Are you seeing more coyotes around your SC property? Here’s why and how to protect pets
As we head deeper into winter, the coyote mating season begins in South Carolina.
That means coyote activity will increase and residents may see more of them.
The breeding season usually lasts from January to March, and male coyotes could become more territorial and potentially aggressive, said Jay Butfiloski with the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources.
Here’s what to know as coyotes reproduce around the Myrtle Beach area.
What does the breeding season look like?
Coyotes breed in the winter and early spring, with offspring being born in the spring after a two-month gestation period, according to the SCDNR. While trying to breed, male coyotes tend to become territorial.
“Essentially, they’re competitors for mates in their territories,” Butfiloski said.
As the mammals enter the pup-rearing season, they also become protective of their dens. Coyotes will typically build a den during this time of year to raise their young. Dens include brush piles, old barns, abandoned burrows and gullies. The pups start to leave the den after around a month and are weaned around two months.
It’s possible for coyotes to breed with domestic dogs, but it is unlikely.
Will coyotes attack pets?
The opportunistic feeders usually rely on small animals, like rabbits and rodents, but if there is a deficit of food sources, coyotes may go after pets.
Coyotes are most active from dusk until the next morning.
“Pet predation is usually due to the territorial nature of the coyote and lack of an alternative prey base in suburban areas,” Butfiloski and Buddy Baker, SCDNR wildlife biologists, wrote in “Coyote - Biology and Control In South Carolina.”
As coyotes become more aggressive, keep an eye on small pets, especially cats. It’s best to feed pets inside and avoid leaving food outside at night as that could attract the animal. Butfiloski and Baker also recommend walking dogs in open areas on short leashes.
Also, take caution feeding feral cat colonies, as the food and easy access to prey can attract coyotes to an area.
If you stumble upon a coyote, treat it the same way as a strange dog.
“Keep (dogs) on a short leash where you can pull them up if you need to. As far as coyotes go, you don’t turn and run because sometimes it can trigger a pursuit instinct,” Butfiloski previously told The Sun News. “Just like when you encounter another strange dog, you pick your pet up and you just start backing up, keeping your face to them.”
Is it legal to hunt coyotes?
In South Carolina, it is legal to hunt coyotes year round. With a valid hunting license, people can go after coyotes on private land during the day, according to the SCDNR.
On registered land, people can hunt coyotes at night as long as it’s 300 yards or more from a residence. This distance does not matter if the property owner is hunting on their own land.
When on public land, hunters need a special permit and have to use the weapons in season. This means using weapons appropriate for small game hunting during the small game season while larger guns are allowed during deer hunting season.
For people without hunting licenses trying to deal with a coyote problem, they can apply for a coyote depredation permit. The free permit lasts 30 days and allows property owners to shoot and trap damage-causing coyotes. Keep in mind, it is illegal to use poison to kill a coyote, the SCDNR wrote.
From Dec. 1 to March 1, it’s also possible to trap coyotes with a trapping license.
