OSU students learning from the field team
The winter season is an important time for our monitoring, as much of our live-trapping takes place during this time. We got started with quite the successful weekend. As part of an Ohio State University field trip, we successfully captured and radio-collared 15 coyotes from two of our sites in two days! Quite a treat for the students.
This trapping took place at suburban sites where we have been monitoring resident coyotes for many years. Equally exciting is that some of the coyotes we captured were recaptures, especially four coyotes we initially marked as little pups at a den of one of our older alpha females (coyote 349) last spring, making them gangly (but cute) 8-month-olds.
Their mother, coyote 349, was also originally marked as a small pup from a litter in the same general area many years before. Unfortunately, 349 died last summer, making these coyotes her last litter. It will be interesting to follow them as they grow older without their mother.
Two of the coyotes that will soon be tracked
These coyotes will soon be back in the field right where they were found but sporting new tracking collars that will continue to teach us about their lives.
