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New York Suburban Coyote Study: Home >> Coyote Information >> Historical Information

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Historically, it is not exactly clear if the coyote inhabited New York and other northeastern states and, as such, two possible theories exist that may never be fully accepted. However, scientific evidence increasingly supports theory two.

Historical Information

Coyote (Canis latrans)

The history of the coyote in New York State is neither simple nor clear. Information extending back beyond 1800 is patchy at best. Few Canis fossil specimens exist. Though much of North America was explored and settled in part by fur trappers, no trap tallies or harvest records exist from this time, as wildlife populations were unprotected and often over harvested in an effort to "improve" the land for settlement.

THEORY ONE: The coyote was a resident of the northeastern United States. Early settlers often made mention of a "brush wolf" that looked smaller than true wolves that inhabited the northeast. The term "brush wolf" may have been a possible misnomer for the coyote. Scientists believe if the coyote existed in the northeast, then they probably existed at low densities in isolated populations scattered to suboptimal habitats.

THEORY TWO: The coyote did not historically inhabit New York or northeastern United States. The species' range was limited to northern Mexico, Midwestern states, and south central Canada. Wolves and mountain lions were the dominant large-predators in northeastern United States.

Recent History of the Coyote in New York State:

Historians and wildlife professionals do know, however, the story of the coyote in New York from about the time of the late 1800's through present day. During the 1800's, much of New York State was cleared of native old growth forests and other climax communities in pursuit of agriculture. In fact, much of the land in New York was cleared by the turn of the 20th century for farming and timber production. Concurrently, the fauna of New York suffered from unregulated hunting and habitat loss. New York's historical top predators, wolves and mountain lions (a.k.a. puma or cougar) were extirpated from the region. Essentially, these animals are considered locally extinct because their return to the region is unlikely to occur any time soon. Beaver, moose, white-tailed deer and black bear also were forced near to local extinction through unregulated hunting, bounties and habitat loss. It is clear that no coyotes existed in New York during the 1800's.

In Canada, however, the range expansion of coyotes was noted north of the Great Lakes. The coyote range expansion continued, perhaps at a rate of 10 miles/kilometer per year (Fener 2002), and reached New York's northern boundary with Canada - the St. Lawrence River - by 1900. It appears the large river posed a difficult barrier for coyotes to cross and delayed the expansion into New York for some 40 years. In 1940, coyotes established a population in Northern New York that rapidly expanded to the remaining State during the next 35 years. Apparently, this range expansion continues today as coyotes move into suburban and urban locales.

This range expansion across New York (1940 - 1950's) was met with resistance from State wildlife biologists and others of the community. Early attempts to eradicate the expanding population failed and now coyote are firmly established as residents in most of New York's landscapes.

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