
Ep. 20: Coyote - America’s Jackal and Its Roller-Coaster Ride Through History
From Gunfighters by MeatEater
January 27, 2026 · 53 min · Season 1
About this episode
The episode explores the historical significance of coyotes in the American West and their resilience despite extermination efforts.
Like no other western animal the coyote has been a central character in the Pleistocene West, the Native West, and the Frontier. One of the epic stories of the Modern West is how coyotes are transferring their own brand of western survivalism to the entire country. Despite a $500 million-dollar war to exterminate them, the coyote is in fact The Dude, and The Dude absolutely abides. Thank you to our sponsor Velvet Buck . Subscribe now wherever you listen to podcasts. YouTube , Spotify , Apple , iHeart , Pandora , Amazon . MeatEater on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter , Youtube , and Youtube Clips Check out more MeatEater's American History audio originals " The Long Hunters " and " Mountain Men " Subscribe to The MeatEater Podcast Network on YouTube Shop MeatEater Merch See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Topics covered
- coyotes
- western survivalism
- American history
- wildlife
- extermination efforts
Keywords
- coyote
- history
- survivalism
- wildlife
- extermination
- American West
- Pleistocene
Sponsors
Velvet Buck
Mentioned in this episode
Places: Pleistocene West, Native West, Frontier, Modern West
More episodes of Gunfighters
- Ep. 38: The River That Flowed From Nowhere, Part I · July 21, 2026 · 58 min
- Announcing: Blood Trails, Paradise Prison · July 16, 2026 · 1 min
- Ep. 37: The Wolf Returns to the West · July 14, 2026 · 1h 1m
- Ep. 36: Down the West’s Grandest Canyon · July 7, 2026 · 57 min
- Ep. 35: How the Endangered Species Act Saved the West and America · June 30, 2026 · 56 min
- Ep. 34: Big Bend and the Deserts of the West · June 23, 2026 · 55 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Gunfighters podcast page.