CritterTrack

Tag: MS-LS2-1

  • What else can be learned from trapping coyotes?

    In addition to learning about the habits and movements of coyotes, wildlife biologists often gather other data on animals they trap and release.

    Click on the information icon (i) for each coyote in the Visualizer. What data was collected? What samples were taken? Why do you think this data is important to wildlife biologists? How might the data assist the Department of Natural Resources in establishing rules and regulations for hunting or trapping coyotes?

    Create a chart or graph using data gathered on the coyotes when they were trapped. 

    If you were tracking coyotes, what would you want to learn?

  • Design a coyote territory and habitat

    Using art materials or computer generated graphics, design a scale representation of what you think an ideal habitat and territory would be for a coyote. Incorporate the elements a coyote needs to survive. Using the data obtained from the Visualizer, what would be the size of your created territory?

  • The family life of coyotes

    Using the Visualizer, study the travel patterns of the adult coyotes during different weeks or seasons. Research the life history of coyotes to learn when coyotes mate and have pups. 

    Can you infer or determine:

    • When the coyotes represented in the Visualizer mate or have pups?
    • When the pups leave their den?  
    • How long pups stay with the adults in the same territory?

    When coyote pups mature and disperse out of their original home territory, where do you think they go? Why do you think they don’t stay in their original home territory? Some young adult coyotes, however, do stay for several years within their parents’ territory. What role do you think they play in the family group? Do coyotes hunt or travel in packs or are they solitary? 

  • Finding food

    What do coyotes eat? What types of food are the coyotes likely to find in each of their territories? What food sources might be present that habituate coyotes to humans? How do wildlife biologists verify what coyotes are eating in a given territory? Create a food web or chart for a coyote. Or, create a Coyote Cafe menu!

  • Where would coyotes live in your area?

    Look at a satellite imagery map of your county. Based on what you learned from studying the coyotes’ habits in the Visualizer,  predict where coyotes might live in your area or neighborhood. What travel corridors might they use? Where might they locate a den? Where would they find food? Water? Shelter? Has anyone ever seen coyotes in your county?

  • Why do people hunt and trap coyotes in Illinois?

    What reasons might people have to hunt or trap coyotes? Who can hunt or trap coyotes? What regulations govern coyote hunting and trapping and who enforces the regulations? What benefits are there to humans or to wildlife for regulated hunting or trapping programs? Has the coyote population been affected by hunting or trapping? What Illinois rules and regulations today keep the population stable? What laws ensure the humaneness of trapping?

    How many coyotes are harvested each year in Illinois and how does that compare with other states? 

  • What happens if a coyote is killed, dies or is removed?

    What might happen if one coyote or all the coyotes in a territory are “removed” or die? Consider the impact on humans, other coyotes in the area, prey species, etc. If coyotes are eliminated from a territory, do you think the removal would be permanent? What methods can the Illinois Department of Natural Resources use to “eliminate” a coyote?

  • Do coyotes impact other wildlife?

    Do coyotes feed on other animals or insects that homeowners consider to be favorable or unfavorable in their neighborhood? If coyotes establish a new territory, how might they impact the population of prey species? What role do you think regulated hunting and trapping of coyotes could play in maintaining prey populations? How do you think wildlife biologists confirm what coyotes are consuming?