Illinois’ Coyotes Are Getting Really Active Lately–Here’s Why

In just the last week, law enforcement officers had to pull a coyote out of a refrigerated case at an Aldi store in Humboldt Park. Then, another coyote caused a problem at O'Hare Airport when it was struck by a United Airlines jet during takeoff, which caused the plane to have to return to O'Hare for damage inspection.

Here's the grocery store incident:

These two newsworthy appearances by Illinois coyotes may have you wondering why, in the middle of winter, we're seeing our state's population of coyotes getting out, about, and really active.

Illinois' Coyotes Aren't Just Hanging Around Grocery Stores and International Airports--They're Also In Neighborhoods Throughout The State, Too

Since I live in a neighborhood populated with dog owners, it's not unusual to see a dog walking by, but they are usually attached to a leash and the human being who's holding the leash. That wasn't the case this time. This "dog" was doing the route solo. As you've already figured out, this wasn't a dog. This was a coyote, and in the days following this sighting, I've seen several more of them at different times of day.

If your knowledge of coyotes is limited to the cartoons, you're probably shocked to learn that coyotes sometimes do other things (like making little coyotes) besides ordering faulty ACME products and chasing roadrunners with absolutely zero success.

The Reason Illinois' Coyotes Are Getting Very Active Right Now Is Because We're Just Entering Coyote Mating Season

For the next month or so, Illinois' coyotes are heavily focused on procreation. Coyote mating season in Illinois will run through early March, with the peak occurring around Valentines Day, and the offspring arriving in April through May. Litters are generally made up of 5-7 coyote pups.

Here's something about coyote populations that I didn't know until recently, courtesy of ReptileKnowledge.com (yes, I know coyotes aren't reptiles, but this site had great information):

Except for Hawaii, coyotes live in all of the United States, Canada, and Mexico. More coyotes exist today than when the U.S. Constitution was signed. Almost no animal in America is more adaptable to changing conditions than the coyote. Coyotes can live just about anywhere.

Doing a little more digging, I found out that these states have the largest coyote populations in the country:

• Texas: 859,510
• California: 250,000
• Arizona: 200,000
• Kansas: 150,000
• New Mexico: 125,000
• Arkansas: 106,360
• Pennsylvania: 100,000
• Georgia: 90,000

Even Though Illinois Isn't One Of The States With Highest Coyote Populations, We Most Certainly Have A Lot Of Them, And The Numbers Are Growing

According to KaneCountyPets.com, "coyotes were rare in
Illinois for a long time after settlement of the state, but their numbers
increased dramatically during the 1970s and early 1980s."

As for their overall numbers in Illinois, BND.com puts the number as high as 110,000 coyotes:

According to the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, the coyote population in Illinois is estimated to be more than 30,000. However, surveys conducted between 2013 and 2017 by the Illinois Natural History Survey estimate the population to be between 54,000 and 110,000.

One more fact about Illinois coyotes that I was surprised to learn is that few coyotes live past 3 to 4 years of age. The oldest coyote found in a study conducted in Illinois during 1996 to 1997 was 13 years old.