‘Dawn of a new creature’: after a vicious attack, a city ponders living with coyotes
BY Herschel Smith
1 year, 11 months ago
Lots and lots of Coyote attacks, lots of pets killed, lots of stalking. This quote nearly floored me.
At the meeting, many of the residents wanted to know why the city didn’t already have a plan for managing coyote behavior. They have been a part of the ecosystem for decades, and are often spotted in residential areas throughout the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area.
“Where the city is on its response is in the exact same place where every other community that has a wildlife problem starts out,” Henry said. “That’s how government works, any government. We’re always behind the curve.”
“So White Rock Valley is the first community in Dallas to ever have this problem?” asked Kristy Feil, who has lived in the neighborhood for 19 years. “I mean, we’re the first?”
The truth is, yes. The city officials couldn’t say definitively that in all of Dallas’s history there hasn’t been an attack, but violent coyote interactions are so incredibly rare that it’s not surprising it took so long for them to form a plan. Urban coyotes are, the vast majority of the time, out of sight and out of mind.
“I’m starting to understand why we’re having more of an issue recently,” Feil said after the meeting. “There’s no one to blame. We’ve just got to figure out how to handle it.”
Sure there’s someone to blame. Society is to blame.
You don’t manage Coyote behavior. They will do what they do. They are pests. They are a nuisance. There isn’t a school of rehabilitation to send them to. What a silly and childish notion. Manage Coyote behavior.
Ridiculous.
You shoot them. If discharging firearms within the city limits is illegal, then they need to look at changing the law, or begin to carry crossbows, hunt them down, and kill them all.
On May 23, 2022 at 10:48 pm, Elmo said:
“We’ve just got to figure out how to handle it.”
Might I suggest 22-250 caliber. Works for me!
On May 24, 2022 at 12:21 am, BRVTVS said:
@Herschel
The RSS feed for your blog appears to have stopped working sometime after Friday.
On May 24, 2022 at 12:53 am, Georgiaboy61 said:
Wildlife biologists have known for literally decades that there are large and active urban and suburban coyote populations. I haven’t been in that game in more than thirty years, but those types of populations were being studied even then.
I used to live in a large suburb forty or so miles west of Chicago. My town-home community backed up to a large golf course. Pretty much every night around 12:30-1 AM, you could hear the local coyotes on the course howling and singing as they like to do. Open secret in the neighborhood, everyone in that area knew about them. Including the grounds crew at the course. That particular pack didn’t bother anyone – at least to any extent I am aware – probably because they ate well somehow, maybe scavenging garbage or eating road-kill.
The local animal control people and probably the fish and wildlife people as well knew about them – or should have, if they were earning their pay.
Later on, my wife and I moved to a small country town further out, near DeKalb, IL, which is a college town located in rural N. Illinois. The local turkey rancher had offers posted on bulletin boards at gun clubs and in sporting goods stores and so forth, with a standing offer for any coyote hunters to set up on his property. In this case, the ‘yotes were pests and the rancher was taking steps to deal with it.
On May 24, 2022 at 7:51 am, John Stevenson said:
On ranches and farms in south Texas we shoot all we can. Tuff to shoot them all however. Soaking hotdogs in antifreeze and using as bait for snares gets the ones that can’t be called up. If the snare doesn’t kill it then the bait will.
On May 24, 2022 at 8:06 am, Dov said:
Coyotes tear living sheep apart; sometimes they just eat a piece and leave it alive, other times they kill a bunch and eat a little of each one. The only thing coyotes are good for is fur coats; they are good for that. We had to get livestock guardian dogs (Ovcharkas) to defend the flock, and that stopped.
On May 24, 2022 at 8:42 am, Bill Sullivan said:
Here in northeast NC we have chicken farms, turkey farms, goats, and cattle all over this area. Most of the time a farmer will have a donkey or a mule in the pasture. I get coyotes in my back yard at night- they show up on a trail camera. I also have an ATN scope, if necessary. And we are in a very rural area, so we hear shots at night.
On May 24, 2022 at 9:21 am, JB said:
These boogers are very hard to control. When their herd is stressed they reproduce faster. Recently my wife saw a pack stalking some bulls in nearby field. They were working to isolate one for attack. After they failed they ran into the woods looking for an easier meal. If they could be trained to eat Iguanas they might earn their keep as the big lizards are everywhere around here wreaking havoc on canal banks and plants. I live on the eastern end of the Florida Everglades and about the only critters that havnt been tru here are Grizzleys and Monkeys.
On May 24, 2022 at 11:31 am, 91B40 said:
Shoot ’em and drape the carcass over the fence. Works in Shasta County.
On May 24, 2022 at 11:33 am, Don Curton said:
Outskirts of Houston area. We have all sorts of wildlife, from mice and rats, to snakes, possums, coons, hawks, bobcats, feral cats, deer, and more than likely coyotes. I haven’t seen a coyote in a while, but I know better than to assume they ain’t there. We got lots of subdivision divided by some undeveloped land. The back of our subdivision is up against maybe 25 acres of ranch land with some cows on it. So I know there’s room for the yippers.
Funny how other people don’t seem to understand how easily all those critters adapt to sneaking around at night and eating people’s garbage. Most of the time, outside of garbage cans being raided, it’s not a big deal. I have seen hawks go after small pets before, though. And other small pets disappear on a regular basis, so gotta keep an eye on them.
On May 24, 2022 at 7:48 pm, George said:
I have killed a bunch back in the day. Sold the hides before the lefties banned exporting the hides.
Calling yellow dogs is fun. Day or night.
I notice the new thermal scopes bring an extra element in the chase.
In an urban environment one could use suppressed weapons. Must be careful with background. (Rule #4).
On May 24, 2022 at 9:03 pm, The Wretched Dog said:
Apply “Rule .303” – with apologies to Harry “Breaker” Harbord Morant.