This weekend, walk around the Louise Kreher Forestry Preserve with some coyotes before plopping on the couch to watch the LSU game.
Coyotes! will be Saturday, Oct. 24, at 6 p.m. featuring a presentation by Auburn graduate students, hearing coyote howls and roasting marshmallows over a campfire.
Holly Jantz and Erica Santana, graduate students in wildlife science, as well as Micah Moore, a research technician, will
discuss coyote characteristics and how they act in urban areas.
"We want to go over how coyotes might affect Auburn residents and things to do to keep coyotes away from pets and garbage," Jantz said.
Jantz and Santana have been studying the coyotes in Auburn and how they act in rural areas as opposed to urban areas.
"I call them 'the coyote girls' and they have done some really neat research," said Jennifer Lolley, administrator of the preserve.
The program will include demonstrations on how they trap, collar, and track the coyotes during their research.
"I use these tools to study the coyotes home ranges in different areas," Jantz said. "Actually, I've learned urban environments are good for coyotes because their home ranges are a lot smaller since everything they need is right there."
Santana, who focuses more on coyotes' eating habits, has
found coyotes will eat anything from candy bars to cigarette butts. The two women will present their findings as part of the program on Saturday and attempt to interact with the local coyotes.
"We're going to go and play some coyote calls and see if we can get a coyote to howl back at us," Jantz said.
They will also be showing some video clips from gaming cameras on the preserve.
"We put five game cameras out so we can see if any coyotes are out there," Jantz said. "I'm really hoping we get a coyote."
Those crazy about coyotes, can go to fp.auburn.edu/preserve for more information.
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