Understanding the coyote’s social structure is crucial, whether you’re a coyote hunter or a human trying to protect your family. It can help you avoid conflict and even save your pets. Coyotes are monogamous and maintain pair bonds that can last for several years. They breed from December through March, giving birth to pups in early spring.
Family Structure
Are coyotes dangerous? Coyotes are social animals, forming packs of primarily females and males. These packs defend territories, hunt together, and communicate through scent-marking and group howling. During the breeding season, males may wait to breed until they reach sexual maturity (at 10-11 months). Both sexes can have litters simultaneously, but females are more likely to produce offspring than males. Pups are born blind in a den, and their eyes open after about ten days. They weigh about 250 grams and rely on their mothers for the first six weeks. After nine months, young males leave their parents and form their pack. Females typically remain with their parents and form the basis of a pack, defending their territories.
Dispersal
Coyotes are primarily carnivorous and eat various animals, including rabbits, rodents, insects, birds, snakes, and small mammals. They also opportunistically consume carrion and garbage. They are monogamous and maintain pair bonds that can last several years. Females mate in February, and pups are born between April and May. When they are born, the pups are blind and deaf and utterly dependent on their parents for survival. Both parents feed them regurgitated food from their stomachs.
Pups are weaned at five to seven weeks of age and leave their dens at six to nine months. Males will then disperse, while females usually stay with the pack to form a new family. Coyotes can be seen anywhere, day or night, and in natural or human-altered habitats. Occasionally, they will attack humans when hungry or threatened. They are a pest in some areas and can damage vegetation and property. They can also pose a threat to livestock and pets.
Nesting
Nesting is a natural behavior that involves preparing for a baby. It can include cleaning, organizing, and tidying everything from your closet to the pantry. Coyotes mate in winter and give birth to pups in early spring, often in dens. Litter sizes vary depending on various factors but can range from four to seven pups. Females stay with their young for a few months, caring for and protecting them from predators and other animals. Pups will leave their dens when they are about nine months old and can hunt independently by the fall. During the breeding season, coyotes form strong family groups of many individuals. These groups will increase in size when food is available and decrease when it is not.
Hunting
Coyotes are highly mobile predators who can travel great distances to hunt prey. They hunt deer, elk, hares, and rabbits in North America’s forests, deserts, swamps, grasslands, and plains. They hunt in groups of 3 to 8 members called packs. These packs are dominated by alpha males and females forming a breeding pair. A pack has a home range (the area the coyotes live in) and a territory where they defend against other coyotes. These territories are marked with urine and scat. Pack size is determined by the amount of food available to them. If they depend on a natural diet, their numbers will be small. However, if they get their food subsidized by humans, the size of a pack could be more significant.
