COYWOLF
Most call them a coyote, others a coydog, and a select few, COYWOLF.
Smart, secretive, and wild – the Eastern Coyote is a cunning and highly adaptable canine, comprising all three genes: coyote, wolf, and domesticated dog.
In the 1940s, Vermonters began reporting sightings of eastern coyotes to Vermont Fish and Wildlife. The coyotes had migrated from the west and along the route bred with wolves in Canada, thus explaining their larger stature than their western cousins. This hybrid status also contributed to various New England colloquialisms for the animals, including coydogs and coywolves, both of which hold some measure of truth. DNA samples of the eastern coyote have revealed that they share genes with both wolves and domestic dogs. This unique species has thrived in Vermont. With the extinction of mountain lions and timber wolves in the 1800s at the hands of settlers, coyotes have slotted in to fill the gap for Vermont’s large predators. In the early decades, they were viewed as a threat to livestock, and deer and extermination campaigns were put into place. Ultimately, these were unsuccessful as the coyote continues to thrive, but opinions of the animal as a pest have lingered and become a contested issue among Vermonters.
OVRLND.studio is in the process of filming a documentary that investigates the controversy surrounding the Eastern Coyote through following lifelong animal rights activist and Native American Rod Coronado. We hope that this film will change the current attitudes and policies towards hunting these amazing animals.
This film is still being cooked up and is currently self-funded. Want to get involved? Watch the videos below and give us a shout by filling out the form.