Iowa DNR investigating illegal dumping of coyote carcasses in rural Johnson County

From Press-Citizen staff reports
·1 min read
Coyotes like this one are most commonly seen in Iowa from January into March, which is their breeding season.
Coyotes like this one are most commonly seen in Iowa from January into March, which is their breeding season.

Two sets of coyote carcasses were found in roadside ditches in western Johnson County, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources is seeking information about who may have dumped them there.

One set of was found Saturday on Eagle Avenue Southwest, just north of Rohret Road, the Johnson County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook posting. The site is in Hardin Township.

The other site was about 5 1/2 miles east-northeast in Weber Township on Ivy Avenue Southwest, just north of 400th Street Southwest, the posting said.

More:Coyotes bring call of the wild to the heart of the city

The posting did not say when the second set of carcasses was found or how many there were. The DNR could not be reached for comment.

"Iowa's wanton waste law requires that the usable portion of game or fur bearing animals be removed from the field," the posting said. "In addition, it is unlawful to dispose of carcasses in a road ditch."

The posting asked that anyone with information call DNR Conservation Officer Erika Billerbeck at (319) 330-9710 or email erika.billerbeck@dnr.iowa.gov. It also said that information can be submitted anonymously and is eligible for Turn-In-Poachers, or TIP, rewards.

According to a 2022 report by the DNR, Iowa's coyote population, abundant during the period when white settlement of the state began, had all but disappeared by the 1950s and 1960s, only to rebound since the 1970s. The animals are hunted for their fur.

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Coyote carcass dumping in Johnson County under investigation by DNR