Coyotes? Yes, they’re everywhere in Pa.
Most sightings are harmless, state official says
UPPER GWYNEDD >> Unwanted visitors have been spotted more and more in Upper Gwynedd lately — but they may think people are the visitors.
The township’s commissioners heard Monday on where, why, and what to do about a recent spate of coyote sightings.
“Coyotes are in every township, in every county, in Pennsylvania, so it’s really nothing to be alarmed about,” said Jerry Czech, state game warden with the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
“I know when you see them in your back yards, or eating things, you might be afraid, or if you have little kids. But they’re nothing to really be afraid of,” he said.
Township staff have fielded about ten phone calls this year regarding coyote sightings, with extra chatter spotted on social media, according to Czech and township Manager Sandra Brookley Zadell. In a presentation to the
commissioners and public on Monday night, Czech showed dozens of photos of coyotes, young and old, and what to watch for when you see them.
“They’re not wolves. They’re much smaller than wolves. Wolves are basically their cousins,” he said.
“They’re not quite like wolves, they don’t travel around in packs. You may see a few at once in the springtime, when they have babies: that’s not really a pack, it’s just a family group.”
Female coyotes can be 30 to 40 pounds, and males can be 40 to 50 pounds, and both can be colored gray, brown, black or a mix. Footprints for coyotes can be distinguished from most household pets because the coyotes tend to still have fingernails or toenails, which make smaller prints beyond the pads of their paws.
“If it’s a cat, generally the cat does not have its toenails or claws extended, unless there’s a fight. So when a cat is walking, you won’t see the toenails” in footprints, Czech said.
Foxes are also distantly related to coyotes, he added, but tend to weigh eight to 14 pounds, and resemble large cats: “They’re around, but few and far between, in more forested areas,” he said.
Coyotes have been known to take down deer, and if you find a deer carcass with the rear half eaten, it was likely a coyote that did it: “If it looks like it was torn apart by piranhas, that was a coyote,” he said. They’re also known to eat birds, berries, insects, rodents, chickens, and even larger animals like lambs, Czech told the board. Droppings from coyotes tend to have fragments of hair from those creatures they consume, “and they like to go to the bathroom where other animals can see it: on a rock, pretty much anywhere, but a lot of times they mark their territory to say, ‘Stay away,’” Czech said.
Coyotes tend to mate in January or February, and their main predator in Pennsylvania is bears, which are only rarely spotted in Montgomery County. The main loss of life for coyotes tends to be humans, whether they are hit by cars or hunted, and trapping is limited and regulated by the state.
“The trapping idea is something residents have called and said, ‘Why don’t we trap them and take them away?’ I’d just like to say, the township has no animal control abilities. We can’t just trap animals,” Zadell said.
The game commission also does not typically trap and remove coyotes, Czech added, and most times local or state police can handle a sighting if a coyote appears to be sick or injured. Hunting is also regulated by the state, and on larger natural areas such as the Gwynedd Preserve, a 234acre open space on Swedesford Road, where the state does have hunting programs where coyotes can be removed as hunters seek larger animals like deer.
“When they have their babies, they’re of course going to be a little more protective. And that’s what I think happened at the Gwynedd Preserve,” he said.
“That’s when they become, I wouldn’t say aggressive, but protective of the area where their young ones are. You’re also going to see them more in the spring, because they’re not just feeding themselves, they’re feeding four or five young ones,” Czech said.
Coyotes can be spotted day or night, and Czech showed photos taken by home video surveillance cameras showing coyotes sneaking through yards. Coyotes are susceptible to mange, and while house pets tend to be brought back to health via shots or pills, wild animals are typically left to die naturally, Czech said.
“You don’t need to call the game commission if you see a perfectly healthy coyote running through your yard. We know they’re out there,” he said.
“But if they’re causing problems, or issues, or are sick, call your local police department and the game commission, to come out and help you with that injured animal,” he said.
Six regional offices handle each of Pennsylvania’s geographic areas, and the southeast regional office can be reached directly at (610) 926-3136, he added.
“I’ve been around for 22 years, and have never had a person bitten by a coyote. The last thing I’d be worried about, if I walked around Lower Gwynedd, or Cheltenham, or Abington, is a coyote issue,” he said.
“Usually, they’re going to run away, but if you want to stick your head in their den, I wouldn’t recommend it. If you see they have pups, they definitely don’t want you to get close and pet one. I would stay away.”
For more information on wildlife across Pennsylvania, visit the Pennsylvania Game Commission at www. pgc.pa.gov.