Those walking or cycling through forest preserves and local parks in the Aurora area may see an increase in the number of coyotes from now until February, officials said.
Forest Preserve District of DuPage County officials said that during the next few months, young coyotes will be migrating away from their parents “in search of mates and territories to call their own.”
“Young coyotes are looking for a place to call home, yet most areas are already occupied. This forces them to move around in search of unclaimed territories,” explained DuPage County Forest Preserve District ecologist Dan Thompson in a press release. “As a result, sightings tend to increase this time of year.”
In Kane County, Patrick Chess, who serves as the director of Natural Resources for the Kane County Forest Preserve District, agreed that coyote sightings will be on the rise.
“You tend to see more coyotes moving around as this is the mating season over the winter into early spring. Parents are kicking last year’s young out and they are searching for a new territory,” Chess said. “We tend to find a lot of coyotes in these interface grounds between urban and rural areas.”
Other factors in play with the increased sightings include a decrease in vegetation, meaning coyotes spend more time foraging for food.
An increase in sightings doesn’t necessarily mean the coyote population is increasing, officials said.
Tom Velat, ecology supervisor for the DuPage County Forest Preserve District, said there aren’t any hard numbers regarding the number of coyotes in the area but that studies continue in Cook County.
“There are similar studies in Cook County that have been going on for several decades where they do track the actual population with transmitter animals and they are actively working to assess the number of coyotes in Cook County,” Velat said. “Because many areas are suburban and very similar to what we have in DuPage County, the numbers can be potentially analogous to what we have here.”
Velat adds that “the general rule is that coyotes are in a lot more places than people think.”
“They can coexist with humans really well and in most circumstances people don’t really see them as they are naturally secretive, but this time of year they’re more visible,” he said. “The population is relatively stable but there are several threats to coyotes with a lot of the development going on in our counties and just some places where they can’t find a habitat.”
Both Velat and Chess said that one of the keys to keeping coyotes away is to make sure there isn’t a ready source of food.
“We tell people not to feed the coyotes, which they think means don’t walk up to an animal and feed it directly, but people unintentionally feed them,” Velat said. “It happens if garbage cans are not sealed and tip over or there is fruit left on the ground from a tree.”
Chess said another issue is bird feeders, which can draw other animals like squirrels or rabbits which are then hunted by the coyotes.
“Feeders can attract other wildlife,” he said. “Coyotes are looking for smaller animals like rodents and rabbits and while they aren’t interested in the bird seed they will be in the smaller animals any seed is attracting.”
Velat also warns about leaving a bowl of food or water outside for pets which can also draw an unwanted visitor.
“The coyotes can capitalize on that. If people are seeing bold coyotes in their neighborhood there’s a good chance someone is unintentionally feeding that animal,” he said.
Coyotes are active throughout the entire day. Pets running loose in the yard is an issue, Velat says, especially the smaller breeds of dogs “who can be quite loud and be seen as a challenge to a coyote’s territory.”
“Even if the coyote is not hungry they may still see it as a challenge to their territory,” he said. “Don’t let your pets run in their yard and also have your pets on a leash if you’re walking in a forest preserve.”
If approached by a coyote, both Chess and Velat said that “the best thing is not to run.”
“You want to appear big and wave your arms or start talking loudly,” Chess said. “The important thing is not to panic. The coyote isn’t hunting you, but you don’t want to run.”
“Even if the coyote is not trying to hurt anyone it might see (running) as a playing thing, especially if the coyote is habituated to humans,” Velat added. “The best thing to do when you encounter one is to shout or throw something in its direction. We’re not trying to hit the animals but dissuade it from getting any closer. If there is a way you can back away from it, that’s the best thing. If you see a lot of them, avoid that area and minimize any potential conflict.”
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
