Mismatched spatial scales can limit the utility of citizen science data for estimating wildlife‐habitat relationships

While most carnivore populations are declining worldwide, some species are successfully living in human‐modified landscapes. For example, coyotes (Canis latrans) have expanded their range across North America and into many urban areas making it important to understand factors influencing broad‐scale patterns of occurrence. We used citizen science data in the form of coyote observations by archery deer hunters from throughout the state of Illinois to evaluate factors affecting coyote detection and occupancy. Our statewide participant‐level occupancy estimate (0.63) was 58% greater than our naïve occupancy estimate (0.40) while detection probability was