PHASE
1: INVESTIGATING AND IDENTIFYING THE
PROBLEMS
Tracking
coyote movements:
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In
2005 we launched a novel GPS tracking study
of our island coyotes, relatively new
arrivals that had - within a decade - become
highly visible members of our communities on
Aquidneck and Conanicut Islands. Numbers of sightings, pet
deaths, and encounters with people had grown
along with their population. Our study
focused on resource use, particularly food,
because coyote reproductive rate is known to
be linked to food abundance. We suspected
that the numbers of coyotes might be linked
to food excesses. Using GPS collars
that recorded hourly coyote positions, we
could determine what they were
eating and where. |
| A
mountain of coyote activity caused by sheep
carcasses |
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What we
found:
NBCS collars
revealed that every pack on the islands were subsidized by anthropogenic (human generated) food
resources. The subsidies caused coyote
problems because 1) numbers of coyotes were
increasing and 2) the coyotes were developing bad
behaviors (primarily boldness) as they began to
associate people with food. The good news
was that if humans were causing the problem humans
could also fix it.
PHASE
2: GETTING THE ISLAND COMMUNITIES ON BOARD
Coordination:
In
May of 2007 we began circulating the plan to the
municipalities: Newport, Middletown,
Portsmouth, and Jamestown. By October we had
submitted a related plan and report to Naval
Station Newport. We regarded the Navy a
critical participant as federal lands spanned all
three townships on Aquidneck Island.
Current
status:
The
most important food resource to coyotes we found
were unburied carcasses of road-killed deer and
farm livestock. The Plan recommends that
larger carcasses be transported to secure
composting facilities three of which are proposed
and being developed (with a Conservation
Innovation Grant to the project from the Natural
Resources Conservation Service, USDA). NBCS
and the Potter League for Animals held a
Coyote Management and Coexistence Workshop for
town representatives at on June 29, 2009. The
town/city councils are currently considering
adoption of the Plan along with a
Wildlife Feeding
Ordinance. Education is the best deterrent
for those providing attractants to coyotes and the
NBCS is committed to assist with this effort.
The Ordinance would give communities a tool to
deal with persistent coyote feeders who
unwittingly create "bad" coyotes that
patrol neighborhoods for food.
PHASE
3: MONITORING AND EVALUATION
Tracking
coyote movements after Plan implementation:
In
July of 2009 we began Phase 3 GPS tracking.
We are readying to re-examine the resource use of
the island coyote packs after the implementation
of the Coexistence and Management Plan. Our
collared coyotes should show us remaining
trouble-spots where food resources are being
provided. Phase I of our study showed that
subsidized coyote packs (breeding families) reduce
the size of their territories: they don't
need to look as far for food so they don't defend
as much ground. Less land required for a
coyote family means that more breeding families
can fit on the islands. More breeding groups
means more coyotes. If , however, the
island communities are successful in reducing
anthropogenic resources through implementation of
the Plan we should see 1) coyote territory size
increase, 2) number of coyote families
decrease.
These
changes should occur as the coyote packs begin
competing for land and subsisting exclusively on
their natural prey resources like mice,
woodchucks, rabbits, geese, and the deer they can
catch themselves. This is better for our
communities, better for the coyotes, and will help
ensure the natural balance of the ecosystem. |
After
analyzing our Phase 1 data we circulated a
draft 