Our neighborhood coyote(s)

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Sometime in the last year or two one or more coyotes have taken up residence in our area. Our neighborhood abuts a greenbelt that extends for hundreds of miles. Bobcats are resident. Cougars are populate much of the area, though often not seen in our area. Bears are occasionally transient.

No doubt coyotes have been around for some time,, since coyotes adapt easily in urban environments and even live in Manhattan. They are very skilled at staying out of sight and being nearly invisible.

However, we have at least one coyote who has lost fear of humans. I think it is one particular animal, though it could be more than one. A couple of months ago I went out to pick up the morning newspaper (we still have a cellulosic delivery contract). When I came out the front door, there was a coyote in the street right in front of our driveway, who turned and looked at me as I came out the door. As I proceeded toward the street to pick up the newspaper, the coyote slowly sauntered up the street, stopping in the driveway next door - less than one hundred feet away - and watched me as I picked up the paper. We looked at each other for about a minute, then the coyote ambled off, away from me, toward other houses in the area and further away from the green belt.

Then about 10:30 am yesterday am, as I was returning from our weekly grocery shopping, a coyote (I suspect the same one) was standing in the street a couple of houses away from ours. As I approached in the car, the coyote simply moved to the side to let me pass. I slowed down as I went past, and we looked at each other through the car window, no more than four feet apart. No fear at all.

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Probably related observations. We have many fewer rabbits and squirrels in the neighborhood than we did five years ago. Ten year ago deer were regular visitors in our yard - four or five times per week during the day. I haven't seen deer in our yard for the last two years, and I don't think they are coming by since I don't see deer droppings and our raspberries aren't being munched very often.

And there are frequent posters about missing pets attached to mailboxes and light posts in the neighborhood.

 

[sue1947]

I listen to a coyote chorus at night, especially when a siren from an ambulance etc goes by. The large property next door was sold a few years ago and has been in limbo ever since. We used to be able to walk through there via a key to the gates, but the new owners padlocked it closed. That has resulted in a large increase in the critter population including coyotes.

 

[amycurl]

Hmmm...maybe a coyote would solve our neighborhood's aggressive squirrel and rabbit issue. (Note: my neighborhood is *literally* two blocks from the core of downtown of a city that is 300,000+)

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

I listen to a coyote chorus at night, especially when a siren from an ambulance etc goes by. The large property next door was sold a few years ago and has been in limbo ever since. We used to be able to walk through there via a key to the gates, but the new owners padlocked it closed. That has resulted in a large increase in the critter population including coyotes.

No evening serenades. Part of which makes me believe it is a solitary animal. But then our coyote(s) are very clearly prowling during daylight hours. So maybe they don't serenade at night because that is when they are sleeping.

 

[T_R_Oglodyte]

Hmmm...maybe a coyote would solve our neighborhood's aggressive squirrel and rabbit issue. (Note: my neighborhood is *literally* two blocks from the core of downtown of a city that is 300,000+)

Downtown core isn't an issue. They can adapt, and rats are a nice food source for them.

Urban coyote - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[amycurl]

I was speaking more about that we have so many other critters....

 

[easyrider]

We live in the country and I often hear the coyotes but they are rarely seen. They are hunted over here so their instinct is to stay out of range.

Bill

 

[jacknsara]

Years ago I saw a coyote in daylight in a friends cul-de-sac in belly-view just west of lake sammamish way. My friend said it was a regular occurrence.
It looked emaciated. My guess it either got into some kind of poison or was disabled to the point of no longer being able to catch prey.

 

[easyrider]

Years ago I saw a coyote in daylight in a friends cul-de-sac in belly-view just west of lake sammamish way. My friend said it was a regular occurrence.
It looked emaciated. My guess it either got into some kind of poison or was disabled to the point of no longer being able to catch prey.

When we were hunting coyote's every one we killed looked terrible up close. All of them looked thin and mangy. I think that is just their natural look.

Bill

 

[clifffaith]

Every night coyote serenades, every morning posts on Nextdoor about missing cats or little dogs being grabbed when they go out to potty before bed. Five years ago there was no visible coyote activity, now we are over run with them. I don't agree with the "they were here first" people. There are families in this area who safely had indoor/outdoor pets for sixty years who can no longer have pets outside in day light, let alone at night. I am strongly on the side of eradication, but that won't happen until children are attacked.

 

[Bunk]

In the Hudson Valley, coyotes have attacked young children. This article is unfortunately just one example:
https://www.syracuse.com/state/2018/04/coyote_attacks_girl_mount_pleasant_westchester.html

Coyotes have killed many cats and some small dogs. We lost one several years ago, as have several neighbors. One neighbor has heard the coyotes killing prey in the woods. We often see a coyote on our property during the daytime about every other month.

In the eastern US, there is a mixture of coyote wolf and dog called an eastern coyote, coy wolf or coy dog

Eastern Coyote Genetics | Wolf Conservation Center

There is a charismatic canid living in the eastern United States, and it is the result of evolution occurring right under our noses! Over the years these coyotes have acquired a number of sensational nicknames; both "Coywolf" and “Coydog” have been growing in popularity, however, the scientific...

nywolf.org

@T_R_Oglodyte: We don't get many big cats here. I saw a bobcat running through our property several years ago. I thought it was magnificent due to its size and its stride

 

[chapjim]

And there are frequent posters about missing pets attached to mailboxes and light posts in the neighborhood.

Yikes! Sick people! Who would attach a missing pet to a mailbox or light post? <grin>

 

[presley]

I've had several encounters with coyotes where they weren't afraid of me. It seems like there are quite a lot that live in my neighborhood and I guess they are very used to seeing people. I think the weirdest encounter was on a semi-busy hiking trail that had other people passing by. There was a pair just standing in the middle of the trail, not moving for people to pass. I had 5 dogs with me at the time and I shooed them away, but they were so dang slow about moving and were giving me the, "we were standing here first, you go around," look. If I didn't have all the dogs, I would have just walked around them, but I didn't want my dogs to pass them for obvious reasons. All the other people were just going around them. This was during a very bad drought, so I think they were hoping that someone would drop some water.

When I pass them on my street or a nearby street, if they are running, they run faster. If they are not running, they just look at me and they keep doing whatever they are doing.

 

[Firepath]

If it’s a neighborhood in the city, Fish &Game will probably move him for you. No one wants to be in fear in their own neighborhood.

 

[artringwald]

We live inside the beltway around the Twin Cities, and coyotes are seen frequently. I've seen them in the middle of the day. They're welcome in my backyard if they can keep the rabbit population down. This morning I had to chase 3 deer out of my pumpkin patch. When the deer aren't munching on pumpkins, they're eating our flowers and seed from the bird feeders.

 

[BingoBangoBongo]

Last year my wife and I were hiking on a trail at a State Park less than a mile from our home and saw what I thought was a German Shepard (dogs are supposed to be leashed) just come to the crest of a hill ahead of us alone. When we got to the top of the hill, no dog, no owner and there's really no place for them to have gone together. Realized shortly later that it was most likely a coyote. I've also seen a few fox in our neighborhood.

 

[stmartinfan]

Our backyard abuts a large park area and we often hear the coyotes howling at night and sometimes hear the terrible sound of a rabbit that's been caught. We see them sometimes walking through the neighborhood and they usually just saunter by even if they see us or our car. Our 10 pound dog never goes out at night unless we are out to watch her and then only for as long as it takes for her to do her business!

 

[IngridN]

We live in the hills in SF Bay Area and have coyotes and mountain lions. The coyotes feed on cats and small dogs and the mountain lions keep the deer population in check. Our house abuts the start of a canyon and we have lots of mountain lion sightings in the area. The deer come up out of the canyon and munch on our 'deer resistant' landscaping. The other day we saw the entire family including papa, outfitted with a magnificent rack. They came by, papa checked out the menu, was displeased and left to see what the neighbors offered. During one of our recent heat waves, a lone deer came out of the canyon, found a shady spot in our front yard next to the house and made herself at home. One of our kitties noticed her and was staring out the window.

Ingrid

 

[CalGalTraveler]

We live next to open space. When we see coyotes and bobcats we do the same as with bears in the Sierra Nevada - we yell, throw rocks toward them and bang pots. This is recommended by the bear protection league BTW.

A coyote or bear that is not afraid of humans will be a dead animal. It's a human or pet attack waiting to happen.

 

[Glynda]

I haven't heard of any coyotes in downtown CHS yet, but we have them on the Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island as well as in Mt Pleasant. A friend of mine had one not move as she approached it to save her cat from under her neighbor's deck. Stared her down until her husband came charging and yelling.

 

[Bunk]

This deer think's she's a horse

 

[Bunk]

But for the white on the tail and feet, this deer is well camouflaged among the leaves. Can you see the antlers growing?

 

[Sea Six]

My wife called the police to report a dog in our canal, hanging on to the sea wall, unable to climb out. The police came, and apparently took care of it and left. A few weeks later, my wife got a call to rate the attention she got to her call to the police. She said all nice things, and hopes the dog got out OK. They told her the report said it was a coyote.