Coyote encounter this morning
 

At about 6am this morning on my daily walk on St. Charles, I encountered a coyote at the entrance to the Amberjack Villas. It came from the opposite side of the street from the golf course and stopped about 15' in front of me on the sidewalk, facing me. It bared it's teeth a couple of times and had this funny growl. After a staredown that felt like it lasted an hour (only about 20 seconds), it took off back across the street on the golf course. This encounter really got the heart pumping for the rest of the walk. If any of you walk early or late, keep an eye out for them.

Thanks for the information. I tried my Keep Doggie Safe | Doggone Best Site For Dog Safety | whistle out on a digging Golden Retriever named Nick at Doggie Doo Run Run this morning. It is supposed to scare off coyotes. Nick popped his head out of the hole only at full blast of maybe 5 seconds on the whistle and seemed to do a good Lana Turner imitation. "You know how to whistle...." Or maybe, it was De Niro "You talkin' to me!' https://youtu.be/i9Ay727EYzw After the quick look at me, Nick just kept on digging.

The dog park employee Joe I talked to recommended wasp spray after I told him about why I had a dog whistle and was trying it out on Nick who was probably hunting for a mole/vole/gopher.

Coyote
 

I was up walking even earlier than you this morning around 5:30 and saw what I thought was a dog run from Morse Blvd., between houses into the village of Largo. It keep running south and I never got a good look at the animal. I am not sure I would recognize a coyote if I saw one but this time I just assumed it was a dog. Now that you say you spotted a coyote southwest of where I was, it is possible it was the same animal.

FWC - Land Mammals - Coyote

The coyotes I have seen in this area look like malnourished German shepherds.

I think putting out the garbage the night before makes it too easy.

I have a tuesday morning pick-up that is very early and a friday pick-up much later. If I miss tuesday it's no big deal. Is that the pattern for garbage pick-up,,one real early and another much later?

I have only seen one - and that was more than a year ago on a golf course out Miona rec ctr way - it def looked like a malnourished german shepard and it was quite shaggy, too.

This one didn't appear to be too malnourished. The animal rights groups won't like this and I know that their territory has been encroached upon by the development of The Villages, but this our territory now, where humans live, and we should not have to worry about our pets getting taken or residents having the s**t scared out of us by coyotes.

I agree with you. I know there were here first BUT...

Fill a container with change (I had an old Pringals can) If you encounter one just shake the can and the critter, will take off for the hills. they do not like loud noises, Lived on a farm in Va. for 23 years and saw many a coyote, especially during calving season. This was a great deterrent without having to carry a gun, Va. has very strict laws about shooting wild animals without a permit. Unfortunately, coyotes have there own agenda, they are very smart animals, but will scatter with a loud noise (NOT A GOOD IDEA TO CARRY A SHOTGUN WITH YOU WHEN YOU ARE WALKING). try the can.

I have a few of these made up. They are called coyote shakers.

"You know how to whistle...." I thought it was Lauren Bacall....

You are right. Lauren Bacall. https://youtu.be/MheNUWyROv8

Thanks for the smart tip! Will definitely have one in hand at TV and in MI too!

Vcdd has hired trappers for the coyotes.
Should you wish to report the sighting, the person to contact is
Dave.burgess@districtgov.org

Update 9/4 see new post on coyotes...

Last week I was golfing with a friend near the Oakland Airport (in CA). There are about 4 or 5 golf courses on the fringes of Oakland Airport and near San Francisco Bay.

All around the bay is marshy open space. Coming up to the 4th green a beautiful red fox crossed between us and the green. When we finished putting and started back to the carts we noticed the fox was in a cart, probably looking for food. The rest of the morning we spotted red foxes about every other hole.

The cost for 18 with a cart was $34. For $35 (total) you get breakfast and lunch of your choice off the snack bar menu and two beverages of your choice but no bottled beer - cans or draft only. For the extra buck you get about $30 worth of food and beer!

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