Behavioral Ecology Research

Dan Bogan will be giving a public talk on coyote management and behavioral ecology at Rye Nature Center on January 10. 2009. Please click on the following link for details: Coyote Talk at Rye Nature Center

We successfully added 2 coyotes to the ecology study in the Town of Yorktown. This is just the beginning as we intend to capture 13 more coyotes in Somers and Yorktown. Keep your eyes open for ear tagged coyotes.

After a brief hiatus from trapping during the hot summer, we are gearing up to increase our sample size in the towns of Mt. Pleasant and Greenburgh, and to begin radio-collaring a sample of coyotes in the Towns of Yorktown and Somers. Field researchers need access to private and public lands for coyote capture and other monitoring activities. If you live within the towns of Greenburgh, Mt. Pleasant, Somers, or Yorktown and are interested in permitting access to your property, please contact Dan Bogan at 914-815-0317 for more information.

During the spring field season, the ecology field crew captured and radio collared 13 coyotes in Mt. Pleasant and Greenburgh. Since then, we have been tracking their movements both day and night and are obtaining a better assessment of where they move and live.

The public can assist our tracking efforts by reporting sightings of tagged and radio-collared coyotes in Westchester County using our online Coyote Sighting Log. Please be sure to note the number and collor of the ear tags!

One of the radio collared female coyotes was struck and killed by a vehicle on the Taconic State Parkway. Fortunately, NYSDOT workers reported the incident so we could quickly recover the animal for necropsy (an animal autopsy) and collect the radio collar. We will check her for disease and general health condition.

If you see any tagged or untagged coyotes killed along Westchester County roadways, please notify Dan Bogan ASAP at 914-815-0317. We can obtain valuable information from these incidents.

The ecology field crew has safely captured, radio collared, and released 13 coyotes within the towns of Mt. Pleasant and Greenburgh. Once in hand, we fit each coyote with a radio-transmitter collar and attach individually numbered and color coded ear tags. Additionally, we measure body size and weight, estimate age, and examine their general health condition and reproductive status. Each coyote is then released at the capture site as soon as all important biological information is collected

In January the ecology crew began its effort to collar coyotes in the four study sties within Westchester County. We currently have three coyotes collared and are tracking their movements as part of the behavioral ecology work. The crew will continue to collar additional coyotes so that we can follow their progress through the breeding and whelping season. Check back soon for updates.