Illinois Coyote Sightings Are Way Up This Spring–Here’s Why

Depending on where you live in Illinois, there's every chance that you've probably already seen or heard a coyote or two this spring. There are a couple of different reasons for that.

One, coyote mating season here in Illinois took place in February and March. That means the results of all that mating is taking place right now and the Illinois coyote population is working hard to produce litters of 5-7 coyote pups through the end of this month into early June.

The second reason has to do with the relatively mild winter we just came through here in Illinois. The Illinois Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) says that mild winters mean a big boost in Illinois' coyote population in the spring. Nicer weather conditions means that older, or sick and late-littered animals survive, animals that would normally would die off.

The IDNR has been tracking urban and suburban coyotes for years, and you can help them if you're interested by visiting CoyoteTrack.org if you should see one.

Here's Something About Coyotes That I Didn't Know Until Today...

According to ReptileKnowledge.com (yes, I know coyotes aren't reptiles, but this site had great information):

Except for Hawaii, coyotes live in all of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. More coyotes exist today than when the U.S. Constitution was signed. Almost no animal in America is more adaptable to changing conditions than the coyote. Coyotes can live just about anywhere.

Doing a little more digging, I found out that these states have the largest coyote populations in the country:

• Texas: 859,510
• California: 250,000
• Arizona: 200,000
• Kansas: 150,000
• New Mexico: 125,000
• Illinois: 110,000
• Arkansas: 106,360
• Pennsylvania: 100,000
• Georgia: 90,000

Even Though Illinois Isn't Sitting Atop The List Of The States With Highest Coyote Populations, We Most Certainly Have A Lot Of Them, And The Numbers Are Growing

According to KaneCountyPets.com, "coyotes were rare in
Illinois for a long time after settlement of the state, but their numbers
increased dramatically during the 1970s and early 1980s."

As for their overall numbers in Illinois, BND.com puts the number as high as 110,000 coyotes:

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the coyote population in Illinois is estimated to be more than 30,000. However, surveys conducted between 2013 and 2017 by the Illinois Natural History Survey estimate the population to be between 54,000 and 110,000.

One more fact about Illinois coyotes that I was surprised to learn is that few coyotes live past 3 to 4 years of age. The oldest coyote found in a study conducted in Illinois during 1996 to 1997 was 13 years old.