A Utah state program that pays a bounty for dead coyotes brought in about 1,000 more carcasses last year, despite criticism after the shooting death of a well-known wolf mistaken for a coyote, according to a Division of Wildlife Resources report.
Officials say the 16 percent increase is likely related to growth in the overall coyote population. Heavy summer rains meant their main prey, jackrabbits, were in steady supply, allowing more animals to survive and breed, Leslie McFarlane, the state's mammals program coordinator, said.
Wildlife advocates, though, point to research indicating that coyote populations compensate for hunting with larger litters, more surviving pups and the addition of solitary animals.
