CAUTION: Be aware of COYOTES -- they seem to be EVERYWHERE

[BarbaraM]

Hello everyone -

havent posted in awhile. I am the proud mom of a rescue poo/bischon mix as of Oct 2019.

I was recently made aware of the high numbers of coyotes being seen during the day in NW Indiana. MUNSTER. Not rural at all...

Walking my new baby on 19th of December - we walked across the street and she stopped walking -actually seemed to be frozen ! - and I looked down at her as a low deep howl came behind us. I slowly looked to the right and there hiding near shrubs next to my building, was a coyote. THE FIRST ONE I HAVE EVER SEEN! In real life/real time!! Just his/her legs. Face was hidden by shrub.

I slowly picked my baby up and put her in my jacket and walked BACKWARD to the closest house. Knocked and told the kind woman the coyote was after us. We were let in and after a time, she drove us to our door!!

Our area has had a NUMEROUS amount of sightings of coyotes at schools, yards, bike trails...and no one keeps track. Are they on the increase?

This is mating season. They jump over 6ft fences to get to anything they want. They carry rabies. May have distemper.

Their pups are usually born in early spring which brings on MORE HUNTING for food. And more coyotes to grow up to hunt, mate, more babies...

Just a warning. Learn what you can please. I lost my yorkie in 04 from a leashed greyhound being walked. I am NOT GOING TO HAVE MY BABY INJURED BY THESE PREDATORS.

[matese]

WOW, you're very lucky it growled giving you a chance to get to safety. I've read articles where ppl leash walking dogs coyotes just pounce on the dog.

Pennsylvania is over populated with coyotes. Unlike bear, deer etc. when there is just a certain time one can hunt them, coyotes it's open season, if you see it you shoot it. That's not to say you should start carrying a gun. Check your state laws on hunting coyotes, if it is open season get the word out, men love to hunt. I live in a heavily wooded area, I hear gun shots all the time.

Winter food is scarce, they will come into residential areas.

Thank you for reminding us to always be vigilant.

[Lisa and Pic]

Wow, scary, and glad you reacted quickly. I guess there are more coyotes because of human population in their areas. For us (very suburban), it is not unusual to see deer walking on the sidewalk or down the street. But I have only seen one coyote, though I heard they are not uncommon.

[Micah my love]

Oh my so scarey you really used good judgement and you are so lucky that it did not attack you

[Lovetodream88]

Definitely scary. Glad that isn’t an issue here. Sadly if we continue to build and tear down their homes they have no choice.

[BarbaraM]

Actually, from what I have read - they PREFER the small urban towns/cities to rural areas. FAR MORE FOOD.
They tend to live longer than rural yotes AND they have LARGER LITTERS!

It is NOW mating season...to give birth in Apr/May to upwards of 7-9 pups! That will be ready to hunt with mommy close by in SUMMER months. Then, THEY will be mating, giving birth, etc AND THERE IS NO PROGRAM TO CURB, TRAP, COUNT, ETC.

They have been photographed in the high school football field, crossing the street to get to another school yard - loves the trails behind my home. All during the daytime.
The trails near here often run along side a water source--ducks/geese/etc.

They can jump 6ft fence with the prey in their mouth. People leave bird seed which calls the squirrels and voila - a coyote that is now unafraid. Or, dog food for a pet - or cat food for feral cats.

It is getting quite common to see them. Past three years the numbers of sightings have increased. I feel a nice removal of much of the brush on the trails and alerting people of the season they are out would be helpful.

I am moving. Not sure where. But far enough away from the trails...

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by BarbaraM

Actually, from what I have read - they PREFER the small urban towns/cities to rural areas. FAR MORE FOOD.
They tend to live longer than rural yotes AND they have LARGER LITTERS!

It is NOW mating season...to give birth in Apr/May to upwards of 7-9 pups! That will be ready to hunt with mommy close by in SUMMER months. Then, THEY will be mating, giving birth, etc AND THERE IS NO PROGRAM TO CURB, TRAP, COUNT, ETC.

They have been photographed in the high school football field, crossing the street to get to another school yard - loves the trails behind my home. All during the daytime.
The trails near here often run along side a water source--ducks/geese/etc.

They can jump 6ft fence with the prey in their mouth. People leave bird seed which calls the squirrels and voila - a coyote that is now unafraid. Or, dog food for a pet - or cat food for feral cats.

It is getting quite common to see them. Past three years the numbers of sightings have increased. I feel a nice removal of much of the brush on the trails and alerting people of the season they are out would be helpful.

I am moving. Not sure where. But far enough away from the trails...

Sadly it all started with us moving on their territory with our building and clearing land and as generations go on and on they start fearing humans less and less. We keeping building and clearing land which takes their natural food source away. I think it’s very sad for them and other animals that they do this to and humans just won’t learn from it. Hunting them in very populated areas wouldn’t work though because someone could get hurt. I have heard of this issues with bears and other animals.

[Marna1957]

Keep in mind, it's NOT just coyotes! We live in Farm Lands.....and we have PACKS of coyotes that roam our land and near us. We hear them often, LOUDLY! We see them, day time too. But other wildlife would love to eat our tiny dogs. They see them as nothing less than food.



Some people will tell you that Fox are no threat.....BE AWARE, THEY CERTAINLY ARE! Fox are always talked about with taking and eating Chickens. Do YOU know the size of the average Chicken? LARGER, when standing, than our tiny Yorkies.


Carry rocks in your pocket. If wilelife threatens, be prepared. DO NOT bend over at that time for rocks.....have something ready to throw.

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by Marna1957

Keep in mind, it's NOT just coyotes! We live in Farm Lands.....and we have PACKS of coyotes that roam our land and near us. We hear them often, LOUDLY! We see them, day time too. But other wildlife would love to eat our tiny dogs. They see them as nothing less than food.



Some people will tell you that Fox are no threat.....BE AWARE, THEY CERTAINLY ARE! Fox are always talked about with taking and eating Chickens. Do YOU know the size of the average Chicken? LARGER, when standing, than our tiny Yorkies.


Carry rocks in your pocket. If wilelife threatens, be prepared. DO NOT bend over at that time for rocks.....have something ready to throw.

Foxes generally won’t take on dogs and unless it’s mating season then they should only be out at night. Mine are 12, 13 and 15 pounds so no tiny ones here lol. My aunt had a fox get in and kill 2 of her ducks and injure another so they had to kill it.

[Yorkie guy]

Also keep in mind a coyote can easily jump a 6 ft fence,so if your in an area where they are prevalent sometimes even in their own backyard your little ones may not overly safe.
We’re in Phx. Where they seem to be everywhere and we have to be really diligent...

[matese]

Here in Pennsylvania we are over populated with coyotes AND hybrids. I live in a heavily wooded area, several years ago driving out of my community I see a Collie in the road, hummmm, I never saw anyone walking a collie, so I slow down to see if this dog has tags, if it did I would have taken him and go door to door as I have done numerous times when a dog ended up by my house. When I get close the dog looks at me, it was very slender, matted fur, it had the face, eyes of a coyote, and it took off when I had gotten closer. So, beware, something that may look like a dog could be a hybrid.

[BarbaraM]

we are suburban - I spose. No farms within miles. Although we DO have a HUGE country club next door in Illinois. And a "greenway". A stinking trail that crosses to Indiana and hooks up to another overbushy trail that the yotes LOVE. There are so many pets to eat along the way... I am more than upset. I am on the warpath to get these "healthy" trails cleaned up so we can at least see the predators! Seems they have more rights to healthy walks, than us. If it were MY pet - I would be given some type of ticket and my dog would be in quarantine. Coyotes mixed with wolves? Nope. Free to eat whoever they desire.
Chicago had TWO bites. Two days ago. One was a child in lincoln park zoo -- it was the child's fault for surprising the vicious animal.
The man that was attacked from behind? well, he had no witnesses so maybe it wasn't a coyote. The last count for Chicago was 2000 yotes in 2014. Any guesses how high those numbers are now? Why are they so protected when there are so many of them?? ug. very unhappy

[Marna1957]

Originally Posted by matese

Here in Pennsylvania we are over populated with coyotes AND hybrids. I live in a heavily wooded area, several years ago driving out of my community I see a Collie in the road, hummmm, I never saw anyone walking a collie, so I slow down to see if this dog has tags, if it did I would have taken him and go door to door as I have done numerous times when a dog ended up by my house. When I get close the dog looks at me, it was very slender, matted fur, it had the face, eyes of a coyote, and it took off when I had gotten closer. So, beware, something that may look like a dog could be a hybrid.

Scary, but so very true! What is worse....many times they LOOK like a Dog, with a COYOTE Brain.....and I mean EXACTLY this.

[matese]

Originally Posted by BarbaraM

we are suburban - I spose. No farms within miles. Although we DO have a HUGE country club next door in Illinois. And a "greenway". A stinking trail that crosses to Indiana and hooks up to another overbushy trail that the yotes LOVE. There are so many pets to eat along the way... I am more than upset. I am on the warpath to get these "healthy" trails cleaned up so we can at least see the predators! Seems they have more rights to healthy walks, than us. If it were MY pet - I would be given some type of ticket and my dog would be in quarantine. Coyotes mixed with wolves? Nope. Free to eat whoever they desire.
Chicago had TWO bites. Two days ago. One was a child in lincoln park zoo -- it was the child's fault for surprising the vicious animal.
The man that was attacked from behind? well, he had no witnesses so maybe it wasn't a coyote. The last count for Chicago was 2000 yotes in 2014. Any guesses how high those numbers are now? Why are they so protected when there are so many of them?? ug. very unhappy

I get CBS News flashes on my cell phone. A few days ago I received a story of Up state NY in a town like city someone took videos of coyotes trotting on the sidewalks. 2 reports of coyote attacking one child that was bitten on the head and arms outside in front of a museum, another attack was on a man. The article read the coyotes are coming into cities because the food source is plentiful and easily accessible especially in the winter where there is less in the open fields. It also said coyotes are no longer afraid of ppl.

Originally Posted by Marna1957

Scary, but so very true! What is worse....many times they LOOK like a Dog, with a COYOTE Brain.....and I mean EXACTLY this.

That is even more scary

[Lovetodream88]

Originally Posted by matese

I get CBS News flashes on my cell phone. A few days ago I received a story of Up state NY in a town like city someone took videos of coyotes trotting on the sidewalks. 2 reports of coyote attacking one child that was bitten on the head and arms outside in front of a museum, another attack was on a man. The article read the coyotes are coming into cities because the food source is plentiful and easily accessible especially in the winter where there is less in the open fields. It also said coyotes are no longer afraid of ppl.




That is even more scary

Generally they become less fearful of people because we are moving closer and closer to their homes and hunting grounds so as the generations of coyotes go on they are becoming more and more used to people. We are having this issue with deer here being unafraid of the cars and people. For the deer it is very dangerous for them but with coyotes it becomes more dangerous to us.