3:00 snapshot #1143 Coyote warnings

[urbpan]

Here are two coyote warnings posted by an anonymous citizen several months removed from one another. Not quite a year ago Alexis and I saw one cross the street as we were walking the dogs--probably the biggest I've ever seen. I saw two together a few weeks or so, about a half mile from the house; the next day Alexis saw one dead on the road near that spot. Coyotes are definitely becoming more common in Massachusetts, especially in human-populated environments. The person posting the signs mostly seems concerned about the loose cats in the neighborhood--there are a half dozen or so that we see regularly. The big white one disappeared over the summer.

Comments

[bill_sheehan.livejournal.com]

The coyotes are just after the wild turkeys...

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

That would be smart (and delicious!) of them. We have seen a few turkeys in the hood as well. While tracking peacocks I have made note of their dietary habits. I can verify the following prey items: many rabbits, at least one rat, some cracked corn, one peacock.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

oh, brilliant idea...

post signs in the area of roaming cats and dogs, to encourage people to reign them in :> coyotes are not required!

#

[urbpan.livejournal.com]

That assumes that people care about the welfare of their free-roaming pets, a concept I've yet to see proven.

[perspicuity.livejournal.com]

well, there's always catch and release programs :)

i'm sure there's plenty of areas where there are hungry coyotes? :>

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[urbpan.livejournal.com]

I'm not taking the bait.

[lyonesse.livejournal.com]

we suspect a coyote got into the paddock where my horses are, and bit one of the old mares, who apparently kicked it to kingdom come. she had two puncture wounds on her leg, and there was blood on the ground and up in her mane. i've seen traces in the forest, but no live specimens yet.

[heavenscalyx.livejournal.com]

People still don't know that coyotes are pretty much ubiquitous in Massachusetts at this point. I mean, even if you don't see them, they're there. And they're big suckers (my wife was raised in LA and she keeps saying that we grow our coyotes BIG out here), thanks to all the cross-breeding (with wolves and dogs, per recent genetic studies) and plentiful chow. I just don't understand people who don't GET this.