Wolves or Coyotes along I-65 just north of Lebanon

[McLaren]

Originally Posted by Jrbhunter

McLaren, red and gray fox are probably the most common victims of coyote encroachment. When the big K-9’s move in, one of their top priorities is to eradicate all the smaller predators they can. The few Red Fox that survive their first few encounters with a coyote tend to react by moving into town… amongst levels of human presence that make coyotes uncomfortable. Gray Fox do the opposite, digging into the steep hill country and thick timber where coyote populations are relatively low due to lack of small game. Unfortunately both of Indiana’s fox populations have suffered GREATLY over the last 20 years while coyote populations have exploded. Northern & Central Indiana still have red fox close to towns, Southern Indiana has decent gray fox populations in the heavily forested areas. As I travel over 50 of Indiana’s 92 counties to hunt predators… I see a ratio of approximately 35:1 of coyotes coming in for every fox.

PJ8, I know that area well and it is certainly FULL of coyotes right now. Coyote populations work in an ebb & flow cycle that many speculate rotates on a 6-8 year cycle between peaks and valleys. Right now, that area you described is one of the highest “peaks” Indiana has in coyote population. On opening day of the 2009 coyote season, I called in 16 coyotes on Porter County properties in a matter of HOURS. I regularly get calls from farmers and landowners in that area as they deal with an influx of coyotes. With coyote season going out next week, I will not get up there again this year… I plan to travel around the Carmel, Kokomo & Wabash areas this weekend instead.

You probably won’t see many road killed coyotes this time of year since most fatalities occur in August-September when juveniles are forced out on their own. Just imagine if humans only gave birth in April each year, how many 16 year old kids would be wrecking simultaneously every time April/May came around! Juvenile coyotes are not the best decision makers!

Yep, our visitors have been red fox and they have been perfectly harmless and have interacted with our small dog without incident, but I didn't know that an encroaching coyote population may have moved the fox into our area. Interesting stuff.

[Dmj1234]

I live In noble county and have hunting coyotes for seven years. I have had no luck to this day. Anyone know of a place where they know coyotes are present where I can receive permission to hunt?

[wildinthecountry]

You city folk need to get out more. It was very unlikely they were wolves there has only been one confirmed sighting of wolves in Indiana in the last 60 years and they also confirmed that these were hybrids. I just live a few miles from your sighting and see coyotes almost daily. They do run in pairs and I have seen groups of up to five before. They have already eaten all the quail, what few pheasents we had and pretty much wiped out the cottontail population. They are now starting to migrate to the cities and towns because that's where the easy food is at. The only good coyote is a dead coyote.