Bulletin 320 CONTROL OP THE COYOTE IN CALIFOBNIA 



381 



will be readily admitted that pelts taken at the proper season, between 

 December 1 and February 15 when the fur is prime, have a very con- 

 siderable value, and this fact must not be lost sight of in any proposed 

 method of eradication or control. 



Due credit must also be given the coj-ote for destroying rodent 

 pests, particularly ground squirrels. An examination of the stomach 

 contents shows that ground squirrels form a large part of coyotes' 

 diet at certain seasons of the year. The good that they thus do in 

 destroying squirrels, is, of course, counterbalanced in greater or less 

 proportion by their destruction of game birds and mammals. The fact 

 remains that if we kill off all the coj'otes, we must face the problem of 

 ourselves accounting for the thousands of ground squirrels which these 

 animals now annually destroy. In certain instances coj^otes have 

 actually been afforded protection by ranchers on the ground that they 

 were proving beneficial through the catching of gophers and other 

 rodents when flooded out during the irrigation of alfalfa fields. A 

 coyote is not necessarily a had citizen. 



FOOD AND FEEDING HABITS 



The coyote is not fastidious about his food. A list of food 

 materials eaten by this animal would be a lengthy one and would 

 include the flesh of nearly all wild and domestic game birds and 

 animals, many insects, lizards and snakes, and numerous varieties 

 of both wild and cultivated fruits. Available food varies greatly with 

 the season of the year and the coyote is quick to adapt himself to 

 changing conditions. The following reports of stomach contents of 

 coj'otes from Siskiyou County will give a fair idea of animal materials 

 eaten. 



Stomach Contexts of Coyotes 



Trapped 



IX Siskiyou County 



Locality 



Date 



Sex 



stomach contents 



Butte Creek Valley 



June 17 



Female 



Cottontail rabbit 



Ash Creek, McCloud River 



July 26 



Female 



6 young chipmunks, 1 ear of 









domestic sheep, 30 grass- 









hoppers, coTvhair 



Treka 



September 



Female 



Digger squirrels 



Yreka 



Jan. 4 



Female 



Digger squirrels 



Butte Creek Valley 



June 2 



Male 



1 Oregon ground squirrel 



Butte Creek Valley 



June 8 



Male 



Oregon ground squirrels 



Butte Creek Valley 



June 18 



Male 



Oregon ground squirrels 



Butte Creek Valley 



June 18 



Male 



Oregon ground squirrels 



Yreka 



Jan. 10 



Male 



Pieces of cowhide and cowhair 



Yreka 



Jan. 18 



Male 



1 rabbit 



