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Why coyotes howl more in late winter

January to March

Eastern coyotes howl, yip and bark to hold a territory and to keep track of family, and they are neighbours in most Massachusetts towns. Vermont Fish and Wildlife says the howl is usually heard on winter nights, especially during the February mating season, and MassWildlife puts that season at late January through March with the peak in mid-February.

Why this time of year

This is the window when a family group is most worth listening for. Territorial defence matters most during the mating season, and cold, still nights carry sound further than summer air does.

How to notice it

  1. Step outside after dark between late January and the end of March, ideally on a calm, cold night.
  2. Face the nearest woods, field edge or open space and listen for a rising series of yips that other voices join.
  3. Try to count the voices, then do not trust the count. MassWildlife says two coyotes howling with their pups can sound like many more, an auditory illusion it calls the beau geste effect.
  4. Keep pets in or on a short leash while you listen.

Try this with kids: Listen for the yipping. How many different coyote voices can you hear? Careful: two coyotes can sound like ten.

beau geste effect: an auditory illusion in which a couple of coyotes howling with their pups sound like many more, because the sound distorts as it travels

Safety

  • MassWildlife says simply hearing or seeing a coyote is not a cause for concern, and attacks on people are extremely rare.
  • Most coyote bites on people are linked to intentional feeding, so keep garbage, pet food and bird seed secured and never feed a coyote.
  • Keep cats indoors and keep dogs leashed or supervised outside, since coyotes can view small pets as prey and larger dogs as competition.
  • If a coyote approaches too closely, MassWildlife recommends hazing it by making loud noises, waving your arms or spraying water rather than running.

Sources

  • mass.govMassWildlife magazine. Verbatim: 'the mating season, which takes place in late-January through March', and a life-events panel reading 'Mating: late-January - March'. Also verbatim: 'Two coyotes howling with their pups can sound like many more because of an auditory illusion known as the beau geste effect where sound is distorted as it moves through the environment.' Also the eastern coyote genetic makeup, 60-84 percent western coyote, 8-25 percent wolf, 8-11 percent domestic dog, and why coywolf is not an accurate term
  • mass.govVerbatim: 'Breeding season peaks in mid-February.' Also that pups disperse on their own in late autumn, that it is common to hear coyotes howling and yipping at night, that advertising for a mate during breeding season is one reason they howl, and that a howling family group is usually just a few coyotes with pups. NOTE: this page does NOT say howling increases or peaks
  • vtfishandwildlife.comVermont Fish and Wildlife. Verbatim: 'the howl of coyotes can usually be heard on winter nights, especially during mating season in February'. This is the ONLY source in the set that makes a frequency or intensity claim about howling
  • vtfishandwildlife.comThe eastern coyote's howl is high-pitched and ends in a series of yips and is quieter than the western coyote's; the eastern coyote is larger than its western ancestor due to historical interbreeding
  • mass.govHazing technique steps; the chance of a coyote attack on a person is extremely low and most bites are tied to intentional feeding; pet and livestock safety guidance; also carries the beau geste effect
  • mass.govReasons coyotes howl (territory defence, locating family, pup practice in summer); coyotes do not howl more during a full moon but groups howl more on evenings with less moonlight; food-attractant removal and hazing guidance

Checked against these sources on September 15, 2026.

In the guide for January, February, March

Also worth noticing