There’s a conservation saying that should make all of us think:

“The time to protect a species is while it’s still common.”

Coyotes are a native species in Canada. They’ve lived on this land long before cities, highways, or borders. They are intelligent, adaptable, social animals. And yet—they are offered no real legal protection across much of the country.

In most provinces, coyotes can be hunted year-round, often with no limit. They are trapped, poisoned, and even targeted in wildlife killing contests—competitions that reward people for killing the most or biggest coyotes. These are legal. Not regulated. Not questioned.

The Canadian government treats coyotes as if their abundance is a reason to ignore them. But population numbers are not an excuse for cruelty.

Persecution doesn’t just hurt coyotes—it disrupts ecosystems, fragments social bonds within packs, and actually increases conflict.

Science shows that when coyotes are aggressively hunted, they respond by having larger litters and spreading into new areas.
In other words: killing more coyotes doesn’t solve anything—it makes things worse.

We should be proud to share this land with native animals. Instead, we’re allowing outdated fears and unscientific policies to guide how we treat them.

Coyotes don’t need to be endangered to deserve protection.
They just need to be seen.
And it’s time we start seeing them differently.