Coyote population fluctuations and spatial distribution in relation to Wolf territories in Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba

Observations of competition between Wolves (Canis lupus) and Coyotes (C.latrans) were recorded in Riding Mountain National Park, Manitoba, from July 1974 to March 1979.Twenty-two Wolves and 34 Coyotes were radio-collared and radio tracked.Home range overlap of four Coyotes and three Wolves were studied.Abundance indices obtained from howling surveys indicated that as wolf densities declined Coyotes increased.Seven known or suspected wolf-killed Coyotes were examined.Two of four radio-collared Coyotes in one Wolf pack territory were killed by Wolves, and two Coyotes may have been killed by Wolves.Average survival from time of capture for the four radio-collared Coyotes was 145 days (range 71 to 265 days).Wolves did not consume Coyotes.Coyote survival along Wolf territory edges was greatest at moderate Wolf densities.