Idaho Coyotes Could Become Bigger and More Dangerous

Are coyotes getting bigger?  The answer is yes.  This phenomenon was first noticed in the northeast almost 10 years ago.  Now there’s a story out of Wyoming suggesting it’s happening in the west.  It doesn’t appear to be an evolutionary change, but rather due to interbreeding with wolves and dogs.  Maybe not wolves directly, but dogs and dogs that have bred with wolves.  In Southern Idaho, below the river, wolves are rare, but there are plenty of dogs, and some are large.

This is More than an Urban Legend

Allowing your dogs to wander may play a role.  On the farm, that’s not quite so easy to regulate.  A Google search informed me that larger coyotes aren’t a serious threat to human beings, but they could pose a greater danger in packs to your household pets, and I would assume livestock as well.

Coyotes, Like Raccoons, are Found Everywhere

Coyotes have long adapted to living in towns and cities.  They’re also known in some places for transmitting rabies.

Wolves aren't necessarily kind to coyotes, but an animal in heat is a different story.  Think about the behavior of some people at closing time.  While we may eventually see the spread of the larger animals, I suspect hunting coyotes will continue to be a part of life in this part of the country.  But the question is, what do we do when they become the size of wolves and share DNA?  Perhaps more wolf than coyote.  Do they then become a protected species?