Have questions? We have answers.

Make sure the coyote sees you and knows you are there. Coyotes are naturally afraid of humans, and generally will retreat if you yell or wave your arms. If you are walking with your dog, make sure to put them on leash, and think about picking them up if they’re small. Also, we’d love it if you could report your coyote and fox sightings to us here!

Conflict usually happens because of food and pets. Make sure that you don’t accidentally attract coyotes by leaving food outside (for example, by feeding your pet outside), obey leash laws, and make sure your backyard is secure (think, tall fence) if you let your pets outside. Most importantly, arm yourself – with knowledge! If you know even a little about coyote behavior and ecology you can anticipate and avoid conflicts with them.

Again, arm yourself with knowledge! Coyote aggression toward humans is extremely rare. Coyotes can take small, unattended pets since they don’t understand the difference between our pets and wild prey. Obey leash laws and don’t let small dogs and cats outside unattended, especially at night, if you know coyotes are in the area.

Yes! Coyotes have naturally expanded their range throughout the continental US, and the mid-Atlantic region is the last area that they’ve reached. They’ve been able to expand because we’ve gotten rid of larger predators such as wolves and mountain lions, and we’ve created excellent habitat for them through development. Our local coyotes are Eastern coyotes.

We’re still learning about our coyote population and the population is still relatively small, but for now coyotes appear to be living in our larger greenspaces (such as parks) as they provide the best habitat and shelter away from people. However, you might see coyotes moving through your neighborhood from time to time, especially at night.

Coyotes are opportunistic eaters -- they will eat whatever is around! Their diet can include a combination of mammals, birds, insects, fruit, and other plants, and their diet varies from season to season. Similarly to their counterparts around the country, some DC coyotes eat deer (perhaps road kill), rabbits, raccoons, squirrels, voles, birds, persimmon, porcelain berries, and other plants. Coyotes will sometimes take advantage of food resources created by people such as compost piles and trash cans, though we can and should limit their access to them. Make sure you keep trash bins secure and compost piles covered.

Coyotes are naturally active during the day but tend to change their behavior in response to human activity. In urban areas, coyotes are often most active between dusk and dawn when they are less likely to encounter people. Past research in Rock Creek Park with trail cameras showed that some coyotes were most active during nighttime and early morning hours. But it is still natural for coyotes to make an appearance during the day, even when people are around!

We provide information to Washington, D.C. area residents about our local coyote population and how to live with coyotes without conflict. We also conduct research, examining coyote ecology and human-coyote interactions. If you’re interested in learning more about our activities, sign up for our occasional e-newsletters!

There will be! Sign up for our occasional mailings by mentioning this in our message box, or email us at DistrictCoyotes@gmail.com. In the future we’ll be offering volunteer opportunities in both ecological research and public outreach and education.

Take a look at our website, follow our blog and sign up for our newsletter! We promise we don’t send many emails. You can also follow us on our Twitter and Facebook. Otherwise, be sure to find reputable sources of information if you’re interested in learning more about coyotes, as there’s a lot of misinformation out there.

The first time a coyote was officially identified in DC was in 2004 when a park ranger spotted one in Rock Creek Park. However, it’s likely that coyotes have been in and around the city for a while longer than that.

When coyotes first started to expand their range, some moved north and then headed east. Because there were so few coyotes in northeastern Canada, some of them mated with wolves and some mated with dogs. Eastern coyotes are the descendants of those offspring, and so most Eastern coyotes have a bit of wolf and a bit of dog genes in them. However, Eastern coyotes are first and foremost still coyotes, and have more coyote genes than anything else.

Eastern coyotes are generally between 25 and 45 pounds, depending on a number of factors. Western coyotes can be even smaller, weighing about 15 to 25 pounds. For comparison, red foxes can weigh as much as 15 pounds, and male German Shepherd dogs generally weigh between 65 to 90 pounds.

Generally, coyotes mate in the winter months (late December to early March) and after a gestation period of sixty days (about the same for many small mammals), coyotes give birth between mid-March to mid-May. From about June to August, coyotes take pups out of their den. Because pups are less protected outside of the den, coyotes sometimes see large dogs as threats to their pups. This is why it’s especially important to obey leash laws during the summer. The mating and breeding periods for DC coyotes have not yet been pinned down, but we’re working on studying them!

Territories range in size depending on the availability of resources in an area (such as food, water, and shelter), so there’s no exact answer. In some places, urban coyote territories are smaller than rural coyote territories, but the reverse is true in some other cities. Not enough research has been done in the DC area yet to know the situation here. This is something we hope to explore in the future!

In DC, call the Brandywine Valley SPCA - DC at 202-888-PETS (7387). They're available 24/7 for animal emergencies! If you live in other parts of the area, contact your local animal control agency.