Can You Eat Coyote?

For many, the coyote is most certainly not the usual meat to have around, and it doesn’t appear on many shelves in supermarkets. Actually, several people consider coyote meat dirty and nasty, not proper for humans. But is this true? Can you eat coyote? And if so, who eats coyotes?

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Well, the shorter answer is yes, you can eat coyotes. But unless you are in deep need, there is no reason to do so. Coyotes don’t usually attack humans unless they are attacked or threatened. Yes, they are a threat to hunters. Yet, hunters are a threat to coyotes for obvious reasons, so they only seek to protect themselves.

Anyway, if somehow the day arrives when you need to eat coyote’s meat, you must know a bit about it. Let’s understand more about coyotes’ meat and its characteristics.

Is coyote meat safe to eat?

No meat from an unknown origin should be eaten rare or undercooked, especially from wild animals. They can carry many diseases, including trichinellosis, also known as trichinosis. Of course, many people don’t feel good when eating coyote meat since they remind dogs so much.

You may ask yourself what trichinosis is. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention of the United States, trichinosis is a disease caused by eating rare or undercooked meat of animals infected with the larvae of a worm called Trichinella.

The symptoms, duration, and severity of the disease vary a lot. The most common symptoms which are often the first noticed are diarrhea, fatigue, fever, nausea, vomiting, and even abdominal discomfort. It can evolve into chills, headaches, swelling of the eyes and face, muscle pains, constipation, etc. People infected with it can even die if the case is too severe.

Some symptoms can last for months, and they will show one to two days after the infection. Since most symptoms are so common, a lot of people think of them as flu symptoms or something, so many cases of trichinellosis go unnoticed. Luckily, the disease is only transmitted by infected meat. You can test and treat trichinellosis with your health care provider.

And they are indeed similar when it comes to feeding since they have alike alimentary preferences. That doesn’t mean that dogs and coyotes are natural friends, and they can become pretty violent when near each other, so avoid that.

Besides eating raw coyote meat, the most dangerous thing is obtaining it. Coyotes are very, very territorial animals, and they become aggressive during mating season. Again, most people don’t have any motive to eat coyote meat, and it is better to leave them alone unless they are essential to your life because you can’t get food from anywhere else.

Overall, coyotes are not an invasive species, but they can come near your territory if you or a human group leaves an ecological gap, which happens when humans kill larger predators or when they kill coyotes’ food. Since they are omnivorous animals, just like us, they eat meat, vegetable, and fruits, especially berries.

Is coyote’s meat tasty?

The answer varies a lot. The taste of coyote’s meat varies from season to season, actually, since it depends on what the animal is eating. During warmer seasons, such as summer and spring, coyotes will taste bad for many since they will be eating more carrion. Also, their meat will be rotten easier and quickly, which affects its nutritional value and taste.

However, during the colder seasons, like autumn and winter, the meat will be better preserved, so its nutritional value and taste will be better. Coyotes find more meat during these seasons, making their flavor tastier.

Chipmunks and rabbits are typical coyotes’ food, but when coyotes live too near residential places, domestic animals maybe their favorite aliment. Anyway, during summer, it is more likely that coyotes will get sick, have fleas, or eat rotten animals so that they will taste worst. During winter, the contrary happens.

Many say that coyote meat is not very soft, so you need to know how to cook it properly. Remember, you can’t eat it raw or undercooked. Stew is an excellent option for coyotes since it slowly cooks the meat. While making the meat tender, it also guarantees that the meat will be well-cooked. Besides, coyote meat gets better with many deep flavors surrounding it while cooking. In the end, if you do a coyote stew, it will taste like beef stew.

Overall, the meat goes well with food full of flavors and seasonings, including chili. It also goes excellently grilled, especially if you lather it with sauces, marinades, and spices. Yet, be careful. The meat must reach an internal temperature of 160F to be safe enough to eat.

Coyote is not the tastier animal to eat, and its smell can be bothersome for some people. However, it can taste good if you know how to cook it, and it is not unsafe if you do it correctly.

The meat tastes better with stronger flavors because it has a strong taste by itself. That is why several dislike it so much. Also, many don’t like the idea of eating a coyote. If you cook it correctly, the strong flavor will not show. Therefore, if you want to eat delicious coyote meat, avoid overcooking it if you are grilling it. The safest path is to make a stew with it.

Who ate coyote says that it has a unique flavor, hard to describe, and it doesn’t actually taste like other animals. It is common to say that if you don’t know how to describe a meat’s flavor, you say it tastes like chicken, but that is not the case with a coyote. The flavor is really special, and you must taste it to know.

Does coyote meat have any nutritional value?

Anything has nutritional value. It happens that coyote does have positive nutritional value. For example, it has less cholesterol content and fat, and it can be a solid source of vitamin B12, protein, and even riboflavin. It also provides iron, zinc, and it is low in sodium. Therefore, it can be an okay option for people with diabetes, hypertension, gout, or cardiovascular disease.

What is a coyote?

Known scientifically as Canis latrans, the coyote is a species of canine native to North America. It is similar to wolfs and dogs, and its ecological niche is similar to the golden jackal’s niche, a Eurasian species of canine.

They are a familiar figure in the mythology and folklore of Native Americans, especially in the Southwestern and Plains region. It also played a significant role in Mesoamerican cosmology.

Since they are small, coyotes’ attack on humans is usually not severe, and they are very uncommon. They are so uncommon that only 367 coyote attacks were registered between 1977 and 2015 in both the U.S and Canada, according to the journal Human-Wildlife Interactions. Thirty-eight years… and only 367 attacks were reported, almost ten attacks per year. Yet, it is better to keep your distance from them and respect their natural space. It is recommended to avoid feeding coyotes.

They are intelligent and versatile, being able to live in mountains, plains, forests, and even the deserts of the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America. Coyotes typically hunt alone or in pairs, but they get together with a group to kill bigger prey, like a deer. They are most active at dawn and dusk, but they can be nocturnal as well.

They are still part of a larger pack, even if they hunt alone. They follow the alpha male system and use sounds to communicate, like barks, howls, and yips. Visual signals and scents are important to them as well. There are 19 different subspecies of coyotes with different shapes, colors, and habitats. They can mate with wolves and dogs, producing hybrid offspring called coywolves and coydogs.