Coyote problem, suggestions wanted

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I saw a coyote pup and its mama (or dad?) at a house that no one lives in. Someone's been putting canned food in petfood dishes in their carport. The pup crawled into a hole under the driveway, so I'm guessing that's this family's den.

At first I thought it was a fox and cub, and took a photo of mama from a distance after she ran to the side of the house, near the back. Got home and took a better look at the photo and yup - it's a coyote, for sure. Too big to be a fox. Ears too long, neck too long, tail not bushy enough. So positive it's a coyote.

Very cool to see, but not very cool to have in this residential area, especially considering that someone is intentionally feeding them, which makes them grow accustomed to humans and lose their fear of us. That spells danger for humans.

What to do? Is there even an "animal control" like there is up north? It's not a domesticated animal, it's not a bird or gator. They don't need rescuing.

But someone with authority needs to find out who's feeding them and make them stop doing that. And possibly the coyotes should be captured and euthanized or relocated.

Who though? The police? Animal control? Community standards? The local rec center? A wildlife conservation organization? The Lady Lake Town Hall? Who do you even report this stuff to around here?

[Bogie Shooter]

If Lake County…..
Corrected

https://lakecountyfl.gov/animal-shelter

If Sumter County……
Animal Services | Sumter County, FL - Official Website (https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/1175/Animal-Services)

[John Mayes]

If Lake County…..
Just a moment... (https://www.lakecountyil.gov/152/Animal-Care-Control)

If Sumter County……
Animal Services | Sumter County, FL - Official Website (https://www.sumtercountyfl.gov/1175/Animal-Services)

The link you posted for Lake County is in Illinois.

[John Mayes]

I saw a coyote pup and its mama (or dad?) at a house that no one lives in. Someone's been putting canned food in petfood dishes in their carport. The pup crawled into a hole under the driveway, so I'm guessing that's this family's den.

At first I thought it was a fox and cub, and took a photo of mama from a distance after she ran to the side of the house, near the back. Got home and took a better look at the photo and yup - it's a coyote, for sure. Too big to be a fox. Ears too long, neck too long, tail not bushy enough. So positive it's a coyote.

Very cool to see, but not very cool to have in this residential area, especially considering that someone is intentionally feeding them, which makes them grow accustomed to humans and lose their fear of us. That spells danger for humans.

What to do? Is there even an "animal control" like there is up north? It's not a domesticated animal, it's not a bird or gator. They don't need rescuing.

But someone with authority needs to find out who's feeding them and make them stop doing that. And possibly the coyotes should be captured and euthanized or relocated.

Who though? The police? Animal control? Community standards? The local rec center? A wildlife conservation organization? The Lady Lake Town Hall? Who do you even report this stuff to around here?

Try this to see if they can help;

https://www.lakecountyfl.gov/animal-shelter

[Mleeja]

I would contact Florida Fish & Wildlife 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922)

[Shipping up to Boston]

I saw a coyote pup and its mama (or dad?) at a house that no one lives in. Someone's been putting canned food in petfood dishes in their carport. The pup crawled into a hole under the driveway, so I'm guessing that's this family's den.

At first I thought it was a fox and cub, and took a photo of mama from a distance after she ran to the side of the house, near the back. Got home and took a better look at the photo and yup - it's a coyote, for sure. Too big to be a fox. Ears too long, neck too long, tail not bushy enough. So positive it's a coyote.

Very cool to see, but not very cool to have in this residential area, especially considering that someone is intentionally feeding them, which makes them grow accustomed to humans and lose their fear of us. That spells danger for humans.

What to do? Is there even an "animal control" like there is up north? It's not a domesticated animal, it's not a bird or gator. They don't need rescuing.

But someone with authority needs to find out who's feeding them and make them stop doing that. And possibly the coyotes should be captured and euthanized or relocated.

Who though? The police? Animal control? Community standards? The local rec center? A wildlife conservation organization? The Lady Lake Town Hall? Who do you even report this stuff to around here?

As you stated, up north they won't do anything unless they attack...person or domesticated animal.....or if they're visibly sickly or mangy. I know some have posted links to animal control...id be interested to see if they deal with it any different other than speaking to the owner/renter or neighbor that's feeding them. No different up north or here....theyre displaced from development. We've seen them in/around downtown Boston restaurants and residences... so even urban settings are a source as a result. Pretty resourceful

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

As you stated, up north they won't do anything unless they attack...person or domesticated animal.....or if they're visibly sickly or mangy. I know some have posted links to animal control...id be interested to see if they deal with it any different other than speaking to the owner/renter or neighbor that's feeding them. No different up north or here....theyre displaced from development. We've seen them in/around downtown Boston restaurants and residences... so even urban settings are a source as a result. Pretty resourceful

I didn't state that. But actually up north where I'm from (the semi-rural suburbs of New Haven County, Connecticut) if you see a coyote, it's because he's about to try and eat one of the chickens in your back yard, or is running away from a bear. The usual response to the chicken-poaching issue would be either give your really big, protective, scary-looking farm-dog a treat for protecting his farm and killing the coyote, or shoot it yourself with your shotgun. The response to the bear issue would be to bang some metal garbage can lids really loudly to scare the bear off and let the coyote continue running to someone else's neighborhood. I'm guessing neither option would go over very well around here in the Historic Section of The Villages.

Animal Shelter has no interest in wild coyotes unless someone reports that one of them tried to attack a stray dog.

I just checked the Florida Fish and Wildlife website. They refer people to commercial nuisance animal removal services, which you have to pay for.

So I guess the only thing I can do (which I was hoping to avoid) is contact the Lake County Sheriff's office and file a complaint against someone I don't know and can't identify, and give them the address of the house where the coyote den and the multiple pet bowls filled with canned food is located. Feeding coyotes is illegal in Florida.

[Bogie Shooter]

The link you posted for Lake County is in Illinois.

Thanks.
Corrected.

[shaw8700@outlook.com]

Having lived in Arizona, amid lots and lots of coyotes, you do nothing. Nothing except talk to that neighbor who is feeding them. Or have the police do it, either way get him/her to STOP DOING THAT.

Coyotes don’t bother people, in fact they don’t even come out much during the daylight hours. They do get rid of a lot of pests and other critters that we don’t want.

[Taltarzac725]

Having lived in Arizona, amid lots and lots of coyotes, you do nothing. Nothing except talk to that neighbor who is feeding them. Or have the police do it, either way get him/her to STOP DOING THAT.

Coyotes don’t bother people, in fact they don’t even come out much during the daylight hours. They do get rid of a lot of pests and other critters that we don’t want.

They have grabbed dogs here in the Villages on a few occasions. Usually smaller ones like Chihuahua mixes.

[fdpaq0580]

They have grabbed dogs here in the Villages on a few occasions. Usually smaller ones like Chihuahua mixes.

Coyotes gotta eat. Canned food or hunt for whatever they can catch. You decide. (I suggest you let them hunt. Don't let them get used to the idea that humans provide food, canned or on a leash).

[Two Bills]

The Coyote is not the problem. The person feeding them is.
I would remove the bowls of food, leave a note with my address in their place telling the feeder where they are available for collection, then when the feeder comes for them, just say stop feeding, or I will report you.
They then have the chance to stop before the law gets involved.

[Bness]

It's illegal to feed wild animals in Florida. Just like an alligator, when wild ani.als are attracted to people, bad thing happen.

[MikeN]

DON’T feed them

[La lamy]

Hard to understand what the feeders are thinking. Maybe they mean to help out a stray cat but ended up helping coyotes? Either way not a smart move.

[Blueblaze]

If you're seriously interested in stopping it, just put up a game camera and catch them in the act. People quit doing all kinds of dumb stuff when they know someone is watching. The day my neighbor quit using my rental property's yard for her dog's latrine was the day she noticed she was on camera. I got a hilarious video of her noticing the camera while the dog was doing its business, and then her coming back with a trowel to pick up a week's worth of poop.

[GRACEALLEMAN]

I saw a coyote pup and its mama (or dad?) at a house that no one lives in. Someone's been putting canned food in petfood dishes in their carport. The pup crawled into a hole under the driveway, so I'm guessing that's this family's den.

At first I thought it was a fox and cub, and took a photo of mama from a distance after she ran to the side of the house, near the back. Got home and took a better look at the photo and yup - it's a coyote, for sure. Too big to be a fox. Ears too long, neck too long, tail not bushy enough. So positive it's a coyote.

Very cool to see, but not very cool to have in this residential area, especially considering that someone is intentionally feeding them, which makes them grow accustomed to humans and lose their fear of us. That spells danger for humans.

What to do? Is there even an "animal control" like there is up north? It's not a domesticated animal, it's not a bird or gator. They don't need rescuing.

But someone with authority needs to find out who's feeding them and make them stop doing that. And possibly the coyotes should be captured and euthanized or relocated.

Who though? The police? Animal control? Community standards? The local rec center? A wildlife conservation organization? The Lady Lake Town Hall? Who do you even report this stuff to around here?

First of all, thank you for noticing this and taking pictures. And it can be dangerous if you have cats or dogs which we do not. However, I would call the animal control and the village's district office to see what they can do about it being as it is in the villages. Thank you for this post.

[GRACEALLEMAN]

First of all, thank you for noticing this and taking pictures. And it can be dangerous if you have cats or dogs which we do not. However, I would call the animal control and the village's district office to see what they can do about it being as it is in the villages. Thank you for this post.

[Dusty_Star]

TwoBills has the best advice. Take the bowls. I would add to the note you leave, explain why you have taken the bowls. Let them know they have been feeding coyotes & if they happen to have been hoping to feed cats, then their plan has backfired. Tell them you have pictures. People are remarkably reasonable when you give them a 'why'. If your note is friendly & has a helpful tone, by the time they arrive to collect the bowls, they will probably be agreeing with you wholeheartedly. Maybe leave the bit about the cats being lunch for the in person conversation. You're a good writer, it will work.

[Switter]

I saw a coyote pup and its mama (or dad?) at a house that no one lives in. Someone's been putting canned food in petfood dishes in their carport. The pup crawled into a hole under the driveway, so I'm guessing that's this family's den.

At first I thought it was a fox and cub, and took a photo of mama from a distance after she ran to the side of the house, near the back. Got home and took a better look at the photo and yup - it's a coyote, for sure. Too big to be a fox. Ears too long, neck too long, tail not bushy enough. So positive it's a coyote.

Very cool to see, but not very cool to have in this residential area, especially considering that someone is intentionally feeding them, which makes them grow accustomed to humans and lose their fear of us. That spells danger for humans.

What to do? Is there even an "animal control" like there is up north? It's not a domesticated animal, it's not a bird or gator. They don't need rescuing.

But someone with authority needs to find out who's feeding them and make them stop doing that. And possibly the coyotes should be captured and euthanized or relocated.

Who though? The police? Animal control? Community standards? The local rec center? A wildlife conservation organization? The Lady Lake Town Hall? Who do you even report this stuff to around here?

There's some information and videos on how to deter coyotes here:

Coyotes | FWC (https://myfwc.com/conservation/you-conserve/wildlife/coyotes/)

Feeding a coyote is illegal according to the site. it's possible your neighbor doesn't know that or as others have said, they may be feeding a stray cat and didn't realize they're feeding a coyote. They might even think the coyote is a stray dog or something

[Justputt]

"The FWC has several rules that prohibit feeding wildlife, including bears, coyotes, foxes, raccoons, pelicans, sandhill cranes, bald eagles, alligators and crocodiles. "

"Coyotes were added in June 2015 by the FWC to the list of wildlife species in Florida administrative code (Rule 68A-4.001) for which feeding is prohibited. "

https://myfwc.com/media/16673/information-about-wildlife-feeding-rules-and-penalties.pdf

When you leave the note, you may want to leave this printed so they know they are breaking the law and there are penalties!!!

[Rodneysblue]

I saw a coyote pup and its mama (or dad?) at a house that no one lives in. Someone's been putting canned food in petfood dishes in their carport. The pup crawled into a hole under the driveway, so I'm guessing that's this family's den.

At first I thought it was a fox and cub, and took a photo of mama from a distance after she ran to the side of the house, near the back. Got home and took a better look at the photo and yup - it's a coyote, for sure. Too big to be a fox. Ears too long, neck too long, tail not bushy enough. So positive it's a coyote.

Very cool to see, but not very cool to have in this residential area, especially considering that someone is intentionally feeding them, which makes them grow accustomed to humans and lose their fear of us. That spells danger for humans.

What to do? Is there even an "animal control" like there is up north? It's not a domesticated animal, it's not a bird or gator. They don't need rescuing.

But someone with authority needs to find out who's feeding them and make them stop doing that. And possibly the coyotes should be captured and euthanized or relocated.

Who though? The police? Animal control? Community standards? The local rec center? A wildlife conservation organization? The Lady Lake Town Hall? Who do you even report this stuff to around here?

Call the Town of Lady Lake Clerks office they can direct you to the proper entity.

[Shipping up to Boston]

The OP stated that the home is not lived in. I wouldn't recommend walking onto private property and removing anything without permission. You dont know if the home is possibly occupied by squatters or somebody mentally ill. It could be as benign as food for a cat or stray (still not wise), but plenty of options previously posted here for agencies to address without compounding the issue

[PugMom]

The Coyote is not the problem. The person feeding them is.
I would remove the bowls of food, leave a note with my address in their place telling the feeder where they are available for collection, then when the feeder comes for them, just say stop feeding, or I will report you.
They then have the chance to stop before the law gets involved.

that's a good place to start. i know OBB probably hates to call the police on people, but really, wherever i go i see signs saying not to feed, disturb or molest (lol) any wildlife, esp gators. maybe try calling the sheriff's office & asking what to do in such a case? :shrug: they may start by patrolling the area, maybe even catch someone in the act?

[psoccermom]

Having lived in Arizona, amid lots and lots of coyotes, you do nothing. Nothing except talk to that neighbor who is feeding them. Or have the police do it, either way get him/her to STOP DOING THAT.

Coyotes don’t bother people, in fact they don’t even come out much during the daylight hours. They do get rid of a lot of pests and other critters that we don’t want.

I disagree that coyotes don't bother people. I had one chase me in Ocala when I was out for a morning walk. I did nothing to provoke it.

[Marmaduke]

I didn't state that. But actually up north where I'm from (the semi-rural suburbs of New Haven County, Connecticut) if you see a coyote, it's because he's about to try and eat one of the chickens in your back yard, or is running away from a bear. The usual response to the chicken-poaching issue would be either give your really big, protective, scary-looking farm-dog a treat for protecting his farm and killing the coyote, or shoot it yourself with your shotgun. The response to the bear issue would be to bang some metal garbage can lids really loudly to scare the bear off and let the coyote continue running to someone else's neighborhood. I'm guessing neither option would go over very well around here in the Historic Section of The Villages.

Animal Shelter has no interest in wild coyotes unless someone reports that one of them tried to attack a stray dog.

I just checked the Florida Fish and Wildlife website. They refer people to commercial nuisance animal removal services, which you have to pay for.

So I guess the only thing I can do (which I was hoping to avoid) is contact the Lake County Sheriff's office and file a complaint against someone I don't know and can't identify, and give them the address of the house where the coyote den and the multiple pet bowls filled with canned food is located. Feeding coyotes is illegal in Florida.
OBB, CALL fish and wildlife!
I believe there is a law against feeding wildlife in Florida.

We had a similar problem with a Neighbor who insisted on feeding ducks on our retention pond, much to our dismay.

We complained to her and she said that she wasn't feeding them junk.... that she was buying 50# bags of good grains from a feed store. Imagine!!!
She totally po-po'd all of the reasons we expressed on why she should cease doing it.

A former law enforcement neighbor learned of it and informed her that it was against the law to feed wildlife in Florida.

She stopped immediately.

She moved. Ducks are still conditioned to go there.

The ducks still go up into her yard after 1.5 years, but her yard only now. Before, it was all yards.

That brood of coyote are totally displaced, thanks to an uneducated neighbor who doesn't know better than to put food outside, most likely for feral cats.

Keep an eye out for the one who's feeding... that's the real menace!

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

TwoBills has the best advice. Take the bowls. I would add to the note you leave, explain why you have taken the bowls. Let them know they have been feeding coyotes & if they happen to have been hoping to feed cats, then their plan has backfired. Tell them you have pictures. People are remarkably reasonable when you give them a 'why'. If your note is friendly & has a helpful tone, by the time they arrive to collect the bowls, they will probably be agreeing with you wholeheartedly. Maybe leave the bit about the cats being lunch for the in person conversation. You're a good writer, it will work.

This isn't my neighborhood. I was just taking a walk in an area I don't live in, enjoying the landscaping and getting some exercise. The house is abandoned. The person living next door to the house came out and questioned me as to why I was stopping and taking pictures, so I told her. She's the one who explained that she's seen a woman walk up the hill (the street is a hill - again - exercise) and put the bowls down with cat food in this abandon house's carport.

I told her she should just take those bowls and throw them away. Every time she sees them. Maybe if it happens enough times, whoever is putting them down will get tired of having to buy new ones, and stop doing it. No confrontation necessary. And why -should- the woman doing this need to be told who's taking the bowls away? The woman knows it's not her property. She is trespassing onto someone else's property to put down objects that don't belong to the homeowner, filled with cat food to feed animals that aren't hers. If she thinks it's important enough, she can put cat food dishes down under her own carport. She has no business walking up someone else's driveway to put the bowls down in the first place, no matter who/what it's supposed to be feeding.

I can't put a camera up because it's not my property. I can't ask the homeowner to do something, because it's abandoned, no one lives in it. It used to be a horrible eye-sore with weeds growing up over a foot covering the grass. Someone's been mowing it, but it's still abandoned and uncared for. Hm - maybe the fact that there's a coyote den (a burrow) under the driveway would be a deed restriction violation. Failure to maintain.

BTW the coyote pup really is adorable. I wish I could've gotten a picture of it before it hunkered down in his den.

[fdpaq0580]

I disagree that coyotes don't bother people. I had one chase me in Ocala when I was out for a morning walk. I did nothing to provoke it.

What were you eating?
Seriously, coyotes that don't associate humans with food, no problem. Coyotes that do associate humans with food may hope you will drop something if treated. Or it may have been rabid. If so, all bets are off

[Boomer]

What ever happened to common sense. There sure seems to be a dearth of it these days.

Coyotes are here to stay, much smarter than us, and perfectly willing to go on the dole. Whoever is doing this needs to understand that it is not a good deed. She is causing the creatures to lose their fear of humans which obviously is not good for either the coyotes or the humans.

Feral cat feeding is also out of control. I had a neighbor once whose friend had made arrangements with her to feed the feral cats while he was on vacation. Aaaaaaugh!!! And, you guessed it. He was not feeding those cats anywhere near his own house. He was trespassing and then asking her to do the same. ( I almost chewed the inside of my mouth raw to keep from telling her I thought her friend was a law-breaking whackadoodle and she should not enable him.)

There was also someone around who was building little “cathouses” and sneaked one onto a school playground where maintenance had to tear it down. Teachers on playground duty do not need feral cats to deal with.

Why these people think they are bathed in a special light is beyond me. They are usually trespassing or being bad neighbors but are so convinced of their own kindness. I like animals just fine, but this zealous behavior looks to me like something is a bubble off plumb.

Good luck with your quest, OBB.

Boomer

[jimjamuser]

I saw a coyote pup and its mama (or dad?) at a house that no one lives in. Someone's been putting canned food in petfood dishes in their carport. The pup crawled into a hole under the driveway, so I'm guessing that's this family's den.

At first I thought it was a fox and cub, and took a photo of mama from a distance after she ran to the side of the house, near the back. Got home and took a better look at the photo and yup - it's a coyote, for sure. Too big to be a fox. Ears too long, neck too long, tail not bushy enough. So positive it's a coyote.

Very cool to see, but not very cool to have in this residential area, especially considering that someone is intentionally feeding them, which makes them grow accustomed to humans and lose their fear of us. That spells danger for humans.

What to do? Is there even an "animal control" like there is up north? It's not a domesticated animal, it's not a bird or gator. They don't need rescuing.

But someone with authority needs to find out who's feeding them and make them stop doing that. And possibly the coyotes should be captured and euthanized or relocated.

Who though? The police? Animal control? Community standards? The local rec center? A wildlife conservation organization? The Lady Lake Town Hall? Who do you even report this stuff to around here?
Coyotes are one of the more CLEVER animals at living in close proximity to humans. Grizzly bears, for example, would NOT be tolerated here. Coyotes would have both advantages and disadvantages in TV Land. They would obviously be eating mice and rats and skunks and possums, which can get surprisingly large. The obvious disadvantage is rabies and danger to small pet dogs and cats. Personally, I like to hear them howl at the moon at night.
......Some local residents seem to think that LARGE GATORS are so COOL and should be feed to get larger. Personally, I think that all gators over 4 feet should end up on a restaurant table. MY opinion is that LARGE GATORS are a much bigger threat than coyotes. I would NOT report coyotes to anyone because they will NOT be simply RELOCATED - just poisoned to DEATH. I don't believe that they are THAT big of a problem and they have some balance of nature benefits.

[Lea N]

Maybe Conservation Florida can help? I just googled them other than that I'm not familiar with this organization. I hope they can help. Conservation Florida (https://conservationfla.org/)

[jimjamuser]

I didn't state that. But actually up north where I'm from (the semi-rural suburbs of New Haven County, Connecticut) if you see a coyote, it's because he's about to try and eat one of the chickens in your back yard, or is running away from a bear. The usual response to the chicken-poaching issue would be either give your really big, protective, scary-looking farm-dog a treat for protecting his farm and killing the coyote, or shoot it yourself with your shotgun. The response to the bear issue would be to bang some metal garbage can lids really loudly to scare the bear off and let the coyote continue running to someone else's neighborhood. I'm guessing neither option would go over very well around here in the Historic Section of The Villages.

Animal Shelter has no interest in wild coyotes unless someone reports that one of them tried to attack a stray dog.

I just checked the Florida Fish and Wildlife website. They refer people to commercial nuisance animal removal services, which you have to pay for.

So I guess the only thing I can do (which I was hoping to avoid) is contact the Lake County Sheriff's office and file a complaint against someone I don't know and can't identify, and give them the address of the house where the coyote den and the multiple pet bowls filled with canned food is located. Feeding coyotes is illegal in Florida.
Feeding coyotes or any animal bigger than a song bird is probably a bad idea. If you could shoot one with a shotgun in Connecticut, then maybe shooting them in the butt with a BB gun would solve the problem (and require some skill and be a little bit fun). Eventually, they would get the hint and leave.

[jimjamuser]

I disagree that coyotes don't bother people. I had one chase me in Ocala when I was out for a morning walk. I did nothing to provoke it.
A good reason to carry bear spray when walking in the early morning when lots of wildlife are active.

[jimjamuser]

This isn't my neighborhood. I was just taking a walk in an area I don't live in, enjoying the landscaping and getting some exercise. The house is abandoned. The person living next door to the house came out and questioned me as to why I was stopping and taking pictures, so I told her. She's the one who explained that she's seen a woman walk up the hill (the street is a hill - again - exercise) and put the bowls down with cat food in this abandon house's carport.

I told her she should just take those bowls and throw them away. Every time she sees them. Maybe if it happens enough times, whoever is putting them down will get tired of having to buy new ones, and stop doing it. No confrontation necessary. And why -should- the woman doing this need to be told who's taking the bowls away? The woman knows it's not her property. She is trespassing onto someone else's property to put down objects that don't belong to the homeowner, filled with cat food to feed animals that aren't hers. If she thinks it's important enough, she can put cat food dishes down under her own carport. She has no business walking up someone else's driveway to put the bowls down in the first place, no matter who/what it's supposed to be feeding.

I can't put a camera up because it's not my property. I can't ask the homeowner to do something, because it's abandoned, no one lives in it. It used to be a horrible eye-sore with weeds growing up over a foot covering the grass. Someone's been mowing it, but it's still abandoned and uncared for. Hm - maybe the fact that there's a coyote den (a burrow) under the driveway would be a deed restriction violation. Failure to maintain.

BTW the coyote pup really is adorable. I wish I could've gotten a picture of it before it hunkered down in his den.
Well, if the house is NOT next door, I guess, forget about the BB gun.

[mraines]

I saw a coyote pup and its mama (or dad?) at a house that no one lives in. Someone's been putting canned food in petfood dishes in their carport. The pup crawled into a hole under the driveway, so I'm guessing that's this family's den.

At first I thought it was a fox and cub, and took a photo of mama from a distance after she ran to the side of the house, near the back. Got home and took a better look at the photo and yup - it's a coyote, for sure. Too big to be a fox. Ears too long, neck too long, tail not bushy enough. So positive it's a coyote.

Very cool to see, but not very cool to have in this residential area, especially considering that someone is intentionally feeding them, which makes them grow accustomed to humans and lose their fear of us. That spells danger for humans.

What to do? Is there even an "animal control" like there is up north? It's not a domesticated animal, it's not a bird or gator. They don't need rescuing.

But someone with authority needs to find out who's feeding them and make them stop doing that. And possibly the coyotes should be captured and euthanized or relocated.

Who though? The police? Animal control? Community standards? The local rec center? A wildlife conservation organization? The Lady Lake Town Hall? Who do you even report this stuff to around here?

My opinion only. Whoever is feeding them needs to be fined and stopped. Why would you euthanize them? I lived in CA and we had coyotes in our neighborhood. People need to respect the wildlife. We are tearing down all their places to live so where are they to go? I used to see them on the sidewalk and in front of my house. In 13 years, there was only one problem that I knew of. No one called for them to be killed. We were in their territory. I don't know about coyotes, but gators are killed, not relocated. They generally come out at night, so use due diligence.

[mraines]

Feeding coyotes or any animal bigger than a song bird is probably a bad idea. If you could shoot one with a shotgun in Connecticut, then maybe shooting them in the butt with a BB gun would solve the problem (and require some skill and be a little bit fun). Eventually, they would get the hint and leave.
Always quick with the gun. Shame

[Sandy and Ed]

The link you posted for Lake County is in Illinois.
Not so. I clicked. It’s in Tavares

[Sandy and Ed]

Always quick with the gun. Shame
Heck yeah!! Won’t kill it. Just damage it with a BB in its tissue to cause infection and sepsis!! Oh what fun!!!

[Sandy and Ed]

Feeding coyotes or any animal bigger than a song bird is probably a bad idea. If you could shoot one with a shotgun in Connecticut, then maybe shooting them in the butt with a BB gun would solve the problem (and require some skill and be a little bit fun). Eventually, they would get the hint and leave.
Heck yeah!! Won’t kill it. Just damage it with a BB in its tissue to cause infection and sepsis!! Oh what fun!!!

[cjrjck]

While I truly believe TV should actively remove alligators from the small neighborhood ponds and retention ponds that are not in close proximity to marshes and other habitats where alligators thrive, I sincerely doubt animal control will want to do anything about a coyote. They wander too far and too often. Coyotes are more of a threat to small mammals, like a small dog or cat. Not humans, typically. I have been around them my entire adult life. I have even hunted them, though not successfully. They are very allusive. I'd be more concerned about pesky raccoons or vermin.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I think some posters don't really get the idea of what a coyote is. They're a type of wolf. They are primarily carnivores. They eat dogs and cats, and when mama and papa work together, can take down a sheep. They usually avoid people, and do most of their hunting at night.

I saw this coyote in the middle of the day, out in front of a person's house, with her pup. This animal, who normally avoids humans, hunts mostly at night, and can ABSOLUTELY cause major injury and even kill a human if provoked, hungry, or sick, appears to be losing her fear of humans.

When a coyote stops avoiding humans, they become aggressive toward humans. So this coyote is already on her way toward not caring that you're bigger than she is. She'll get her mate and the two of them will nom on your leg, and save the toes for Junior's mid-day snack. Coyotes are not small dogs. They're about as big as a border collie (a medium-sized dog), but twice as strong, with a much more viscous bite, much more wiry and quick.

I'm an animal lover. I think coyotes are awesome creatures and I love watching them. In the wild. Away from peoples' houses, or farms. When they come into a residential neighborhood, it's bad news for everyone. When someone FEEDS them in a residential neighborhood, it is cruel - because it helps them breed in those residential neighborhoods, which leads to pups being born in burrows under the driveway - and when the homeowner finds out they're more likely to pay for someone to poison them, than they are to rehome them or shoot them.

As for a bb gun, that'll just anger the coyote and it could end up turning and attacking YOU. These are not passive lovely shy creatures. They are cautious and wily (which is why the Roadrunner's nemesis is named Wyle E. Coyote), clever and unforgiving when protecting themselves, their territory, and their pups.

[John Mayes]

Not so. I clicked. It’s in Tavares

The link was updated. The original link was for Lake County, IL

[Dusty_Star]

I think some posters don't really get the idea of what a coyote is. They're a type of wolf. They are primarily carnivores. They eat dogs and cats, and when mama and papa work together, can take down a sheep. They usually avoid people, and do most of their hunting at night.

I saw this coyote in the middle of the day, out in front of a person's house, with her pup. This animal, who normally avoids humans, hunts mostly at night, and can ABSOLUTELY cause major injury and even kill a human if provoked, hungry, or sick, appears to be losing her fear of humans.

When a coyote stops avoiding humans, they become aggressive toward humans. So this coyote is already on her way toward not caring that you're bigger than she is. She'll get her mate and the two of them will nom on your leg, and save the toes for Junior's mid-day snack. Coyotes are not small dogs. They're about as big as a border collie (a medium-sized dog), but twice as strong, with a much more viscous bite, much more wiry and quick.

I'm an animal lover. I think coyotes are awesome creatures and I love watching them. In the wild. Away from peoples' houses, or farms. When they come into a residential neighborhood, it's bad news for everyone. When someone FEEDS them in a residential neighborhood, it is cruel - because it helps them breed in those residential neighborhoods, which leads to pups being born in burrows under the driveway - and when the homeowner finds out they're more likely to pay for someone to poison them, than they are to rehome them or shoot them.

As for a bb gun, that'll just anger the coyote and it could end up turning and attacking YOU. These are not passive lovely shy creatures. They are cautious and wily (which is why the Roadrunner's nemesis is named Wyle E. Coyote), clever and unforgiving when protecting themselves, their territory, and their pups.

I agree with everything you just posted. That is why the most humane thing is to stop the looney who is feeding them. I feel sorry for the immediate & surrounding neighbors. I wonder if there is a way to get the immediate neighbors to stop the mad feeder? Flyers? Posted signs saying Do Not Feed the Wildlife? Posted signs for camera surveillance? (no camera - just the signs). Maybe the next door neighbor who was concerned enough to ask you why you were taking pictures wouldn't mind getting involved if she is made aware of the risks, which will keep growing if unabated. If the perp is a cat lover, then maybe just explaining that they are feeding cat eaters would stop them. Good luck!

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I agree with everything you just posted. That is why the most humane thing is to stop the looney who is feeding them. I feel sorry for the immediate & surrounding neighbors. I wonder if there is a way to get the immediate neighbors to stop the mad feeder? Flyers? Posted signs saying Do Not Feed the Wildlife? Posted signs for camera surveillance? (no camera - just the signs). Maybe the next door neighbor who was concerned enough to ask you why you were taking pictures wouldn't mind getting involved if she is made aware of the risks, which will keep growing if unabated. If the perp is a cat lover, then maybe just explaining that they are feeding cat eaters would stop them. Good luck!

Thanks. And yeah I told the lady next to the abandoned house to just take the bowls away - no note, no tracking the offending person down, no nuttin. Just take the bowls away and discard them in the trash. And keep doing it every time the feeder puts new ones down. Eventually the feeder will (hopefully) get tired of buying bowls and give up.

And then the coyote will see that she and her pup no longer have food at -that- house, and will need to roam, and find some other shelter. Hopefully in the woods somewhere, where they should be.

Also as an aside, I think it'd be equally horrible if the feeder thought they were feeding stray cats. You just - don't DO that at someone else's house. It's a violation of the homeowner's privacy and property. I don't care if the bank owns it, or if some dead guy's estate owns it. It's isn't yours, you're not invited, so stay off the property.

[BobnBev]

Always quick with the gun. Shame

.22 short. Minimal noise.

[Eebnhab]

You will also want to contact community standards as they will contact the homeowner. They would consider this a health and safety risk and can help with advice on who to contact.

[d1nod1no]

Why is it so difficult to get through to people? DO NOT FEED THE WILDLIFE! Any of them! That poor coyote and baby are now attracted to humans, depending on human feeding! This is one reason our little dogs and cats fall prey.

[happehart]

I saw those animals & I believe that they are foxes not coyotes. Coyotes are much larger, much the size of a large German Shepherd.

The feeding of wild animals is not only wrong, it is illegal

[Marmaduke]

I disagree that coyotes don't bother people. I had one chase me in Ocala when I was out for a morning walk. I did nothing to provoke it.
I agree that coyotes can be menacing and have heard this from many friends in Ocala, where there are numerous ranches neat large housing communities.

[airstreamingypsy]

I saw those animals & I believe that they are foxes not coyotes. Coyotes are much larger, much the size of a large German Shepherd.

The feeding of wild animals is not only wrong, it is illegal

Coyotes weigh under 50 pounds (15 to 46) so much smaller than a large german Shepherd. A large Shepherd is over 100 pounds.

[Robojo]

I didn't state that. But actually up north where I'm from (the semi-rural suburbs of New Haven County, Connecticut) if you see a coyote, it's because he's about to try and eat one of the chickens in your back yard, or is running away from a bear. The usual response to the chicken-poaching issue would be either give your really big, protective, scary-looking farm-dog a treat for protecting his farm and killing the coyote, or shoot it yourself with your shotgun. The response to the bear issue would be to bang some metal garbage can lids really loudly to scare the bear off and let the coyote continue running to someone else's neighborhood. I'm guessing neither option would go over very well around here in the Historic Section of The Villages.

Animal Shelter has no interest in wild coyotes unless someone reports that one of them tried to attack a stray dog.

I just checked the Florida Fish and Wildlife website. They refer people to commercial nuisance animal removal services, which you have to pay for.

So I guess the only thing I can do (which I was hoping to avoid) is contact the Lake County Sheriff's office and file a complaint against someone I don't know and can't identify, and give them the address of the house where the coyote den and the multiple pet bowls filled with canned food is located. Feeding coyotes is illegal in Florida.

I used to scare the coyotes away with loud metal banging. Also, music and lights kept them away.

[Marmaduke]

What ever happened to common sense. There sure seems to be a dearth of it these days.

Coyotes are here to stay, much smarter than us, and perfectly willing to go on the dole. Whoever is doing this needs to understand that it is not a good deed. She is causing the creatures to lose their fear of humans which obviously is not good for either the coyotes or the humans.

Feral cat feeding is also out of control. I had a neighbor once whose friend had made arrangements with her to feed the feral cats while he was on vacation. Aaaaaaugh!!! And, you guessed it. He was not feeding those cats anywhere near his own house. He was trespassing and then asking her to do the same. ( I almost chewed the inside of my mouth raw to keep from telling her I thought her friend was a law-breaking whackadoodle and she should not enable him.)

There was also someone around who was building little “cathouses” and sneaked one onto a school playground where maintenance had to tear it down. Teachers on playground duty do not need feral cats to deal with.

Why these people think they are bathed in a special light is beyond me. They are usually trespassing or being bad neighbors but are so convinced of their own kindness. I like animals just fine, but this zealous behavior looks to me like something is a bubble off plumb.

Good luck with your quest, OBB.

Boomer
I could have easily written your exact sentiments! I've known several people who think they are very special feral cat feeders. Several University professors who created a mess on campus.
(Yeah, they're the ones influencing our youth, sadly).

Upon moving into a wonderful new neighborhood, we met a couple that seemed nice, so we eventually went out to dinner together at a very nice restaurant. The food was delicious.

Ready?

They barely touched their food.

Asked why, they informed us that they were saving it for the feral cats that the feed over near the hospital, which was nowhere near where we lived.

Telling them all about friends who are Game Wardens and Park Rangers with various stories of the perils of feeding wild animals fell on deaf ears.

There will always be the self- righteous wild animal feeders, obliviously doing the most harm, and being so PROUD of themselves. Can't reason with them, sadly.

[Shipping up to Boston]

I could have easily written your exact sentiments! I've known several people who think they are very special feral cat feeders. Several University professors who created a mess on campus.
(Yeah, they're the ones influencing our youth, sadly).

Upon moving into a wonderful new neighborhood, we met a couple that seemed nice, so we eventually went out to dinner together at a very nice restaurant. The food was delicious.

Ready?

They barely touched their food.

Asked why, they informed us that they were saving it for the feral cats that the feed over near the hospital, which was nowhere near where we lived.

Telling them all about friends who are Game Wardens and Park Rangers with various stories of the perils of feeding wild animals fell on deaf ears.

There will always be the self- righteous wild animal feeders, obliviously doing the most harm, and being so PROUD of themselves. Can't reason with them, sadly.

My earlier post brought up the possibility of just that. This type of activity (much like hoarding) is difficult to mitigate. The individuals usually engaged in it don't take well to laws and ordinances. Thus why LEO or Animal Control, who have experience with this, should be notified.

[Warcats]

At first I thought it was a fox and cub, and took a photo of mama from a distance after she ran to the side of the house, near the back. Got home and took a better look at the photo and yup - it's a coyote, for sure. Too big to be a fox. Ears too long, neck too long, tail not bushy enough. So positive it's a coyote.

Very cool to see, but not very cool to have in this residential area, especially considering that someone is intentionally feeding them, which makes them grow accustomed to humans and lose their fear of us. That spells danger for humans.

What to do? Is there even an "animal control" like there is up north? It's not a domesticated animal, it's not a bird or gator. They don't need rescuing.

But someone with authority needs to find out who's feeding them and make them stop doing that. And possibly the coyotes should be captured and euthanized or relocated.

Who though? The police? Animal control? Community standards? The local rec center? A wildlife conservation organization? The Lady Lake Town Hall? Who do you even report this stuff to around here?[/QUOTE]

Any rural and most suburban area has night time coyotes. Trying to get the coyotes is a fruitless task. It is the dim hominids feeding them that is the problem. This should be an action that brings a severe fine to the maybe well meaning but uninformed resident that fed them. Let them be. Perhaps signage posting fines. Any other suggestions?

[mraines]

They have grabbed dogs here in the Villages on a few occasions. Usually smaller ones like Chihuahua mixes.
People need to watch their smaller pets. There are many predators around here, not just coyotes.

[mraines]

At first I thought it was a fox and cub, and took a photo of mama from a distance after she ran to the side of the house, near the back. Got home and took a better look at the photo and yup - it's a coyote, for sure. Too big to be a fox. Ears too long, neck too long, tail not bushy enough. So positive it's a coyote.

Very cool to see, but not very cool to have in this residential area, especially considering that someone is intentionally feeding them, which makes them grow accustomed to humans and lose their fear of us. That spells danger for humans.

What to do? Is there even an "animal control" like there is up north? It's not a domesticated animal, it's not a bird or gator. They don't need rescuing.

But someone with authority needs to find out who's feeding them and make them stop doing that. And possibly the coyotes should be captured and euthanized or relocated.

Who though? The police? Animal control? Community standards? The local rec center? A wildlife conservation organization? The Lady Lake Town Hall? Who do you even report this stuff to around here?

Any rural and most suburban area has night time coyotes. Trying to get the coyotes is a fruitless task. It is the dim hominids feeding them that is the problem. This should be an action that brings a severe fine to the maybe well meaning but uninformed resident that fed them. Let them be. Perhaps signage posting fines. Any other suggestions?[/QUOTE]

I just hope someone does not take this into their own hands. A few months ago, my friend and I came across a dead fox in the driveway of an abandoned house. I don't believe it was a natural death and don't know what happened to the rest of them. These animals are displaced and have nowhere to go. Please don't feed or harm them.

[OrangeBlossomBaby]

I saw those animals & I believe that they are foxes not coyotes. Coyotes are much larger, much the size of a large German Shepherd.

The feeding of wild animals is not only wrong, it is illegal

Coyotes are not the size of a German Shepherd. They're the size of a medium dog, such as a border collie. The largest coyotes only get to around 40 or 45 pounds in weight and 3 to 4 feet snout to rump.

An adult female German Shephard weighs between 50-70 pounds, and run around a foot longer than a coyote.

Compare to foxes - which usually weigh less than 15 pounds, around 2.5 feet long, not including their tails.

[bilcon]

I saw a coyote pup and its mama (or dad?) at a house that no one lives in. Someone's been putting canned food in petfood dishes in their carport. The pup crawled into a hole under the driveway, so I'm guessing that's this family's den.

At first I thought it was a fox and cub, and took a photo of mama from a distance after she ran to the side of the house, near the back. Got home and took a better look at the photo and yup - it's a coyote, for sure. Too big to be a fox. Ears too long, neck too long, tail not bushy enough. So positive it's a coyote.

Very cool to see, but not very cool to have in this residential area, especially considering that someone is intentionally feeding them, which makes them grow accustomed to humans and lose their fear of us. That spells danger for humans.

What to do? Is there even an "animal control" like there is up north? It's not a domesticated animal, it's not a bird or gator. They don't need rescuing.

But someone with authority needs to find out who's feeding them and make them stop doing that. And possibly the coyotes should be captured and euthanized or relocated.

Who though? The police? Animal control? Community standards? The local rec center? A wildlife conservation organization? The Lady Lake Town Hall? Who do you even report this stuff to around here?
A few years ago we came home around 9pm and saw a woman in our entryway holding a dog. She said she was walking her dog and an animal the size of a medium dog came out between our house and started coming toward her. She picked up her dog and tried to ring our door bell. We come home and saw the animal run off when I pulled in the driveway. We think it was a coyote. I drove the frightened woman and her dog home and gave her some advice. "Don't walk your dog in the dark." Too many critters out at night.:22yikes:

[pabotticelli]

I agree, something needs to be done to stop this!

[Taltarzac725]

We used to carry an empty soda can at night. It was not completely empty but had small rocks in it and we would shake it if a coyote approached us at night. That would work on them. I have come in contact with them several times during the daylight hours and they would be running away trying to get back to their safety zone. They did not try to grab the dog during the daylight hours but have been known to take Villages pooches nearer to dusk and dawn.



A few years ago we came home around 9pm and saw a woman in our entryway holding a dog. She said she was walking her dog and an animal the size of a medium dog came out between our house and started coming toward her. She picked up her dog and tried to ring our door bell. We come home and saw the animal run off when I pulled in the driveway. We think it was a coyote. I drove the frightened woman and her dog home and gave her some advice. "Don't walk your dog in the dark." Too many critters out at night.:22yikes:

[threeonemiles@outlook.com]

I saw a coyote pup and its mama (or dad?) at a house that no one lives in. Someone's been putting canned food in petfood dishes in their carport. The pup crawled into a hole under the driveway, so I'm guessing that's this family's den.

At first I thought it was a fox and cub, and took a photo of mama from a distance after she ran to the side of the house, near the back. Got home and took a better look at the photo and yup - it's a coyote, for sure. Too big to be a fox. Ears too long, neck too long, tail not bushy enough. So positive it's a coyote.

Very cool to see, but not very cool to have in this residential area, especially considering that someone is intentionally feeding them, which makes them grow accustomed to humans and lose their fear of us. That spells danger for humans.

What to do? Is there even an "animal control" like there is up north? It's not a domesticated animal, it's not a bird or gator. They don't need rescuing.

But someone with authority needs to find out who's feeding them and make them stop doing that. And possibly the coyotes should be captured and euthanized or relocated.

Who though? The police? Animal control? Community standards? The local rec center? A wildlife conservation organization? The Lady Lake Town Hall? Who do you even report this stuff to around here?
Coyotes are not the problem. We are. They are wild animals, and they do what they are supposed to do. Once humans feed them, they will lose all fear of them. No common sense.

[ThirdOfFive]

In Minnesota, coyotes *we call ‘em “brushwolves” up there) proved to be particularly bothersome at times. In rural areas they sometimes take pets, and if you’re a small farmer they can raise havoc with chickens—they’re smart enough to figure out ways of getting through (or often under) a chicken wire fence and can decimate a flock in a night. They will also take lambs and calves at times.

In urban areas they not only take small pets but raid trash cans, chase other pets, and have been known to stalk children. Additionally rabies is not unknown among the coyote population in Minnesota and the spread to domestic animals as well as the danger to people, especially small children, in always a reality.

In other words, they’re pests. Additionally they’re not protected there so then can be shot or trapped at will.

The upshot is that when Coyotes recognize humans as a danger and not a food source, it is much better for both species. It is much better to have coyotes fear man to the extent that they avoid man completely, than to make their living scrounging from man.

[Shipping up to Boston]

‘They will also take lambs and calves at times.’....


Phew! I thought you were talking about us for a second!