Abstract
Recordings of 1 – 4 coyotes (Canis latrans) that were howling and yip-yapping were played to 427 participants who were asked to estimate the number of coyotes they perceived to hear. Participants were separated by gender (M or F), age group ( 35), resident location (urban, suburban, or rural), and occupation type (rancher/farmer or non-rancher/farmer). Differences between participants concerning gender, age group, resident location, and occupation type were not observed; however, treatment differences were observed. Participants were able to discern differences in the number of coyotes howling with the addition of each coyote; however, participants consistently overestimated the number of coyotes they heard by nearly 2-fold. Thus, it seems the general public has the perception that coyotes are more abundant than they actually are.
Recommended Citation
Brewster, Kyle; Henke, Scott E.; Ortega, Alfonso; Tomecek, John; and Turner, Benjamin
(2017)
"Do You Hear What I Hear? Human Perception of Coyote Group Size,"
Human–Wildlife Interactions: Vol. 11:
Iss.
2, Article 7.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.26077/ajxc-g248
Available at:
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/hwi/vol11/iss2/7
