Coyote populations surge despite costly removal efforts, 18-year UGA study finds

ATHENS, Ga. (WTOC) - Efforts to control coyote populations across the Southeast may be futile, according to new University of Georgia research which found the predators bounce back from removal efforts faster than they can be eliminated.

The 18-year study, which used trail cameras and audio recordings of different howls to track Eastern coyotes, revealed populations of roughly one coyote per square mile that consistently rebounded (and sometimes even spiked) shortly after removal efforts.

Despite costing more than $30,000, current control methods failed to make lasting impacts on coyote numbers, researchers found.

The animals experienced low competition from other species and had abundant prey available, allowing populations to stabilize quickly after human intervention.

Comprehensive research methodology

The study represents one of the most extensive long-term analyses of Eastern coyote population dynamics ever conducted.

Researchers combined multiple data collection methods, including camera surveillance technology and acoustic monitoring that recorded and analyzed different coyote vocalizations to accurately count populations over nearly two decades.

The research tracked not only population numbers but also the effectiveness of various removal strategies employed by wildlife management agencies throughout the Southeast region.

Coyotes have unique reproductive abilities

“In general, predator populations are contentious to manage, but coyotes are a lot harder to manage than a lot of other predators due to their really unique, amazing ability to reproduce,” said Heather Gaya, corresponding author of the study and a postdoctoral research associate in the Warnell School of Forestry. “They can bounce back very rapidly.”

The findings suggest current approaches to coyote management are both costly and ineffective on a large scale.

Gaya noted that the expense and labor required for active removal efforts are “just not sustainable or not practical.”

Implications for wildlife management

The research points to a need for alternative strategies when it comes to habitat management and biodiversity conservation.

Rather than focusing on removal, wildlife managers may need to explore different approaches to coexisting with stable coyote populations.

The study’s findings have significant implications for wildlife management budgets and policies across the Southeast, where agencies have invested substantial resources in coyote control programs with limited long-term success.

The comprehensive approach, combining camera surveillance with acoustic monitoring over nearly two decades, provides crucial data for future wildlife management decisions and policy development.