Over 400 Coyotes Sampled!
This project may be new, having started in the summer of 2021, but we are making serious headway in data collection! We collected data from coyotes all over Ohio, mainly from roadkill and from legally harvested animals. These samples are used to assess coyote diet, population dynamics, and impacts on local livestock. In the last year we have made tons of connections with livestock producers, hunters, and trappers throughout the state. With these connections and our partnership with the Ohio Division of Wildlife, we have now collected data from over 400 coyotes. This include samples from 59 out of the 88 Ohio counties.
This is important because patterns in behavior and population dynamics can be nuanced, meaning we need a lot of data from all age groups, from males and females, and from different regions of the state.
As you can see from the map, there are some counties that have more samples than others. Franklin county, particularly, is where our project is based (at OSU) and so we have a lot of samples from there. We are still collecting data - especially in the summer months - and we are trying to fill in coverage of the counties that we don't have represented. Click below to find out how you can help!