Once just a colorful character in children’s cartoons or accounts of the Old West, coyotes are now real-life neighbors to nearly every one of us. Coyotes can be found in every U.S. state except Hawaii, and they make themselves at home in suburbs and cities, as well as the countryside. Most of us have heard or read stories or watched TV accounts of coyote problems across the country, and many of us have heard the howls of a coyote pack somewhere just beyond our sight.

The spread of the intelligent, adaptable, and opportunistic coyote across America is one of the biggest wildlife success stories of recent years—but not everyone is happy about it. Parents worry that their children might be attacked by a coyote in the backyard or a nearby field or park. Pet owners have the same concern about their cats and dogs. Sheep and cattle farmers, and even fruit growers, have long been up in arms about losses to coyotes. And the list goes on. . . .

As with any topic about which little is known and much is feared or suspected, bring up the subject of coyotes, and myths and half-truths fly. These myths and misunderstandings are rooted partly in the actual habits and activities of coyotes and partly in our fear of and fascination with them. Myths & Truths About Coyotes gives every reader an interesting course in Coyote 101—deflating the myths, illuminating and sharing the truths, and delivering a few surprises along the way.

“Brilliant! In Myths & Truths About Coyotes, Carol Cartaino has managed to do the near impossible. She’s given us impartial insight into coyotes’ existence and tapped into every aspect of their lives. Whether you love coyotes or hate them, we must all learn to live with them. Carol has given us a gift in showing some of the best ways to do so.”

—John H. Williams, wildlife biologist and author of Deer Hunter’s Field Guide: Pursuing Michigan’s Whitetails