From what I hear, the wolves have become a problem unto themselves as well...large packs are decimating elk & deer populations...
Coyotes around here are scrawny varmints...typically only take rabbits, ground squirrels, cats and the occasional small dog.
In CA you’ve got the little western guys. They’re in the Midwest also, but so are eastern coyotes which are bigger, up in the 40 pound range. They’re actually a coyote-wolf hybrid, which happily breeds with large dogs. And this has been going on for decades, it’s not new as the article implies. Personally, in this area if it’s over 40-50 pounds, I don’t think anyone short of a scientist knows what it is short of a dna test.