Beaver Staff
Coyotes have found a way to thrive close to human activity — perhaps too close for many humans’ comfort.
Regardless of how you feel about the highly adaptable predator, the coyote will be the subject of a presentation organized by the Lennox and Addington Stewardship Council.
The session will include a couple of guest speakers, including Trent University PhD candidate Tyler Wheeldon. Wheeldon spent three years studying the coyote in Prince Edward County from 2010-2013.
According to the LASC, Wheeldon will provide information on the animal, covering topics such as coyotes’ morphology, genetics, diet, social structure and movement patterns, as well as the causes of mortality, survival, and reproduction.
The LASC also says Wheeldon will present his research data on how eastern coyote populations respond to harvesting (hunting and trapping), as well as an assessment of reproductive compensation and re-populating by immigration.
There will be time for a question-and-answer session.
The meeting will also include a presentation from Amherst Island sheep farmer Mark Ritchie, who has installed predator-proof fencing to protect his livestock. According to the LASC, Ritchie worked with the Ontario Soil and Crop Association 15 years ago to design and build a coyote-proof fence around a 65-acre site; the success of the fence led to grants being available for predator-proof fencing. The farm now has 300 acres fenced and only once has a coyote appeared inside the fence.
The presentation takes place at the South Fredericksburgh Community Hall this coming Wednesday starting at 7 p.m. The meeting is free to attend, although donations to the LASC, a not-for-profit environmental agency, will be welcome.