Knowledge Bank

Past and present status of the coyote (Cants latrans) in Ohio was documented by a historical review, a survey of encounters, and a skull collection and analysis. Coyotes were first recorded in Ohio in 1919. In 1979 and 1980,336 wild canid encounters were reported in 46 of Ohio's 88 counties. From 1982 to 1988, skull collections were made in 71 counties, yielding 379 (87%) coyotes, 10 (2%) coydogs, and 25 (6%) feral dogs. The coyote is well established and distributed throughout the state.