They Were Here
Before the Roads
This week — March 16 through 22 — communities across the country pause to rethink one of the most misunderstood animals on the continent. Here in Wisconsin, that animal is not a stranger. The coyote is our neighbor, our dawn chorus, our ecological co-pilot. It’s time we actually got to know them.
What Is Coyote Awareness Week?
Coyote Awareness Week was created by wildlife advocacy organization Project Coyote to promote greater understanding of coyotes and encourage compassionate coexistence. Observed this year from March 16–22, 2026, the week invites communities to replace fear and misinformation with knowledge and science-based wildlife stewardship.
Coyotes represent the pinnacle of unethical and unscientific wildlife “management” in the U.S. Increased awareness of and appreciation for coyotes are critically needed to reform outdated wildlife policies and end the unjust persecution deeply rooted in American culture ever since European colonization.
“Coyote power: surviving by one’s intelligence and wits when others cannot; embracing existence in a mad, dancing, laughing, sympathetic expression of pure joy at evading the grimmest of fates.”
— Dan Flores, Author of Coyote AmericaOne Coyote Killed
Every Minute.
Coyotes are one of the most persecuted wild animals in North America. Despite their intelligence, adaptability, and crucial ecological roles, they are subject to relentless killing — over half a million coyotes die each year in the U.S. alone, fueled by outdated myths, fear-driven policies, and a deeply ingrained war against predators dating back to European colonization.
every year in the U.S.
USDA Wildlife Services
every single minute
But the science is clear: killing coyotes doesn’t solve conflicts — and sometimes it makes them worse. Disrupting coyote family structures leads to more breeding by younger animals, larger litters, and potentially increased conflicts. Instead of lethal management that has been proven ineffective, we need policies that promote coexistence, respect, and sound ecological principles.
The Song Dog:
Resilient Beyond Reckoning
Predator extermination campaigns in the 1800s through the mid-1900s nearly wiped wolves, mountain lions, and bears off the map. But when the focus turned to coyotes, they responded to persecution with resilience and adaptability, tripling their range in the last century and filling vacant niches left where wolves were extirpated. In other words: we tried everything to erase them. They are still here, still howling, still watching the sun come up over your neighborhood.
Coyotes are found in every county of Wisconsin. Their population is stable and likely increasing. They do well in urban and rural areas alike. Coyotes prefer woodland edges and brushy areas that provide adequate cover, but they readily use farm fields, parkways, riverways, parks, and other areas with natural vegetation in city and residential developments. Coyotes routinely travel a territory that may include your back yard.
🌙 Dawn & Dusk Animals
Coyotes are most active in the low-light hours — that chorus you hear while walking Bruiser at dawn? That’s a family checking in. Urban coyotes consistently shift their activity patterns to nighttime hours when human activity is minimal. In rural settings, they’re bolder because they have to be.
🐭 Nature’s Pest Control
In both rural and urban environments, coyotes regulate rodent populations, limit disease transmission, keep communities cleaner by scavenging carrion, and limit mesocarnivore populations — thereby increasing bird diversity and abundance. They are working for the ecosystem every single night.
Coyote or Wolf?
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