Coyote activity increases in South Carolina as breeding season begins

FLORENCE, S.C. — Lower temperatures and winter weather send many animals in our area into hibernation, except for coyotes, according to our news partners at WPDE in South Carolina.

For these canines, their South Carolina breeding season has begun and will stick around until the middle of February.

Coyotes are more active and sometimes territorial during their breeding season, WPDE reports.

“Sometimes there are increased movements related to breeding activity,” said Jay Butfiloski, the Furbearer and Alligator Program Coordinator with the South Carolina Dept. of Natural Resources.

“That comes along with increased conflicts with dogs because they are canines, so there can be territory conflicts or competition for breeding purposes.”

WPDE says because of the increased activity of coyotes, owners are encouraged to not leave pets outside alone, especially smaller ones. Dog owners should keep them on short leashes during this time of year too.

Butfiloski told WPDE it’s easier to manage considering it only happens this time of year.

“Luckily, it only takes place once a year,” Bufiloski said. “We don’t have to worry about young ones multiple times a year.”

While coyote attacks in the Palmetto State are very rare, when they do happen, they normally involve a pet. Butfiloski says what starts out as simple curiosity may turn into a confrontation.

“Dogs and coyotes, there’s a little curiosity in some cases, depending on the demeanor of the animal itself, and they’re seen as competition in some cases,” Butfiloski said. “So just like you walk your dog down a street and you encounter a strange dog, they may size each other up, or there may be some kind of confrontation. So, keep pets on short leashes where you have control over them.”

If you run into a coyote, Butfiloski says to treat it like any other stray dog, back away from the animal, don’t turn your back, and leave the area as soon as possible.

“Coyotes are not exceptionally large animals; the average one is going to weigh 30, 35 pounds,” he said. “They look bigger, and some are larger than that, but day in and day out, an average female is about 30 pounds and a male is going to be about 35.”

Officials say if you’ve been bitten by a coyote, you need to see the doctor and potentially get rabies treatment. Experts say if left untreated, rabies is fatal.

There are many obvious tips and tricks to use that can help keep your property free of coyotes. While fences are an obvious, popular choice, owners need to make sure they can see past them, especially if they live near the woods, WPDE reports.

Butfiloski says it’s important to keep plants and shrubbery maintained because it allows them to hide.

A big motivator for coyotes is food; every year more people move to the area, more houses are built, and more of the coyotes’ natural habitat is destroyed. A lack of space and large amounts of trash also attract coyotes.

“It’s easy for them to find trash,” Butfiloski told WPDE. He referenced coyotes’ powerful sense of smell, which is 23 times better than our own. “Anything they eat can be an attractant.”

After coyote breeding season, don’t expect to see less of them. Similar to other canines, coyotes deliver litters of about five or six pups in 60 days, WPDE says. Following the birth, coyotes will be more active when raising their babies because there are more mouths to feed.

(WATCH BELOW: Coyote spotted in Villa Heights neighborhood)

Coyote spotted in Villa Heights neighborhood

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