Wildlife warnings: Coyote breeding season

Heather Ainsley reporter3.riverbendnews@gmail.com Despite their shy nature, the Florida coyote is exceptionally common. Most residents are more likely to hear these elusive creatures than they are to actually see one, but researchers estimate there are between 13,000 and 70,000 coyotes that live in Florida. Coyotes are prevalent through every one of the state's 67 counties. That means if you live anywhere in the state, you regularly share the landscape with these wild canines. January marks the start of the coyote mating season, which will last through March. During the mating season, coyotes are more active and territorial, and encounters with humans become more common. While it is rare