I glanced up from the newspaper I was reading as I sat on my back porch, and there he was: Coyote! He was strutting across the field of grass at the back of my yard without a care in the world. I jumped up and yelled, “Hey, You! Git!” Coyote looked at me insolently, as if to say, “So, are you gonna make me?” Then, he slowly sauntered on and out of my yard.
It wasn’t the first time I had seen coyotes in the neighborhood. Just a few weeks before, I returned from an early morning coffee run (well, “drive”) to the all night coffee house. I mean it was early—around 4:30 in the morning. As I pulled into my driveway, my headlights shone into the eyes of two young coyotes romping in my front own yard. I live in the suburbs!
There is a lot of construction in the area that has pushed coyotes out of their native habitat (they are Native Texans), so coyotes have adapted. They can exist anywhere they can find food, water and shelter.
Over several weeks, a neighbor “lost” a cat. I’m sure Coyote found him. The feral cats in our neighborhood began to disappear. The number of bunny rabbits that had regularly cavorted in my back yard diminished. Coyote sightings were numerous.
I knew about Coyote from the storytelling legends. He is also called The Trickster, The Thief, and The Outlaw. In many of the stories, The Trickster gets tricked. I tell some of those stories. My dear departed friend, Finley Stewart, told them, too. That’s his logo at the top of the page.
I love to hear coyotes calling in the night, but I’d rather it not be in my neighborhood. I don’t like the sound when several of them start yipping, because usually that means they have just killed something. Though I realize that Coyote has to eat, I don’t want it to be someone’s pet.
I began to worry about having a pack of coyotes roaming the streets. I didn’t fear for my own pets, because I don’t let my cats outside. But, I wondered just how dangerous were the coyotes? And, short of shooting them, how could they be discouraged from coming into the neighborhood? The only way to find out was to do some research.
Coyotes in the wild are not “aggressive” hunters, but they are “opportunistic.” They don’t necessarily stalk prey, but they will take what they find. They are naturally afraid of humans, so the danger of them attacking a human is minimal. Coyotes are excellent hunters and feed mostly on rats, mice, ground squirrels, rabbits, insects, carrion and fruit. They have no qualms about being vegetarian.
As with many wild animals, the coyote population if left alone will stay at an even level. If coyotes in a particular area are removed, the remaining population will fill the area, either with larger litters or by allowing outsider coyotes to move in.
Though it’s probably next to impossible to get rid of the coyotes completely, there are things you can do to deter them and protect your own property:
- Eliminate ivy and other thick ground covers that may attract rodents or provide shelter for coyotes.
- Seal off crawl spaces under the house.
- Don’t feed coyotes. Bring water bowls for pets inside, and don’t leave pet food in the yard at night.
- Make your dog or cat an indoor pet when living in an area that is known to have coyotes.
- Accompany your dog in well-lit areas at night when walking.
- Keep your dog on a leash whenever you take it off your property.
- Put out your trash the day of the pick up, not the night before.
- Keep trashcan lids securely fastened. If there is food material in the trash, put in an ammonia soaked rag to deter coyotes.
- Pick fruit when it ripens, don’t leave it on the ground.
- Fencing needs to be at least six feet high and angled outward. Coyotes can jump!
- Motion sensor lights will help keep the coyotes off your property.
Even with these precautions, you probably can’t keep Coyote away. He will adapt, as he has for centuries. If you hear that lonesome howl in the night, just don’t leave your pet outside.
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{ 4 comments… read them below or add one }
Yodel dogs are cool. Pets should be in a fence or indoors.
I agree wholeheartedly. Something about seeing coyote running wild and free touches a chord in my heart (but I really don’t want them in my trash). My cats don’t go outside because it isn’t safe for them (not just coyote, but cars, feline leukemia, feline aids) and it isn’t polite to the neighbors. They didn’t ask to have to clean up after my cats!
I see you’re already married or I’d propose. We used to hear the coyotes all the time until construction in our area drove them out.
LOL. It would never work anyway. A bird advocate and a woman with 5 cats? But, I have a sister…
Around here, construction is what is driving the coyotes in. I wish the poor beasts could figure out that there are still some woods and pastures north of town. That may not be safe either, because the farmers won’t hesitate to get a gun. I hope no fool in town gets out a gun to go after them. That’s scarier than an itty bitty coyote.