Tag Archives: coyote attacks

animals

Coyotes in Paradise – Watch Your Pets In Nevada County!

by Lisa J. Lehr

Most of us living in Nevada County moved here because we like the rural environment. Rural environments include wildlife, and that, for the most part, is a plus; however, most of us also share our lives with beloved pets, and clashes between wildlife and pets often end in heartache for the pet owner.

Coyotes are a particularly ubiquitous wild critter here in Nevada County, and pets falling prey to coyotes is a far too common occurrence. The consolation—if there is any—is that, compared to a car accident, dog attack, or abduction by a person with evil intentions, death by coyote is quick and, as far as we know, relatively suffering-free. Coyotes kill to eat, and they do it efficiently.

Still, it is heartbreaking to lose a cherished pet, and it is our responsibility to take care of them.

Coyotes are difficult to eradicate. They are becoming alarmingly unafraid of humans, with daytime sightings becoming more frequent. Trapping and relocating coyotes is not as good an idea as it may sound, as any young coyotes orphaned by this process will seek easy prey—e.g., our pets.

They can be frightened, so if you see one, try shaking a noisemaker (like a can full of hardware) or throwing things at it. Fire a Super Soaker (high-powered toy water gun) filled with water or vinegar.

More often, though, we don’t see them lurking around our property, as they are naturally nocturnal. The key to keeping coyotes away from your home (and your pets, your children, and you) is to eliminate all that attracts coyotes—mainly food. Coyotes are generalists, meaning they’ll eat just about anything.

With that in mind:

·         Keep your cats and small dogs indoors at night; your medium and large dogs, too. Coyotes hunting in packs can take down a fairly big animal.

·         Rabbits, chickens, etc. that are kept outdoors need protection: strong fencing with a top, and/or a small enclosure inside it that they can hide in.

·         Don’t let your pets’ food become coyote bait. Cats are best fed indoors, and dogs should be fed only what they will eat all at once, with no leftovers.

·         Be careful with your birdfeeders. Place them close to your house, and clean up spills. Do not feed squirrels, deer, or other wildlife. Any naturalist will tell you that birds are the only wild critters we should feed.

·         Put garden compost in enclosed bins, and gather your ripe fruits and vegetables immediately. Continue reading Coyotes in Paradise – Watch Your Pets In Nevada County! →

animals, Environment

Taylor Mitchell, Singer-Songwriter Killed by Coyotes

Taylor Mitchell
Taylor Mitchell

In a very unusual accordance, Canadian folk singer Taylor Mitchell, 19, was killed by coyotes in a national park in Nova Scotia, according to a park spokesman.

Taylor Mitchell, 19, was at the beginning of the Skyline Trail in Cape Breton Highlands National Park on Tuesday afternoon when she was attacked, according to Chip Bird, the Parks Canada field unit superintendent for Cape Breton.

Bird said hikers saw the coyotes attacking Mitchell and called 911. She was airlifted to a hospital in Halifax, where she died about 12 hours later, he said.

For those of you who have been reading my blog, I wrote about my dog, Angel, being attacked by coyotes.  This happened sometime ago when I let her out of my backyard. When she did not come back right away, I started calling her and she finally came up the stairs all bloody, with torn flesh and puncture wounds, completely wiped out. After a visit to the vet and a routine of antibiotics she recovered completely.

This led me to a little research about coyotes and it is indeed rare for coyotes to kill anyone. The last recorded killing of a human by coyotes was in Los Angeles, when an 8 year old girl was killed in 1980. However, coyotes carry all kinds of diseases, including rabies. So don’t feed them, they become used to human beings, resulting in future attacks of humans. Here are some more facts about coyotes:

A typical coyote attack to a sheep or goat is to bite the throat just behind the jaw and below the ear, causing death from suffocation and shock.

Coyotes have justifiably a huge fear of humans. Usually coyote attacks on people occur when a coyote has become comfortable around people, often as a result of people feeding them. (Living With California Coyotes (pdf); National Wildlife Federation)

In the rare event that a coyote attacks you or someone near you, yell at the coyote to make it back off. Don’t run away since a coyote can outrun you (unless you can run faster than 30 mph!). (Los Altos Town Crier 7/24/96; Coyote Fact Sheet)