and perhaps increased it locally in certain areas."
These results may come as a shock to hunters, who often target coyotes to protect their pets and livestock. In fact, coyote hunting is more widespread than you might think — it's legal in 18 U.S. states, with varying rules and regulations.
Some people may not be happy with this development, based on what happened when gray wolves returned to California. Ranchers, wanting to protect their cattle, were upset, with some even calling for hunting. However, gray wolves are in a much worse position than coyotes and are endangered.
Though this may be the opposite outcome of what hunters want, it might not be a cause for concern. Unlike invasive feral hogs, coyotes are not a danger to ecosystems, nor is there an overpopulation crisis. They're not an endangered species, either.
According to the International Fund for Animal Welfare, coyotes make their ecosystems more balanced. Their hunting and scavenging habits help clear up carrion and keep the food chain balanced.
During the study, the researchers used 4,500 cameras set up throughout the country. They then used those images to help create models to understand how coyotes responded to different environmental pressures.
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"With this data," Roland Kays, one of the authors of the study, said, "we can now map them out across the country to provide the first abundance map of our country's most important predator — an effort that could help in both conservation and coyote management."
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