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LIVING WITH WILDLIFE IN OXNARD
COYOTES
Seeing or hearing coyotes from a distance can be an enjoyable reminder that we share our world with wildlife. Seeing or hearing coyotes right in your backyard can be a problem.
The coyote (canis latrans), a member of the dog family, is native to California. It closely resembles a small German shepherd dog with the exception of the long snout and bushy, black-tipped tail. Its color varies individually in shades of black, brown, gray, yellow, and white. It also has a shorter, bushier tail that it carries low, and a longer, narrower muzzle. Coyote's size ranges from about 20 to 50 pounds.
Coyotes are omnivores; they eat both meat and vegetation. They primarily hunt rodents and rabbits for food, but will take advantage of whatever is available including garbage, pet food, and domestic animals. Fruits and berries are eaten during summer and fall and large animals like deer is important in winter. They also eat grass, insects, reptiles and amphibians, fish, birds, and small mammals.
Coyotes are usually lone animals, living with their offspring only part of the year. Mating of lifetime pairs occurs in late winter. Litters of 3 to 10 pups are usually born in April. The family breaks up by late summer or early fall and the young hunt alone until late winter when they are ready to pair. Coyotes can live up to 10 years in the wild.
Coyotes are more adaptable to changing conditions than any other wildlife animals. They can live just about anywhere. They are found in deserts, swamps, grasslands, forest, from sea level to high mountains, and in urban and suburb areas.
Coyotes play an important role in the ecosystem, helping to keep rodent and squirrel populations under control. Without coyotes we would be over run with rats, rodents, rabbits and squirrels. Coyote is the last natural predator of all those pests.
When an effort to eradicate coyotes to reduce its population was in placed, the animal responded by producing more and larger litters and the female coyotes breed for the first time at an earlier age. It was not the solution to solve the conflict between humans and wildlife. The solution to avoid conflict with the wildlife is for us to learn to coexist.
Coyotes who adapt to human settlements become bolder, appearing often in daylight and sometimes standing their ground when threatened. Some residents have reported coyotes roaming onto front porches or into backyards. Remember never to run from a coyote if you are confronted with one. Instead, make yourself look big and then shout. Always remember that coyotes are wild animals and should remain that way.
Ways to discourage coyotes from invading your property and reducing the chance of human-coyote conflicts:
- Do not feed coyotes. Deliberately feeding coyotes puts you, your pets and your neighbors at risk.
- Do not leave small children unattended outside where coyotes are known to roam.
- Keep fruit trees fenced or pick up fruit that falls to the ground.
- Do not feed feral cats. Coyotes prey on the cats, as well as feed on cat food left out for them.
- Feed pets indoors whenever possible. Pick up any leftovers if feeding outdoors. Store pet and livestock feed where it is inaccessible to wildlife.
- Do not allow pets to run free. Keep them safely confined and provide secure nighttime housing for them. Walk your dog on a leash and accompany your pet outside, especially at night. Provide secure shelters for poultry, rabbits, and other vulnerable animals.
- Keep garbage securely stored to avoid spilling if the cans are tipped over. Keep compost piles securely covered.
- Minimize ground cover vegetation near children's play areas to avoid attracting rodents and small mammals that will in turn attract coyotes.
To scare off coyotes
- Squirt water at them (with high-pressure hose attachments) or throw rocks in the animals direction.
- Use noise-making and other scaring devices when coyotes are seen. Blast them with a hand-held air horn.
- Be assertive in your attitude and behavior towards coyotes.
