Please note: While we do not advocate the use of hunting or trapping unless needed in an extreme situation, we found this article relevant in regards to the exploding population of coyotes in Tennessee.

http://www.commercialappeal.com/news/2010/feb/28/coyotes-growing-numbers-perfect-time-hunt-pesky-pr/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35558410/

http://www.wsmv.com/community/22683485/detail.html

It has now been one year since my 9 year old cat was taken by a coyote. I do believe that everything happens for a reason, although we may not understand what that reason is immediately.

I have spent the past year attempting to spread awareness about the increasing coyote population in the Nashville area. I’ve encountered a few people who may have misunderstood my intentions by assuming I was on a mission to reduce the coyote population. I have the utmost respect for the coyote and his tenacity to survive. I am in awe each time I see one of these wild animals in our city.

The issues with coyotes are when they encroach onto our properties and this can be a potential problem. Our pets have been attacked, have gone missing and some have been found dead. In some states, albeit rare, coyotes have attacked people. There was a recent death in late 2009, due to coyotes in Nova Scotia.

What this means is that we need to be more proactive at attempting to keep the coyotes at a greater distance. We need to make our cities less hospitable to the coyote and this starts at home. Mulch piles, bird feeders and open garbage cans are just a few inviting factors.

Please check out the website for tips in preventing coyote altercations and learning how to live with coyotes.

Signs of coyote activity - coyote scat. This example was found in Edwin Warner Park. Mostly rabbit fur, persimmon seeds and undigested bones.

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/10/29/canada.singer.killed/index.html

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article6895020.ece

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/10/29/canadian-folk-singer.html

Jessica Simpson's Coyote Nightmare:

Common and Preventable By Kate Hogan

Originally posted Thursday September 17, 2009  

While the recent coyote attack on Jessica Simpson's maltipoo Daisy is devastating, unfortunately, it's a situation that's all too common. Ozzy Osbourne, Halle Berry and a host of other celebs have seen their pups snatched by the wolf-like animals, right from their own backyards. "Los Angeles has had coyotes for a long time," Dr. John Hadidian, Director of Urban Wildlife Programs at the Humane Society of the United States tells PEOPLE Pets. "They have a more established population there." It's wise for anyone living in the L.A. area to be warned: Given its sheer size, along with its varying climates and landscapes, California in particular offers a good habitat for coyotes. But the animals can be found all over the country – and even move into urban areas when they're frantically looking for food. "If there's been a drought or a fire, those are factors that give the coyote not much to eat in their natural habitat, and they have to look elsewhere," says Animal Planet zoologist Dave Salmoni. "That's when you find them coming to areas with people." Though they often dine on small rodents, rabbits, birds and even fruits and veggies, if a coyote sees a small cat or dog unattended in a backyard, it considers that animal fair game. "They're not doing it to be mean," Hadidian says. "It's business to them. Just another day they have to survive." Adds Salmoni, "That's a desperate animal, risking a lot for that meal."

What to Do If Your Pet Is Attacked

Surprisingly, coyotes – who are generally solitary creatures – are quite afraid of humans. If you're with your pet and a coyote is near, chances are, it won't pounce. But you can never be too careful. Both Hadidian and Salmoni say what's most important is to keep your pet with you at all times, and refrain from leaving smaller dogs and cats in the backyard unattended. "Coyotes get active around nightfall, during sun up and sun down," Hadidian says. "When it gets dark at night, you have no way of watching your pet if it's outside alone." If you see your pet being attacked by a coyote, you can attempt to scare it off by yelling, banging pots and making other loud noises. But sadly, if a coyote runs off with your pet, you probably won't see it again. "Unfortunately there's no chance a coyote's going to pick up a dog in front of a human and not eat it," says Salmoni. "So it's really all about prevention." One solution? A fence topped by a "coyote roller," which will cause coyotes to literally spin back off a fence if they try to climb over it. But more than anything, just stay close to your pet. "Domesticated animals don't have that survival instinct in them," says Salmoni. "So they look to you to keep them safe."

 EMAILS  SENT TO  NASHVILLE COYOTES

 SEPTEMBER 18, 1: 30 PM

''Coyote sighting, Sept 18th, 1:30pm

Chalford Court in Stonebridge Dev (37069) - across from Horsehoe Bend''

 SEPTEMBER 16, 9: 15 PM

''A coyote ran in front of my car tonight when I was driving home. I was at the corner of 25th and Ashwood Avenue. I stopped and opened my window and the coyote stopped and looked at me for about 5 seconds before running off. I didn't believe that we had them until now. I had been feeding a stray cat on my front porch for the last year or so, but he recently went missing. I'm sad about that, since he was a sweet boy. I hope that he's in someone's house instead of in a coyote belly.

Thanks for the work that you do.''

REPORTED DEATHS OF A CAT AND DOG ON VOSSWOOD DRIVE IN JULY AND AUGUST.

''I just wanted to report that on Vosswood Dr. this month we have lost a sweet dog named "Roxie" and my little boys' first pet: a cat named "Leo" to coyotes. Both bodies were found''

More information on this as it comes to us.

A recent study published in the Journal of Wildlife Management confirms another danger: coyotes find cats quite tasty.

Shannon Grubbs of the University of Arizona and Paul Kraus of the University of Montana captured, radio-collared and tracked eight coyotes in Tucson, Ariz., during the winter of 2005-2006. They report that in 19 of 36 coyote-cat interactions they observed, coyotes killed cats. In another 45 cases where coyotes were observed eating, 42 percent of the meals were cats. The authors concluded that outdoor cats are vulnerable to coyote predation.

These amazing photographs are of a possum climbing a tree and a coyote. These were taken at night within the Richland Creek area of town by GIL LACKEY.

Many thanks to Gil!

This particular sound was heard in the Green Hills/Belmont area a fews months ago. It may not be a typical sound one might associate with a coyote.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fm_H5Q-fsQ

This is what most people consider a  typical coyote sound.  Coyotes yelping just like this were heard  between the alleys of Sweetbriar Avenue and Beechwood Avenue the week of June 15, 2009.

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-wXuXh9wd8

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVkU-OP3GwA

Without specific proof, we can only surmise that this is a coydog. A coydog is a hybrid of a coyote and a dog. Coydog sightings have been reported in the West Meade and Green Hills areas.

This amazing photograph was taken by Marjorie in the West Meade area. This potential coydog was sighted coming out of the woods and acted nothing like a domesticated dog. Marjorie also reported seeing several coyotes over time in the area around Brownlee Drive.

We have  an unverified report of a small dog being killed recently by a coyote. Please be especially vigilant over the course of the summer as coyote puppies will be leaving their dens.

Coyotes have been spotted in the same area that a dog was killed last year-http://www.newschannel5.com/Global/story.asp?S=8664411

COYOTES CALLING/YELPING  IN THE BELMONT AREA BETWEEN SWEETBRIAR AND BEECHWOOD AVENUES -JUNE 17 AROUND 11:45 PM

COYOTE SPOTTED IN THE BELMONT AREA- JUNE 7

EMAIL FROM A CONCERNED NEIGHBOR

''Coyote sighting on Sunday night  on Brightwood Avenue near the 440 bridge and Primrose Avenue.''

Please note- Cats are recently reported missing from these areas

COYOTE SPOTTED IN THE GREEN HILLS AREA- JUNE 7

EMAIL FROM A CONCERNED NEIGHBOR:

''I wanted to let you know we saw a coyote last night in our backyard at approximately 9:30pm. Estimated size is 60-70 lbs. We live in a townhome complex at Stokeswood Place. The coyote came down Richards Ave from Woodmont towards Stokes Lane. As we were sitting on the patio it walked up to about 30 yards from us in the common area beside our building. It spotted us and stood still, then I clapped and ran towards it and it took off back down Amanda and took a right into someones yard.

This is the first that we've seen near our house. While we don't have any pets there are several people in our assocation that have small dogs and walk them daily in this common area.'' 

 COYOTES IN LYNN/ELAINE DRIVE ( Z00-ELYSIAN FIELDS) JUNE 5

''I 've seen coyotes on these streets very early in the morning when I'm running. This neighborhood is near the Zoo. I've also seen them at Croft School. This morning we were awakened by high pitched animal noises and our nine-year old brown tabby absolutely freaking out. He usually sleeps on the front porch. When he came in, unharmed, his tail was about 6 inches in diameter. He'll be inside from now on even if he complains''

MAY 20- 2009 

THIS EMAIL CAME IN FROM A CONCERNED RESIDENT OF WEST MEADE

''I saw a coyote tonight on Currywood Drive, somewhere between Brownlee Dr. and Robin Hill Rd. It was around 9:15 pm, give or take a few minutes. I was so shocked, I didn't have the presence of mind to make a note of the exact location or look at a mailbox. Anyhow, it was kind of scrawny (either slightly juvenile or underfed) and crossed the road in front of me with what appeared to be a small mammal (squirrel sized) hanging limply from its mouth. It was definitely not a cat.

I just moved back to Nashville this year after living in Virginia for seven years. I lived in Nashville for seventeen years prior to moving to Virginia, but had never seen a coyote and was completely unaware of their presence in Nashville. I could barely believe my eyes, but I have seen them out West before and was sure it was one. Plus, it was a very close encounter -- I was driving slowly, and passed right in front of my car at a leisurely pace. When I got home, I googled "coyotes west meade" to confirm my sighting, which is how I found your site. My family has two cats, one of whom loves to go outside. We hadn't let her out since our return to Nashville, and we definitely won't be doing so now. Thank you very much for the important community information.''

IMPORTANT TO NOTE THAT THIS IS PUP SEASON. COYOTES MAY BECOME MORE AGGRESSIVE.

On May 17, 2009, a neighbor in the West Meade area reported this incident on the email listserv. Her dog Max had an encounter with a coyote

'' at 9:00am on Greely - near those woods on corner. He is fine and no broken skin. Max chased him and then the coyote turned around and snapped at him. Max ran back to me and the coyote just kept starring at us. We threw rocks at him and he ran away. Medium build. ''

*SCROLL DOWN SITE FOR MORE COYOTE NEWS INCLUDING NEWS OF NASHVILLIANS & COYOTES* 

*REPORTS COME IN ALMOST DAILY FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY ABOUT COYOTES. THESE ARE JUST A FEW OF THE REPORTED RUN- INS WITH COYOTES.*

Coyotes stalk woman, kill dog at Georgetown/Rowley State Forest-MA, July '09

Lucy, the Jack Russell terrier in the foreground, lost her life protecting Stella, the Boston Terrier in the background, during last week's coyote attack in Georgetown/Rowley State Forest.

Jul 20, 2009

GEORGETOWN —

Coyotes attacked and killed a dog that was walking with her owner in the Georgetown/Rowley State Forest last Wednesday morning.

Georgetown resident Lisa Burke thinks the coyotes were stalking her and her four dogs during their entire walk.

“My dogs were staying unusually close to me all morning,” says Burke. “I did not even see the coyotes coming — they came out on the trail right in front of me and were approaching me aggressively when my dogs saw them. By then it was too late.”

Like many Georgetown dog owners, Burke liked to walk her four dogs in the forest where they could run along unleashed. On July 15, she approached the parking lot after her walk and, with all the dogs right with her, prepared to put their leashes back on before crossing the parking lot entrance. Two coyotes suddenly charged her at trail marker number 15.

The two coyotes attacked Burke’s little Boston terrier Stella, and that’s when Jack Russell terrier Lucy came to the rescue.

“Lucy died a hero — she saved Stella by jumping into the fight and attacking the coyotes when they went for Stella,” says Burke, who also sent a mass e-mail to other local dog owners as a warning about the attack. “One was holding Stella by the throat and the other had her back legs. When Lucy entered the fight the coyotes dropped Stella and picked up Lucy.

“Maggie [the new family boxer] protected me, another hero in my eyes. Maggie, a boxer we have only had for one month, chased the coyotes when they picked up Lucy. I picked up Lucy off the path and ran carrying her as fast as I could because I knew she was in shock. The coyotes chased me to try to get at Lucy, but Maggie kept barking and they stayed back.

“I got Lucy to the vet and she was alive but she went into cardiac arrest and they couldn't save her. I feel so bad and sad … I will miss her so much. She was such a terror, but that’s what I loved about her. Her motto, I think, was ‘It's all in the attitude.’”

Stella was very badly injured but, thanks to Lucy’s heroic actions, is expected to survive and be OK after a few weeks.

“She has a lot of puncture wounds from the coyotes’ teeth, and bruises on her chest from when they were carrying her away and shaking her,” says Burke. “Stella had her current rabies shots and she was given a booster shot. She is in quarantine at home here at home for the next 42 days.”

Georgetown Animal Inspector Holly Willard stopped by to check Stella out as well.

Burke says she can’t thank the Bulger Animal Hospital in North Andover enough for the care they gave Lucy and Stella.

“They did everything they could for Lucy – you couldn’t have asked for more,” says Burke. “Stella is still not herself. The vets said she might be mourning for Lucy for a while – she keeps looking for her.”

Chomped dog: Coyote blamed in pet mauling-Virginia/May 6- 2009

It hit me in the back of the knees, bit her, and took off running, recalls Steve Farmer about what happened the night of April 18, a night, he says, when the family dog was mauled by a coyote.

Farmer and his wife, Liz, were sleeping when the sound of barking pierced their southeastern Albemarle home. Thinking some neighborhood dogs were chasing their donkeys in the field again, Steve got up and took their dog Zoie out with him.

As Zoie ran ahead on a retractable leash, something, according to Farmer, emerged from the woods near their property and knocked him down.

At first I thought it was one of my daughter's dogs, says Farmer. But he heard no barking. And what happened to Zoie was gory.

The three-year-old, a miniature pinscher a breed developed to hunt vermin had slipped her collar and fled back to the house. When Liz Farmer found Zoie hiding behind a toilet, a chunk of flesh that she describes as the size of the inside of your palm had been pulled from Zoie's hip.

The Farmers show a reporter a photograph that gives ample evidence of the severity of the attack. Evidence about the perpetrator, however, has been harder to find.

For a coyote to attack a dog with its owner present is very unusual, says Mike Dye, a wildlife biologist with the Virginia Department of Game and Inland Fisheries. If it was trying to feed its pups is the only reason I can think of. Maybe the coyote is getting a little desperate; maybe it didn't see Mr. Farmer.

Brian Morse, a private wildlife biologist, says that eating pets or, as he puts it, the dingo ate my baby is not typical coyote behavior.

I'm not in any position to refute that it was a coyote, says Morse, but if it was, that is a freak occurrence. Coyotes are an opportunistic predator, and they're omnivores. They eat everything from grasshoppers, rodents, blackberries, and persimmons to a deer fawn.

Steve Farmer has no doubts that it was a coyote. His daughter saw one coming up the driveway that night, and two neighbors in the area, which lies just east of Ash Lawn-Highland, called to say they too have seen a coyote.

In February, the owner of a black Labrador in the Stony Point area reported that his dog, Buddy, had been attacked by a pack of coyotes. That, too, was considered a rare and/or unattributable attack by wildlife officials because the 90-pound Buddy is more than twice the size of a coyote, but the fact that coyotes inhabit Albemarle County is no surprise to hunters and farmers.

There's no official estimate of Virginia's coyote population, but if Mike Fies, also a wildlife biologist with the Game Department, were to speculate, he'd put the number at 50,000 to 75,000.

The Farmers are still shaken by the attack, but they say she Zoie is recovering.

We'd used to let her out when we get home, says Steve. Now when I go to the barn at night, I take a shotgun.

Lake County animal control: It's OK to shoot coyotes that attack pets- Florida/May 6, 2009

When coyotes in a neighborhood start threatening livestock and begin snacking on small dogs, it's time to pull out the weaponry.

 At least that's the advice from Lake County Animal Control in the wake of an attack in which coyotes snatched a Pekingese from the front yard of its Shirley Shores owner and made off with the 20-pound pet. Marti Silbernagel was taking her dogs for their evening potty break about 11 p.m. on Monday night when the wild coyotes grabbed Princess, who was 3 years old.

 The Pekingese was outside with Bo-Bo, a bischon of the same size, and 70-pound Buddy, a German shepherd mix. Silbernagel had stepped back into the house to coax 13-year-old Daisy to come out when she heard snarling and barking. She ran back out in time to see the coyotes leaving with Princess.

 "Coyotes are impossible to trap," Marjorie Boyd, the director of animal control, wrote in an e-mail, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission doesn't try.

 "The only way that farmers and landowners have been able to protect their pets and livestock from coyotes is, unfortunately, to shoot them," Boyd wrote. "It does sound bad to tell someone to shoot an animal, but that is really all that can be done."

 Even animal control has been a target of coyotes.

 The county's animal lockup is barely three miles as the crow flies from Silbernagel's home on Timber Oaks Drive off Lenze Road.

 Between the two is a huge cow pasture and sand plant off County Road 448, about a mile east of the intersection with County Road 561, where a pack of about 40 coyotes roams, said Boyd.

 Just down C.R. 561 is the county's facility.

 "We've even had them come to our shelter trying to get the new-born calves," Boyd said.

 On Monday night, three of Silbernagel's dogs bounded into the front yard and she ducked back into her home south of Tavares to coax Daisy to go out. Just as she was urging Daisy toward the door, she heard a ruckus of barking and snarling outside. Then silence.

 Buddy rushed back inside, limping and hurt, and Silbernagel bent to look at his leg. In a split second, she realized that he'd been attacked, and she dashed to the front yard to snatch up Princess and Bo-Bo, who were still outside with whatever attacked Buddy.

 What she saw by a flood light and porch light were shadowy coyotes disappearing with Princess, who weighed nearly 20 pounds. Time elapsed: Less than a minute.

 "It was so quick. I went running out, and she was already gone," said Silbernagel, 53. "That was it."

 All winter and spring, coyotes have been prowling the area, howling their way through the woods, looking for a meal. They decimated a flock of chickens at a home just east of the new fire station on C.R. 448, killed and ate rabbits from a backyard in the Squirrel Point subdivision and have been seen slurping water from the fountains at the entrance to the Old Mill Run subdivision, next to the Silbernagels' 32 acres on Timber Oaks Drive.

White Township woman recalls coyote attack against her Chihuahua- New Jersey/ May 6- 2009

 Colleen McDonald had just stepped inside a horse trailer in her side yard when she heard the scream: a coyote had grabbed her 10-year-old Chihuahua in its jaws and was heading for the woods.

 McDonald chased after the animal, but after losing track of it, returned to her Pequest Road home. A short time later, the coyote was back, silently staring at McDonald. She backed up, grabbed a pitchfork and yelled at the coyote before the animal ran away.

 McDonald said she believes the coyote killed Mindy, her Chihuahua for the past two years. She's asked a private hunter to track down the coyote and said she's been carrying around a handgun while outside for protection.

 "It's very unnerving, and I just don't feel safe with it around," McDonald said Tuesday. "I hope I never see it again."

 Conservation officers with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife responded to the incident but couldn't find the coyote or the dog, said Darlene Yuhas, spokeswoman for the state Department of Environmental Protection.

 Yuhas said McDonald was advised that she could hire someone to trap the coyote. McDonald said the incident occurred about 4 p.m. April 24.

 With a statewide coyote population of 3,000 and growing, fatal attacks on dogs are rarely reported in New Jersey, according to an online article written by Tony McBride, principal biologist for the Division of Fish and Wildlife. Coyotes attack cats more often, McBride wrote.

 Coyotes prey on livestock, particularly sheep, during peak periods in the fall, when adult coyotes are teaching their offspring how to hunt, and in the spring, when parent coyotes are searching for food sources, McBride wrote. Attacks against humans are rare in the Northeast, according to McBride.

 Betty Wysocki, the animal control officer for White Township and eight other local municipalities, said the incident at McDonald's property was the first coyote attack that she is familiar with during her 19 years of experience. Many Warren County residents have reported coyote sightings but not attacks, Wysocki said.

 "It's not an everyday occurrence," Wysocki said. "To think of somebody's pet being a meal for a coyote, as a person, that upsets me."

 In the 16 years McDonald has lived on Pequest Road, she said, she had only two previous encounters with coyotes. She said she saw a coyote about four years ago in the nearby woods and last winter spotted coyote tracks in the snow.

 Besides any potential harm to herself, her relatives and her three horses, McDonald said she remains concerned about the safety of children and adults who use a bike path across Pequest Road from her home.

 McDonald said she plans to get a bigger dog, such as a shepherd or a Doberman pinscher, which could put up a fight while she retrieves her gun, but she's going to miss her "gypsy dog." The Chihuahua was at her side as a good companion, whether while driving in the car or shopping in stores, she said.

 "She loved to travel," McDonald said. "She came with me all the time."

Boston, Mass -Woman Rescues Dog from Coyote

Pet Cat Killed By Predator - April 19, 2009

BOSTON -- A Weymouth neighborhood is on edge after a family dog in one neighborhood barely survived a coyote attack.

The coyote snatched "Rusty" right off his leash while he was tied to a mailbox.

The shih tzu's owner said she saw the coyote running down the street with the dog in its mouth.

"I opened the front door and saw the dog was gone. I looked up and saw a coyote with my dog in its mouth. I started yelling, and two houses down, saw the dog with blood in middle of street. I must have scared him away," said Elyse Quinlan.

Rusty survived and was treated for deep teeth wounds to the stomach, back and neck.

The coyote's first victim on the block wasn't so lucky. Residents think a pet cat was killed by the animal.

"The neighbors cat, too. They were telling me they found his fur in the other yard," Quinlan said.

Weymouth police said unless a coyote is reported as sick, there's nothing they can do.The public was advised to stay alert and be careful. 

California -Moreno Valley residents report dangerous run-ins with coyotes

 Monday, March 30, 2009

Animal control officers are on the lookout for coyotes after receiving complaints about the creatures behaving aggressively in a Moreno Valley neighborhood.

Residents near the Festival at Moreno Valley shopping center, north of Highway 60, had complained that the coyotes have attacked and killed their pets, including cats, city Animal Services Division Manager Steve Fries said.

Officials are concerned because the animals might carry rabies, Fries said.

"They've gotten real close to residents," he said.

Ironwood Avenue resident Clifford Flint said the coyotes are brazen, walking through his front yard on several occasions.

Once, a coyote came to the fence at the side of the house, growled at Flint's daughter-in-law, who was riding a stationary bicycle on the other side, and jumped up on a lawnmower as if to leap over the fence, he said.

Mark Zaleski / The Press-Enterprise

Development has sometimes benefited coyotes, animal control officers say. Golf courses, for example, provide water and the surrounding homes offer a wide variety of domestic pets as food for the adaptable, intelligent coyote.

"It's the first time they've gotten aggressive," said Flint, a Moreno Valley resident for 33 years. "Either the environment is not feeding them enough or something is wrong."

As the Inland region has grown, suburban development has brought humans into more contact with the predators, from Chino and Norco to Lake Arrowhead and Palm Springs.

Coyote attacks on humans are on the rise, state Fish & Game wildlife biologist Kevin Brennan said.

Hunters killed dozens of coyotes in the Chino Hills area last year after the animals bit or threatened children near a park on seven instances, he said by phone.

There haven't been any reported problems since then, Brennan said.

But a hunter killed a coyote in the Canyon Lake area last week after a number of the animals approached children at a family barbecue and then threatened a woman walking a dog with her teenage son on the same street the following day, he said.

Moreno Valley Animal Control Field Supervisor Steve Lulli points out a coyote den, right, in a field near Ironwood Avenue and Heacock Street in Moreno Valley.

Development has sometimes benefited coyotes.

For example, a golf course community could provide the predators with ample food and water sources with its water hazards and household pets, Brennan said.

"They've made the coyotes' habitat better," he said.

Residents can kill coyotes if the predators are attacking livestock or pets, Brennan said.

They also can hire a pest management company to trap or hunt down the animals, he said.

In 2007, Riverside hired a Simi Valley firm to hunt and eliminate coyotes after a pet dog was attacked in a neighborhood.

In Norco, homeowners have killed the animals after they attacked livestock, while city officials have captured some of the animals using traps.

Moreno Valley animal control officers have discovered a den used by the coyotes where they have access to food and water sources, Fries said.

The city will likely hire a trapper to capture the coyotes, which will be euthanized, he said.

Moreno Valley resident Flint said he is concerned that the coyotes might eventually attack children, but he said he would rather see the coyotes relocated than killed.

"There are plenty of places they can take them," Flint said.

State law prohibits animals from being relocated, Brennan said.

"It's a euphemism for animal abandonment," he said. "They usually die at the release site because of a competition (or) a lack of food. . . . It's a cruel act."

Madison, WI- Coyote problems in the news

http://www.c3ktogo.com/news-video/?mgid=21599

Florida- Coyotes in North Pinellas are getting more aggressive

March 29, 2009

Kathy Hollick, 43, walks her 5-pound Malti-poo, Amy, with her Maxfli five-iron for protection against coyotes.

EAST LAKE

Danielle Kelly had been searching for her teacup Pomeranian Foxy Lady for hours when golfers summoned her to the 14th hole at the East Lake Woodlands North golf course.

There she found two paws, a fluff of fur and a piece of tail, the apparent victim of a hungry coyote. Kelly picked up the paws and held on to them for two days.

"That was just probably the worst thing that's ever happened to me so far," said Kelly, 28, a paralegal.

Most likely, authorities say, the worst is yet to come.

The increase in aggressiveness among North Pinellas coyotes is exactly what authorities would expect from a predator that has lived for generations in close proximity to people. Based on what happened in Dunedin about four years ago and in South Florida last year, this is what East Lake can expect next:

Coyotes snatching dogs right off leashes, crashing through lanai screens to grab cats by the throat, people mauled trying to protect their pets.

Already, residents have armed themselves with sticks, golf clubs, a stun gun and, in at least one case, a cane that transforms into a sword.

Foxy Lady is one of at least two pet dogs killed in East Lake in recent months. Earlier this month, a West Highland white terrier barely survived an attack and two coyotes chased a woman with two Huskies to her door.

As she searched for Foxy Lady, Kelly saw five or six coyotes, three or four together at one point.

Kelly's mother had let the 7- or 8-pound dog out in the front yard of their house at 2002 Muirfield Way the morning of Jan. 12, as they had for 11 years. In a flash, the dog was gone.

"It was so fast," Kelly said. "I tell everybody: Use a leash and keep it short."

Roberta Pawlowski, nearby in the Turtle Creek subdivision of East Lake Woodlands, had also seen coyotes at one time or another.

"You get so complacent, you don't even think about it," she said.

On a cold morning in January, her husband left Rocky in the front yard while he went back for a jacket and shoes. Soon, he was back in the house telling his wife their 15-year-old Jack Russell terrier was gone.

Remembering the coyotes, she ran out in the street in her nightgown. There were two and in its mouth, one had Rocky.

"He was obviously dead," Pawlowski said. "That's the hardest thing, just getting rid of that image."

In his younger days, Rocky would have put up quite a fight, she said.

Last week, a dog in Odessa survived a scuffle with a coyote, but the coyote scratched the person who got between it and the dog. Here's how officials at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recount the event:

Lauren Sherwood, 18, was on the ground planting flowers at a small horse farm and an Australian shepherd mix was on the ground near her when a coyote went after the dog. The animals started to fight, then Sherwood stood up and kicked the coyote and it ran off into the woods.

She was scratched and her aunt, a nurse, treated her scratches. The Fish and Wildlife Commission recommended rabies shots, but officials say there have been no recent reports of rabies in the area and Sherwood decided to forego any further medical treatment.

In Southwest Florida last year, according to reports in the Naples Daily News, three coyotes were trapped after they snatched dogs on leashes and went through lanai screens to kill cats.

Two residents required rabies shots: a man who came in contact with a coyote's saliva and a woman who was scratched while defending her dachshund, according to Breanne Strepina, a wildlife biologist with the Southwest region of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The woman's mistake was falling on the dog to protect it, Strepina said. It's better to pick up your dog and stand tall when confronted by a coyote.

Last week, Strepina said she gave information on living with coyotes to the East Lake Woodlands homeowners association. She said she has heard some residents there put corn out to attract deer and that may be attracting coyotes, too.

"It's important that people change their behavior if they want an animal to change its behavior," she said.

Strepina also gave the homeowners association the name of an experienced trapper, in case the situation gets worse.

When is it time to call a trapper?

When coyotes start snatching pets with no fear for the human holding the leash, she said, they are getting aggressive. Until then, education is the best approach.

Dunedin faced a coyote uprising in 2005 in early summer, the time of year when coyotes need food for their pups. They went after a 70-pound German shorthaired pointer, threatened a woman walking dogs and killed a small dog.

The county responded with an education campaign, and the problem died down.

A few simple actions can prevent pet loss and injuries to residents who come between coyotes and their pets, said Welch Agnew, director of veterinary services at Pinellas County Animal Services.

Remove all outdoor food sources and keep small pets close on a leash when outside. Stand tall when you encounter a coyote, make it feel unwelcome with loud noises or a water from a hose and pick up small pets.

"Then they will do like they did in Dunedin," said Agnew, "and slink back into the woods."

Michigan- Local woman warns to watch out for coyotes

Coyote attacked her
pet in the afternoon

 A Washington Township woman hopes her tragedy will make residents aware and keep their pets safe. 

During the afternoon on April 2, Michelle Gabler heard two of her dogs barking in the backyard of her home, located in the 30 Mile Road and Campground area. When one of them  abruptly stopped barking, she ran outside to investigate.

  "I saw something brown, and it had my dog in its mouth," she said.
       What she saw was a coyote, which had killed her Pomeranian. She chased the animal until it finally dropped the small dog and scampered off.
       She said in her 23 years of living in the area she never had issues with the wild dogs and only heard them howling or yelping in the distance.
       "We've heard them, we hear 'em all the time, but we've never seen them before," she said. "I've owned two Yorkies before this and I never had this problem . . . it was so sudden."
       According to the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (DNR), coyotes are easily found throughout the state and have dispersed into both urban and rural areas without any assistance. A coyote's typical home range can vary from eight to 12 square miles.
       The wild dogs, which usually grow to the size of a medium German shepherd dog, are extremely adaptable and are considered opportunistic hunters. Their preferred prey are small mammals such as moles, mice, rabbits, hares and squirrels, but have been known to kill livestock such as sheep, goats, calves and poultry.
       Tim Payne, DNR wildlife supervisor for southeast Michigan, said his office has had multiple reports of coyotes taking small dogs and cats. He said the reason they do this can vary from hunting to territorial defense.
       "If you stop to think about it, a coyote is a big dog," he said. "So if they see another canine in their territory, they'll try to eliminate it. They will protect their young if they're in the area as well."
       He said the DNR doesn't typically react to such calls, as they are not a rarity. However, they do offer advice to anyone who has concerns about coyotes in the area.
       He said if coyotes frequent an area, people should use caution in letting small pets outside, especially at night. People should never intentionally feed or attempt to tame them as well, as that will reduce their fear of humans.
       "Keep them wild and don't let them get accustomed to human food," he said.
       If continued problems exist, pest control services can be contacted to trap coyotes. In fact, in more rural areas where the discharging of firearms is allowed, people can defend their livestock or family by hunting them.
       "Our laws with coyotes are pretty liberal," he said. "If they're doing damage, you can get rid of them, you don't need special permission to take care of it."
       That doesn't mean it's open season on coyotes, though. If one is in the area but doesn't bother people, he said it could be advantageous to leave it alone, as removing it allows a new coyote that may not be afraid of humans to enter the former animal's territory and establish dominance.
       "Don't trap them just to trap them," he said.
       Since the attack, Gabler said she has kept an eye on her pets whenever they go outside, and hopes others will learn from her experience to remain watchful.
       "I know people know they're out there, but I don't think they realize they'll do this," she said. "People should know this can happen to them."

NY-NORTH TONAWANDA: Coyote shot after third bite

NORTH TONAWANDA - As of Thursday morning, the tally of North Tonawanda men bitten by a coyote stands at three  in a little more than two weeks.

This time, the attack happened on Zimmerman Street.

Unlike the March 31 biting of a man on Sweeney Street and Monday nights incident by the old Wurlitzer plant, however, the animal was shot and killed by police who responded shortly after midnight.

Niagara County Health Department officials then collected the animal's corpse, which has been decapitated, and the necessary brain tissue sent to Albany for rabies testing.

Police reports indicate the bite did not break the skin of the Lena Drive man, but treatment for the disease may depend on test results expected sometime today. 

I exited my patrol vehicle after deploying the patrol rifle, reads a statement by one of the responding officers. ?The coyote tucked its legs in close to its body and laid down facing me. I moved slightly to my right to have a broadside shot and closed the distance toward the coyote, it continues. I was approximately 25 feet away ... with a safe backstop ... I fired one round from the patrol rifle, striking the coyote in the heart/lung area. The coyote spun around and ran into the woods approximately 20 yards before expiring. 

Niagara County Director of Environmental Health Jim Devald said he, along with city officials and the Department of Environmental Conservation, have discussed the recent rash of attacks.

The question is whether this is the same coyote or not, and I don't think anyone can answer that yet, Devald said.

Mayor Larry Soos is warning residents to be cautious, and his office plans to schedule a public forum to address related health and safety concerns.

No treatment was needed for the victim of the latest bite. It appears police first spotted the animal back on Zimmerman Street a short time after they arrived and searched a nearby dump. The animal at one point approached the patrol car, nearly putting its front paws on the vehicles side window, the report said.

It's a concern, Devald said. From a health standpoint, we need to work with the City of North Tonawanda, with the DEC and see what can be done to address it. It's basically new to us. We haven't seen this before. Everyone needs to sit down and work together.

Soos, in a statement issued Thursday, said he spoke with the state's regional wildlife manager, who is willing to issue a letter of permission to the city to hire a trapper, that would reduce the coyote population by removing the offending animal(s).

Canada - Urban Jungle

COYOTES: Attendant shares his face-to-face encounter with animals

Stay calm, don't run.

Tim Steadman repeated those words to himself as he retreated.

The attendant at the Children's Animal Farm in Sarnia's Canatara Park had long-known coyotes were living in the area.

He'd been cleaning up the bloody remains of waterfowl, believed to be meals they'd left behind all winter.

Now, two coyotes stood before him looking intently in his direction. This was the first time they'd come face-to-face. He was stunned. They shouldn't be this close, he thought.

Steadman had ventured outside around 8 a. m. that cold winter's morning in late January to do a lap around the farm. As he approached the back fence he noticed the pair lingering.

"I hollered at them and raised my arms," he said, recalling coyotes he'd seen on his farm in Plympton-Wyoming. Normally, they ran at the first sign of humans.

"They looked at me and started towards me."

Without thinking, Steadman turned his back to the animals and walked toward the barn. When he glanced over his shoulder, they were following. Turning to face the coyotes, he stepped backwards toward safety.

One of the animals walked towardhimwhilethe other circled to his side, he said.

"I didn't want them to hit me from behind and knock me down."

He kept retreating while looking for a stick. They followed him all the way to the barn, where he closed the door. Within five minutes they disappeared.

When word of Steadman's run-in with the coyotes was reported in The Observer, it sparked a debate at city hall over what to do. But the attendant, a hunter and trapper with 30 years experience, remained silent about his encounter, until now.

Steadman left the Animal Farm two days later and now works at the Clearwater Arena. He refused to work alone in the park because he believes the city's immediate response -- providing an umbrella and a pickup truck -- was insufficient, he said.

"They said police officers use umbrellas when they confront a mean dog. But they have guns when the umbrella doesn't work."

By speaking to The Observer, he defied what he said were orders from city hall to stay quiet.

He once feared that going public about his concerns would cost him his beloved job at the farm. But now he wonders what will happen if the city continues to do nothing about the animals.

"It's pretty sad. Peopleare more worried about the safety of two coyotes than they are about the kids and people who live in the city of Sarnia.

"They've lost that fear of humans, which makes them just like a dog. Except they're wild animals that are very unpredictable."

Steadman said the coyotes should be shot.

"In my opinion, what has to happen is those two particular coyotes have to be dealt with. If that offends some people then I'm sorry. You've got to think of public safety."

Acting city manager Lloyd Fennell said council is waiting for guidance from the Ministry of Natural Resources, which so far has been inconsistent.

"Even the experts . . . are all struggling with what the answer is," he said. "We need to take our lead and any future directions from the professionals."

Fennell said he was unaware of any attempts to silence or punish Steadman for speaking out.

"For us, this is not anything against an employee," Fennell said.

Sarnia has since given workers at the farm tools to fend off the coyotes, including an electric cattle prod, floodlighting and an air horn. Since Steadman's encounter, there have been no coyote sightings at the Animal Farm, he said.

"We need to be cognizant of the well-being of the public, and as well the coyotes.

They're doing what is natural to them."

Dr. Marc Bekoff, a professor emeritus of ecology and evolutionary biology at the University of Colorado, has studied coyote behaviour for decades.

He said Steadman was right to be scared, but added more information is needed to draw conclusions. They were probably curious to see if Steadman had food, he said.

In terms of human-coyote interactions the encounter wasn't serious, he added.

"On a scale of 10, I would put this at about a two. People need to stop feeding (wild) animals. We redecorated their living rooms by moving in on them."

Coyotes rarely hunt co-operatively and are very adaptive, looking for the most readily available food source. They rarely hunt anything larger than themselves, Bekoff said.

"If the coyotes had wanted to attack him they would have gone straight for him," he said.

Bekoff said a habituated animal is a problem, however. But like humans, each coyote is an individual and removing every one from a city isn't possible or necessary, he said.

"They have very distinct personalities and temperaments. There are bold animals and shy animals."

He agrees with Steadman that more encounters are likely, especially during the breeding season of March and April when they're more assertively searching for food and mates.

Camilla Fox, founding direc-tor of Project Coyote, an animal welfare institute, said Sarnia isn't alone in dealing with coyote encroachment. The city of Chicago has an estimated population of 2,000, and coyotes have even turned up in New York's Central Park.

Fox said coyotes can actually benefit an urban ecosystem by controlling rodents and other pests. Humans need to adjust their behaviour because wild animals can't change, she said.

"Coyotes have been persecuted for decades and their population has expanded threefold in that time. That's despite a concerted government eff ort to reduce the population."

Bekoff said the city needs to devise a plan before a human attack occurs.

"Once there is an attack, either substantiated or not, you're dealing with a radically different issue," he said. "It's beyond belief what one attack will do. It will elicit intense fear."

In the meantime, Tim Steadman said he feels like he's caught in the middle. He desperately wants to go back to the job he loves, but is concerned about people who frequent the park.

"Are your children safe, are my children safe?" he asked.

Found April 6th in alley around Belmont Blvd.,- coyote scat/droppings. 

One way to know if there are coyotes in your area is to identify their poop, generally referred to as "droppings" or "scat."

Interesting composition of fur, paper, seeds and some tarp.

These photographs of a coyote were shot around the Rock Harbor Marina area in 2008. Photographs are from the Charlotte Parker website.

http://www.thecharlotteparker.com/search?q=coyotes