The Eastern Coyote

First of all I want to wish a very Happy Birthday to George Story on Feb. 22. I think he is either 93 or 94 years young and he has inspired at least three generations of gardeners, including me! Story’s nursery in Freehold remains one of the premier garden centers in the region. A visit to their greenhouses on these cold, February days is a sure cure for cabin fever! It is too cold and snowy to think about plants this week, so I will share some information about one of our local wildlife species. Most of this column is taken from a publication prepared by SUNY Syracuse.

There are some people who live in the Catskill/Hudson Valley region who have not seen this somewhat shy, local resident, but once they hear them, they will never forget the sounds. The Eastern Coyote is considerably larger than its southwestern cousin that most of us have seen on TV. The largest individuals are as big as smaller timber wolves. Adults may range from 35-45 pounds and some large males may exceed 50 or 60 pounds in body weight. Eastern coyotes have a German shepherd-like appearance, which sometimes leads to confusion about their identity. A small percent are black or reddish-blond, the latter being the more common deviation. Coyotes can be distinguished from most dogs based on their habit of carrying their tail at or below a horizontal level when traveling. At a distance it is more difficult to tell coyotes from wolves.

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