Where Do Coyotes Live?

Coyotes were initially present at the founding of the Chicago site in the 18th century, but disappeared during most of the 19th and 20th centuries. They originally came from open grasslands and deserts, but have adjusted quickly to other habitats.

Many predators, including coyotes, were initially excluded as cities were developed across the Midwest. This pattern is true of the Chicago region, where coyotes were originally native to the area but largely disappeared by the late 19th and early 20th centuries as the area developed into a major metropolitan area. However, during the 20th century, coyotes expanded their range eastward to include all of the eastern United States and began appearing in large metropolitan areas across
their historic and expanded range.

Current distribution of the coyote is in gold below:

	How Do I Know If Coyotes Are Around My House?

Most coyotes are never directly seen by the public, but other clues can be used to determine if coyotes are in the area.

Howling:

One possibility is for nonviolent territory defense. Coyotes may advertise the occupancy of a territory to other coyotes by group howling. A graduate student from Ohio State tested some of our packs by playing tapes of howling from captive coyotes in the middle of their territories, and recording our coyotes’ responses. She found evidence that coyotes were capable of identifying individuals from their calls, and are aware of the number of coyotes calling during group howling bouts. Howling may also serve as a social bonding mechanism within the pack. However, it is impossible to know all the reasons why coyotes do things, and who knows, some coyotes may howl because it feels good!!! Coyotes emit a range of sounds including howls, barks, and whines. Their howling has resulted in more myth and mystery than perhaps any aspect of their behavior. Many people consider the howling of coyotes to be the symbol of the West, or at least a vestige of wilderness. But, do coyotes in urban areas howl? We have observed that some groups howl
frequently, whereas other groups rarely howl.

One particular coyote group had a territory that included a fire station, and those coyotes regularly howled in response to the sirens of emergency vehicles. Other groups were rarely, if ever, heard howling.

Scat:

Scats are the feces deposited by coyotes and other wildlife. Coyote scats are ropelike and typically filled with hair and bones, whereas dog scat is soft with dog food. Coyotes use scats for communication and so usually deposit scats in the middle of trails or near the borders of their territories where they are easily seen.

Tracks:
The presence of tracks and scat (feces) are often indicators of coyote presence in parks or neighborhoods, but at times these signs can be difficult to distinguish from those of dogs. Coyote prints are quite similar to medium-sized dogs, with four toes and a heel pad in an oval shape, approximately 2.5 inches in length. Often, claw marks are only registered for the middle two toes, and not so much for the outer toes (whereas dogs typically have a circular print with claws for all toes usually registered in prints). Coyotes usually travel in a straight line, whereas dogs shift directions constantly.

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