You may also contact the Illinois Department of Natural Resources for further guidance. Wondering who to call with your coyote concerns? If you are having a conflict with a coyote, you may need to contact your individual town's animal control or police department to learn about their protocols for handling coyote issues since each municipality and agency may respond differently. These behaviors are usually preceded by other indications as shown in the chart below, though may change seasonally (see "suggestion 3" above). Signs of aggression are similar to those shown by domestic dogs and include agitated barking (unprovoked), raised hackles, snarling, growling, and lunging. It is recommended that towns have a procedure in place to handle these reports. When a coyote fails to exhibit fear of humans or acts aggressively, the animal should be reported as soon as possible to the appropriate officials. Report aggressive, fearless coyotes immediately If a coyote is acting as a coyote should by avoiding humans and pets, do not seek out opportunities to haze or otherwise aggravate the animal. Do not create conflict where it does not exist Spray repellents (pepper spray, etc) that you can carry with you have been reported with only moderate to no success. Fencing may keep coyotes out of a yard, particularly if it is more than six feet in height with a roll bar across the top. Repellents may involve remotely activated lights or sound-making devices. Some repellents may work in keeping coyotes out of small areas such as yards, although these have not been tested thoroughly for coyotes. If you are approached by a coyote, you should yell, wave your arms, and/or throw something at the coyote (do not run away). If you see a coyote during the daytime, you should exhibit caution, as that coyote may have become habituated to humans (and may be more likely to attack). We recommend if you are out walking that you carry some sort of noise maker with you (some have reported success scaring off coyotes by shaking a can of rocks). If a coyote seems intent on defending a certain area, particularly around pupping season (May), your best bet may be to alter your route to avoid conflict with a normally calm animal understand that there may be seasonal patterns of behavioral changes and act accordingly (see Coyote 748's story). When you encounter a coyote, shout or throw something in its direction. Video showing one cause of coyote conflict with people: Although coyotes seem to have a natural inclination to avoid human-related food, this can change when prey populations are low, or if the coyotes are young and haven’t yet learned to hunt effectively. If you are seeing an increase in coyotes, you should additionally review your own actions to ensure compost piles and trash bins are not allowed to be a source of food. Coyotes are usually not interested in bird food, but bird feeders often attract rodents, especially squirrels, which then attract coyotes. However, many people unintentionally feed coyotes by leaving pet food or garbage out at night or having large bird feeders. Intentional feeding, such as bait stations in yards or parks, should be strictly avoided. Coyotes that are fed in residential neighborhoods can lose their fear of people and may eventually test humans (and pets) as possible prey. The number one most effective way to prevent coyote attacks in your neighborhood is to eliminate wildlife feeding.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |