What defines a “nuisance” or “problem” coyote? What options do wildlife biologists utilize to deal with “problem” coyotes? What are the outcomes of lethal removal or relocation? How would you design a program to prove this outcome?
Tag: population dynamics
-
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?
-
Have coyote populations in Illinois changed over time?
How has the estimated population of coyotes in Illinois (or your state) changed over time? How do wildlife biologists estimate wildlife populations? What factors influence the population numbers? Does regulated hunting or trapping affect the overall population of coyotes in Illinois? Why or why not?
-
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?
-
What are the limiting factors for coyote populations?
What potential dangers to the coyotes are present in each territory? Do coyotes have predators? What keeps their population under control? What role does the Illinois Department of Natural Resources play in population management? What specific hunting and trapping rules protect coyotes from over-harvest?
Within each territory in the Visualizer, where would coyote–vehicle collisions occur? How have urban coyotes adapted to navigating along and across streets? What design solutions could reduce coyote–vehicle collisions?
-
Describe a day in the life of a coyote
What do you think a coyote is doing at different locations or at different times of the day? Select a coyote and a day within the tracking period. Write a narrative that describes that day in the life of the coyote.
-
What can you learn from the charts on the Critter Track Visualizer?
What can you learn from each of the charts on the Visualization Tool? Write a summary based on the data represented in the charts. Create your own chart of something you observe about coyotes on the Visualization Tool or gather from the available data download. How are charts helpful to scientists and non-scientists?
-
When are coyotes most active?
What times of the day or night are coyotes most active?
Why do you think this is?
-
Analyze coyote travel patterns between individuals, seasonally and more
Study the travel patterns of the coyotes in the Visualizer. Do travel patterns and distances traveled differ:
- Between males and females?
- During day or night? When there is a full or new moon?
- Seasonally?
- In different territories?
- In different parts of the country?
- In different weather conditions?
What can be inferred from these differences or similarities? What other travel patterns can you explore or compare?