I saw a coyote with a collar...
If you have seen a coyote wearing a collar with big white boxes on it, that's probably an animal from our study! We are currently putting GPS collars on coyotes all around the state of Ohio to monitor their movements and behavior as part of our ongoing research on coyote ecology and interactions with livestock. These animals are released once collared and measured, and we have no control over where they go afterwards.
What should I do now?
The collared coyotes provide us with data that we can use to make inferences about how Ohio's coyote population naturally behaves, how long a coyote typically lives in Ohio, and what the sources of mortality are. Therefore, we ask that people treat them like any other coyote!
If you would normally remove that animal from your property, or have it removed by a professional, then the presence of one of our collars should not prevent you from doing so. We just ask that you remove them through legal and humane means, and that you contact us afterward so we can retrieve the collar. Ideally, we would also like to examine the carcass and collect more data if possible.
If you just like seeing them around and aren't concerned about their presence, then that's great too! Our collars are within the guidelines for humane tracking of wildlife, meaning they are built specifically to minimize their impact on the animals' daily lives.
If you have recovered an animal with one of our collars, or just want to know more, please contact us!
