South Dakota State Animal: Coyote

State Animals 2 Minutes

The historical presence of the coyotes in the South Dakota

You must keep in your mind that the coyotes are native animals of the state. Prior to the 1980s, they were mainly found in the western side of the state and in the counties at the border region of the Missouri River. With the increase in the size of their population, they started expanding to the other sides of the state. Now, coyotes are available in almost all the counties of the state. They have actually expanded their range in every nook and corner of the USA.

Once it was estimated that there are almost 80 to 90,000 coyotes available in the state of South Dakota only. The population of the coyote is mainly concentrated along the drained beds of the river. Now, they are also freely roaming among human beings in the Urban and semi-urban areas of the state. Being territorial animals, they like to establish their homes in good territory. Male coyote covers at least 10 to 20 square mile in their home range while female coyote covers only 10 to 15 square mile in their home range.

Diet and Habitat of the Coyotes in South Dakota

Coyotes are the native wild animals of the state. You can mainly find them in wooded areas, along the rivers, and in areas having very tall grass or brush. Coyotes have also now shifted towards the cities of the state as they can find here plenty of food, and many places to hide. Now, you can even witness them in many big metropolitan cities like New York City, Chicago, etc.

In these cities, these animals don’t like to confront human beings and are very timid and usually run away once they encounter people. Coyotes in South Dakota rely on a variety of fruits for their diet like Birds, eggs, mice, bugs, rabbits, squirrels, garbage, pet food, bird seeds, etc. In some cities, coyotes have been highly helpful in controlling the population of rodents, squirrels, and rabbits.

Ecological Importance of the Coyotes in the South Dakota

Coyotes play a significant ecological role in South Dakota’s ecosystems. As predators and scavengers, they contribute to the balance and health of the environment in various ways:

Regulation of Prey Populations

Coyotes help regulate the populations of their prey species, which can include rodents, rabbits, and small mammals. By keeping these populations in check, coyotes prevent overgrazing of vegetation and help maintain the health of plant communities.

Cascading Effects

The presence of coyotes can lead to cascading effects throughout the ecosystem. When coyotes suppress the populations of smaller predators such as foxes and raccoons, it can reduce the predation pressure on smaller mammals and birds that they would otherwise target. This can indirectly benefit other species and even plant communities.

Carrion Disposal

Coyotes are efficient scavengers, consuming carrion. By doing so, they help recycle nutrients back into the ecosystem, which can benefit soil fertility and nutrient cycling.

Seed Dispersal

Coyotes can aid in seed dispersal by consuming fruits and then dispersing the seeds in their scat across the landscape. This can contribute to plant diversity and the distribution of plant species.

In essence, coyotes are a crucial component of South Dakota’s ecosystems, playing a role in maintaining the delicate balance of nature. Their interactions with other species and their impact on food webs contribute to the overall health and functionality of the environment. Conservation efforts often focus on maintaining healthy predator populations like coyotes as part of broader strategies for preserving biodiversity and ecological stability.

SOURCE: WILDLYANIMALS.NET

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Published by pat frederick

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29 thoughts on “South Dakota State Animal: Coyote”

    1. Good morning!

      We had a large population of coyotes in our neighborhood which proved to be a danger – small pets and small children could not be left to play outside. Some say the coyotes were brought in by insurance companies to lower the deer population and keep down insurance claims because so many deer from being hit by cars.

      I had coyote tracks in my yard and I heard them yipping near my bedroom windows at night. Evidently, the coyotes were trapped by game authorities and removed, because I no longer hear them.

      I miss the deer herds passing through my yard and the cute little fawns playing around the drain pond behind my yard.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Morning GA!

        the first spring we were here, we had a flock of hundreds of turkeys coming up through the woods. they were being herded by coyotes–there were 3 of them we could see–and they were moving them up the mountain towards what we believed were the rest of them. we watched from the deck, fascinated. then we heard the first sounds of some of the turkeys being killed by the coyotes–and their howls and yips. hubby got the rifle and shot into the ground causing the turkeys to take off into the trees…but the sounds continued for a long time after that.

        we see a lot less turkeys these days–the new owner of the adjoining land has a lot of hunting parties throughout the entire year. But we do see an occasional coyote.

        Liked by 1 person

  8. Diceanna

    September 2, 2025 12:32 am

    Jo Dan Gorman ( intellectual froglegs) just posted on Truth Social he’s going home tomorrow after having successful quadruple bypass surgery. He seems to be a little out of it but that’s normal for him. Don’t know if he can read comments but I told him, he had been in our prayers at the TREE…

    Liked by 2 people

  15. DataRepublican (small r)

    @DataRepublican

    2h• 23 tweets • 11 min read •

    Read on X

    🧵 THREAD: Timothy Mynett: Ilhan Omar’s husband and the progressive money man you’ve probably never heard of

    Ilhan Omar’s wealth headlines ($30M net worth 👀) are dominating today’s feeds. But behind that story is someone far less visible: her husband, Tim Mynett.

    Not the ex with the bizarre “married her brother” rumor. This one is far more interesting, and far more connected.

    For nearly two decades, Mynett has been the quiet operator raising millions, plugging into D.C.’s progressive networks, and eventually pivoting into global business ventures.

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    ➡️ His deep ties across the progressive donor universe
    ➡️ The surprising pivots… from digital firms to wine, cannabis, and impact investing with ex-ambassadors

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    Mynett first appeared in the news in 2019, when divorce papers claimed he was having an affair with Ilhan Omar, even as Omar’s campaign was paying him money. Both Omar and Mynett denied it at the time.

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    Mynett did not start with a financial background. He graduated with a BA in political science in 2004 from SUNY. His LinkedIn also lists education in University of KwaZulu-Natal, located in South Africa.

    His first political connectionsas w as an intern for Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ). The Wikipedia page for Pascrell describes that when his district was restructured in 2012, it became a “proxy war for Israel” with the Arab supporters rallying around Pascrell.

    Somehow, Mynett’s political science degree qualified him to become a Foundation Manager for Alliance for Justice right after graduation, a NGO which provides background on judicial candidates to the ABA and the Senate Judiciary Committee.

    The political connections of Alliance for Justice go deep. Its former president, Rakim Brooks, was on the Biden-Harris transition team, after previously serving as a policy advisor for the Treasury Department during the Obama administration.

    As Foundation Manager for Alliance for Justice, he raised millions — which would have brought him extensive connections straight out of college. His Rose Lake biography says he has raised over a hundred million in his time.

    Just five years after leaving college with a political science degree, Mynett found himself in the inner circle of Obama alumni, serving as Senior Director at their newly founded consulting firm — New Partners.

    While in New Partners, Mynett did fundraising for Keith Ellison. The campaign manager for Ellison, Will Hailer, describes Mynett as a rockstar who connected well to “donors of Islamic faith.”

    One of Mynett’s brag points is his efforts with SEIU’s “Change That Works” which focused on passing Obamacare.

    In 2014, Mynett founded his own company, the Mynett Group. Keith Ellison’s committee paid the Mynett Group a retainer of $9,000 a month for four years.

    In 2018, Mynett co-founded E Street Group LLC with Will Hailer, the campaign manager for Keith Ellison. Among their first clients was Ilhan for Congress. They worked to elect her to Congress, even as her campaign paid them millions.

    Will Hailer himself would go onto be Mynett’s longtime partner, eventually co-founding Rose Lake Capital LLC with him. He bills himself as a former Senior Advisor to the DNC.

    Omar was not the only client of E Street Group. E Street Group has received income from Democratic Farmer Labor Party, Rashida Tlaib for Congress, Cenk for Congress (yes, I believe it is that Cenk Uygur!), and more high-profile names.

    By and far the top client for E Street Group was Ilhan for Congress, which gave it almost 3 million dollars in 2020. The next largest vendor was MATH PAC at $534,485 — which appears to have worked on the behalf of Andrew Yang.

    Omar claims a top FEC campaign attorney shrugged off Omar marrying her own campaign fund manager as ‘not uncommon.’

    Uhhhhh….

    In 2022, perhaps because of scandal, Mynett withdrew from E Street Group and went onto founding Rose Lake Capital. Rose Lake bragged about politically connected board, including an ex-ambassador and former Representative.

    They together branched into new ventures, including a winery and a cannabis operation. Investors in both later accused them of fraud.

    Mynett’s Twitter feed tiptoes around whether he identifies with the Islamic faith or not. As of August 2024, he denied being wealthy.


    The $30M net worth claim looks like a valuation on paper, not actual earned income. I haven’t found evidence of real underlying assets. It claims to manage 60 billion in assets, but a report showed that the attached bank accounts had less than $50 in balance.

    I’ll end the thread here. My assessment — none of the numbers add up. @HarmeetKDhillon might be interested in this.

    @HarmeetKDhillon Hypothetically, if I were launching a new venture fund and needed credibility fast, I might use my Congressional spouse to inflate the reported valuation on paper and get headlines, making it look more established than it really is… in hopes of drawing in investors.

    Liked by 1 person

  21. Eric Daugherty
    @EricLDaugh
    🚨 BREAKING: President Trump isn’t taking any BS FROM THE PRESS! He just went off, and is sharper than ever!

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    BOOM.

    Liked by 2 people

  22. WeThePeople2016
    September 2, 2025 5:10 pm

    🔥 BREAKING: DC Mayor Bowser just signed an order MANDATING DC police coordinate with federal law enforcement INDEFINITELY

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    Liked by 1 person

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