Column: Coyotes are often misunderstood, and confused for other animals

PORTLAND PRESS HERALD • October 10, 2026

Coyotes can be found across the entire state. The first recorded sightings are from the ’30s. They expanded their range northeast to fill a void left after humans killed off the eastern wolves that once lived in Maine, eradicating them in the 19th century. As the coyotes moved into these newly accessible areas, they encountered some wolves en route and began hybridizing, which gave us the variety of coyote hybrids, often called “coywolves,” that are seen in Maine today (officially called eastern coyotes). The coyotes around us are much more afraid of humans than humans need to be of them. But keeping them wild is important, so do not leave food out for them. And you should keep your cats safe and indoors all the time anyway as cats are also the No. 1 anthropogenic cause of mortality in birds. ~ Maine Audubon Staff Naturalist Doug Hitchcox