Hi Janet,
I hope you are well and you and “your” regional coyote are moving into summer mode well.
This time of year I study every coyote scat seen especially in ranch or Farm areas. This is part of confirming who or what is preying on sheep, goats etc.
Vast majority of coyote packs again and again have rodents as major food source. They are singularly skilled coyote that sometimes get deer. They get deer that are hit by cars but die in woods. They seek injured or old or compromised deer. And seasonal fawns also are a short term source of food.
I have found more dogs that prey on livestock than coyote this year, like past 10 years.
Also a 1st which I’ll send. An old male coyote has been feeding entirely on Crayfish. The property owner has seen him on trail cams. He goes to river and appears to fish for the crustaceans. I have a Lab who does this. But obviously he’s more successful. He might be old and tattered. But he’s eating the equivalent of daily Lobster for weeks now.
Rodents and Crayfish seem to work well for this coyote. I wished him well.
Lou
Hi Janet,
Some pics of my Lab fishing for crayfish. It’s a seasonal catch..but so far hasn’t caught one 2025.
Of better skills is an old Male Coyote who has been feeding on them several weeks now. I’ve never seen this before. But it’s a great source of food!
Coyote Crayfish Specialist.
Who Knew!
Lou
Jun 16, 2025 @ 01:46:37
That’s really cool!
Jun 16, 2025 @ 16:53:54
Hello Janet,
Thanks for your very enlightening articles. Also Lou too! Although thats not a crawfish skeleton above, right, since crawfish are invertebrates?
I have a question: All this spring we have been hearing coyotes howling a lot more than usual coming from McLaren Park or the resevevior or anciant greenhouse ruins near our house (every day or night for weeks). Is that from pupping and maybe the mother communicating with her pups while she is out hunting? Or is this maybe a distress call from loss of habitat due to the vast amount of trees that were cut in the park? It has lessened of late but 2 days ago I heard them howling again at about 6AM.
Thank you
Jun 16, 2025 @ 18:08:53
Hi Lance — Thanks so much for the correction — the mistake was totally mine. I have now corrected the caption to reflect what is correct!
As for the coyotes howling, unfortunately dogs have been after them, and they had pups. The situation got so bad that Mama coyote took her pups to the edge of a freeway to avoid the dog confrontations. As for defoliating our forests from our parks, you are right on! It’s those forests which provide cover and hiding places for coyotes. Without that, coyotes are much more visible to dogs — and people — and the dogs feel compelled to chase them. With the trees there, the coyotes could easily escape. It’s much more difficult now. When this kind of thing happens, a coyote will belt out her/his distressed howling. Of course, other things trigger the howling, including responding to sirens, and they communicate between themselves for all sorts of reasons. Also, intruder coyotes might be responded to with distressed vocalizations. But this is usually not constant, so your hearing an increase, I would guess, has to do with one or two aggressive dogs who have made it their mission to seek the coyotes out and go after them. Let me know if you have any questions! Janet
Jun 16, 2025 @ 18:52:03
Thanks for sharing this info about what coyotes, and dogs, might be eating. We have so much to learn about other species and what they really may think and do, and why. In the end, I would summarize what I’ve learned about other species by saying that they are very similar to humans in just about everything. Why is this so surprising?
Jun 16, 2025 @ 19:00:13
Hi Martha — Thanks for your comment: I’ve been trying to get that idea across for a long time, but humans like to think of ourselves as very special and superior and unique. It helps us feel justified in dominating, subjugating, conquering, controlling and enslaving whoever (animal or human) we want. But truth be told, as you yourself state: “coyotes and other species ARE very similar to humans in just about everything”. It’s surprising to many people because of the false hierarchy we’ve established for yourselves.
Jun 19, 2025 @ 00:43:15
Damn! Much as I appreciate your (Janet’s) observations about our SF urban coyotes, Lou’s reports are such a rich counterpoint describing one particular region’s more rural population. Thanks for keeping us, your readers, in the loop with him!
Jun 19, 2025 @ 16:17:15
I absolutely agree, Dan! Lou’s observations and insights are incredible: he has an understanding and appreciation that that I have not found elsewhere. And it’s indeed an unbelievable counterpoint and rich addition to anything I’m seeing here in the City. Thank you!!