Coyotes, problem

[ayin jade]

We have venomous lizard as well as venomous snakes spiders and scorpions. Then big animals like mountain lions bobcats javelina bears wolves and coyotes. Then there are small animals that carry big diseases. Hantavirus and plague. Good times.

[walla299]

I've seen coyotes trot across the street in front of my in Scottsdale and other parts of the valley. Those are the ones used to city life and they don't care all that much about people. We've also got bobcats and javelina in town too.

I've seen a road runner go after a mockingbird nest in a tree because the mockingbird was dive bombing it. They're not great flyers, but the mockingbird pair was certainly surprised!

[Willa]

We have a lot of coyote in our area as well.  They run during early morning and in the evenings and may be alone, in pairs or in packs.  When I worked on school busses I would see them hop over consecutive fences of back yards.  They would check the pets food dishes and look for garbage, then on to the next.  They also use the railroad corridors and find bunnies and jack rabbits(hare), prairie dogs and gopher,   They don't usually eat dogs but will kill them.  The U of WA radio collared some and found that they had the run of downtown Seattle as well as the surrounding towns, covering 20 miles or so as a territory. They could be very secretive and could come and go from its den in a vacant lot without the researcher seeing it.  Since urban sprawl has invaded their area, they have simply adapted.  On the edges of town they are more apt to run in packs and can be heard howling.  We had a pack run through our camp one time, and a neighbor's St Bernard issued one warning woof and then was quiet.  Even our Lhasa Apso  issued a soft woof and then hunkered down.  The pack thundered through and then made a kill on the other side--probably deer.  I have never heard of them attacking people since they are very able to evade us, but if cornered I am sure anything is possible.  I don't fear the coyote but I do fear for my small dogs.  The more rural areas lose a lot of pets to them.  They do not domesticate as wolves can sometimes do.  But I admire them.  

We have also had cougar, moose, a large elk heard, and a lot of deer spotted in our area, especially along the rivers.  Of all them I would most fear moose and possibly cougar.  We see a lot of black bear in the mountains but they run from us.  If a cub is spotted we run for the car because mama is not far away.  

[Debp]

10 hours ago, LivingbyFaith said:

We learn something everyday!  Thanks for your input.  Interesting to hear that the coyote is much faster than a road runner, but slower than the fox.  They sound like a huge pest to me!  BTW, what is a "road-runner" in reality?

Oh, you got your answer about the Roadrunners!  I bought a keychain in Arizona and it has a mountain, a cactus and a Roadrunner painting on it.  I love it.

9 hours ago, ayin jade said:

Regarding coyotes also from my area... Call fish and game or check their website. They can tell you how to deal with them. In my area we see them well within the city. They have attacked kids too.

But then we have had mountain lions in the city too.

Here in L.A. we also have them within the city.   Another of my friends who lives well within the city, one early a.m. she heard one of her stray cats screaming.   She raced outside and saw a coyote with the cat in it's mouth.   My friend screamed so loudly that the coyote dropped the cat and ran away!   My friend took the cat to the emergency hospital and it was ok.

My friend says there is a Filipino restaurant near her and the coyotes come down because of that smell!

We also have mountain lions and bears.   Mountain Lions in huge Griffith Park...some have tracking collars on them.   One time a worker went under a home....he came face to face with a mountain lion laying under the home!!!   He backed up fast and came out looking white as a sheet per the news!

Another poor mountain lion came into the Santa Monica business area before people arrived....he was laying in the entrance of an office building.   By that time people were coming to work so they shot the poor animal.    Usually we tranquilize and they are relocated in the mountains.

The bears frequent areas near the hillsides and roam around the trash cans.   They also love to swim in the swimming pools...really cute to see.   They don't harm anyone and go back up to the mountains.   Lots of bear videos on our news.   One bear was named Meatball as he always broke into someone's refrigerator in their garage....only for the meatballs!

7 hours ago, PromisesPromises! said:

Roadrunners are fun to watch.... I think they're a type of cuckoo, so kind of funny looking.  And they do run fast!

Coyotes, on the other hand, can be dangerous if they are hungry.  Also they carry lots of diseases and parasites, so don't get near them!  If they are a problem in your area, you should keep all small pets inside, unless you are outside with them to supervise.  Definitely call Animal Control!

My friend's young daughter was trailed by a coyote one night while walking her medium sized dog.   She picked up her dog as he was older and  she could hear the coyote on her heels!   The street was deserted and suddenly a man appeared and chased the coyote away!   My friend said it was like he was an angel.

[LivingbyFaith]

9 minutes ago, Debp said:

Oh, you got your answer about the Roadrunners!  I bought a keychain in Arizona and it has a mountain, a cactus and a Roadrunner painting on it.  I love it.

Here in L.A. we also have them within the city.   Another of my friends who lives well within the city, one early a.m. she heard one of her stray cats screaming.   She raced outside and saw a coyote with the cat in it's mouth.   My friend screamed so loudly that the coyote dropped the cat and ran away!   My friend took the cat to the emergency hospital and it was ok.

My friend says there is a Filipino restaurant near her and the coyotes come down because of that smell!

We also have mountain lions and bears.   Mountain Lions in huge Griffith Park...some have tracking collars on them.   One time a worker went under a home....he came face to face with a mountain lion laying under the home!!!   He backed up fast and came out looking white as a sheet per the news!

Another poor mountain lion came into the Santa Monica business area before people arrived....he was laying in the entrance of an office building.   By that time people were coming to work so they shot the poor animal.    Usually we tranquilize and they are relocated in the mountains.

The bears frequent areas near the hillsides and roam around the trash cans.   They also love to swim in the swimming pools...really cute to see.   They don't harm anyone and go back up to the mountains.   Lots of bear videos on our news.   One bear was named Meatball as he always broke into someone's refrigerator in their garage....only for the meatballs!

My friend's young daughter was trailed by a coyote one night while walking her medium sized dog.   She picked up her dog as he was older and  she could hear the coyote on her heels!   The street was deserted and suddenly a man appeared and chased the coyote away!   My friend said it was like he was an angel.

Thanks Deb for this information.  Do you feel like the encroaching of all animal types is occurring much more often lately than say; 5 -10 years ago?

[LivingbyFaith]

Just now, LivingbyFaith said:

Thanks Deb for this information.  Do you feel like the encroaching of all animal types is occurring much more often lately than say; 5 -10 years ago?

That story about your friend's daughter is amazing! I'm inclined to believe it was an angel also...Amen!

[Debp]

5 minutes ago, LivingbyFaith said:

Thanks Deb for this information.  Do you feel like the encroaching of all animal types is occurring much more often lately than say; 5 -10 years ago?

Yes, but then the building of homes has encroached upon their territories.   Oh, if you want to see one of our mountain lions in front of the Hollywood sign, check my video here in the General Videos section near the bottom of this website.   I'll try to bump it up for you.  Some photographers place cameras in our huge wilderness Griffith Park in order to see the wildlife.   One mountain lion strolled right by the huge Hollywood sign at night!   Quite a photo!

[Dennis1209]

16 hours ago, Debp said:

Here in L.A., some city areas have a coyote problem.   They were in my friend's yard at night, and had a live, small dog in one of their mouths!    My friend tried to scare them hoping they would drop the dog....but they ran off with it!

I hope she will get some information from her city on what they can use to defend themselves.  They have a small dog.

Anyone here have a coyote problem or have any ideas?   I thought of stun gun stick (not sure they are legal), maybe pepper spray?

Well, unfortunately for you and others who live in an urban environment, the use of fast projectiles is prohibited, and rightly so. I'm sure you're aware of how smart coyote's are and their propensity to adapt to almost any environment and situation. Living here in the country, they have developed a fear of humans and human habitations, and seldom mingle with my like minded neighbors, guess why??

The reason people receive unwanted guests such as mice, rats, coyote's, etc. is simply food, and the ease of obtaining it. Food in trash, bowls outside for peoples pets, tasty little four foot morsels roaming a small confined space at night, etc. You can't control your neighbors actions and conduct to dissuade and eliminate a predator problem, nor can animal control which should be obvious.

Predators and coyotes in particular are smart and weary of everything and anything, traps especially. It's foolhardy to think you can humanely scare them away or humanely trap them unless by hiring a professional and the expense of it.

Therefore; if a person is serious about eliminating the threat, you're left with only one other option, YOU. It may be illegal in your area, someone will claim it's unethical, and it will pose a threat to unintended consequences to other pets and animals. Well, I don't want the "People for the Eating of Tasty Animals" (PETA) or the 'tree huggers' on my case, so I best not offer my solution. 

[Debp]

4 hours ago, Dennis1209 said:

Well, unfortunately for you and others who live in an urban environment, the use of fast projectiles is prohibited, and rightly so. I'm sure you're aware of how smart coyote's are and their propensity to adapt to almost any environment and situation. Living here in the country, they have developed a fear of humans and human habitations, and seldom mingle with my like minded neighbors, guess why??

The reason people receive unwanted guests such as mice, rats, coyote's, etc. is simply food, and the ease of obtaining it. Food in trash, bowls outside for peoples pets, tasty little four foot morsels roaming a small confined space at night, etc. You can't control your neighbors actions and conduct to dissuade and eliminate a predator problem, nor can animal control which should be obvious.

Predators and coyotes in particular are smart and weary of everything and anything, traps especially. It's foolhardy to think you can humanely scare them away or humanely trap them unless by hiring a professional and the expense of it.

Therefore; if a person is serious about eliminating the threat, you're left with only one other option, YOU. It may be illegal in your area, someone will claim it's unethical, and it will pose a threat to unintended consequences to other pets and animals. Well, I don't want the "People for the Eating of Tasty Animals" (PETA) or the 'tree huggers' on my case, so I best not offer my solution. 

Yes, poisoning is certainly not a solution.   Where my friend lives, even though in a city, she gets deer, rabbits, Bobcat, perhaps a few stray cats.   She hasn't seen Racoons yet but another friend South of this friend has Racoons visit nightly.

One Christmas our friends took us around to see Christmas lights.   We saw a coyote in a park..... about 20 feet away from the coyote were a few guys enjoying chatting at a picnic table in the dark.    They had no idea there was a coyote nearby.... probably there were others in the shadows.

Some years back a family was having a picnic in a public area at our Griffith Park.   A coyote came out and started to drag their young child away!    The child wasn't injured but it was surprising it happened in the daytime.

 

[Debp]

For those interested, I just posted two brief videos of bears swimming in Los Angeles area swimming pools.   One big bear was running into neighbors, was 5 feet from one guy....the other video is of a momma and two Cubs.