Trying to thin out coyote populations may be a losing fight, according to a new University of Georgia study.
Researchers found that Eastern coyotes have an extraordinary ability to adapt and reproduce, making population control costly and short-lived.
“Predator populations are contentious to manage, but coyotes are a lot harder to manage than a lot of other predators due to their really unique, amazing ability to reproduce,” said Heather Gaya, lead author and postdoctoral research associate at UGA’s Warnell School of Forestry. “They can bounce back very rapidly.”
Coyotes thrive in unexpected habitats
Using trail cameras, howl analysis, and other fieldwork across the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, researchers counted between 45 and 50 coyotes in every 38 square miles—more than one coyote per square mile.
That density was surprising, Gaya said, because coyotes are known to prefer open landscapes. Yet at Savannah River, a heavily forested site, they are thriving.
“Coyotes have the ability to occupy and adapt to many different habitats,” said co-author Gino D’Angelo, an associate professor at Warnell.
The team attributes coyotes’ success to low competition from other predators and an abundance of prey. For decades, large apex predators have been missing from much of the Southeast, giving coyotes an open niche.
Removal efforts backfire
The study tracked coyote populations over an 18-year span. Despite repeated removal attempts, numbers quickly rebounded—sometimes even spiking after culls. Neighboring coyotes also migrated into cleared areas, offsetting control efforts.
That rebound comes with a hefty price tag: between $30,000 and $50,000 per removal campaign.
“The cost and man-hours that it takes to actively remove those coyotes is something that’s just not sustainable or not practical on a large scale,” Gaya said. “I think that when we’re managing coyotes, we have to consider if it’s worth it to put in all of that time and money for what seems to be short-term gain. And if we’re not able to sustain that in the long term, maybe we should be thinking about other options.”
