Good for you.

I hope people will take pictures with cell phones if you see damage to private property like this.


Coyotes should be left alone as long as there are not cat and dog snatchings in the area. Remember that two cats were snatched from inside Villagers' lanais. This could have been a bobcat in one of the instances but I kind of doubt that. Then there was that dog which was taken from a person's front yard or the vicinity of it at 12:30 AM. Supposedly it was off leash??? I do not remember that detail in the report.

I carry noise makers and my dog is almost always on leash unless he sneaks out a door which does happen from time-to-time.

IF a cat or two were taken off screeed-in lanais, don't you think that there would have been a lot of chat on TOTV or the on-line news about those happenings AT THE TIME of the snatchings? I am very skeptical of those stories.

I do remember the little dog was off-leash at that midnight happening. Sad, but off-leash.

Anyhow, you sound like a very responsible dog owner and you will have no problem.

Hopefully, the person on TOTV who lives where the Buttonwood snatching happened will have more details. The other lanai that was ripped into was in Lynnhaven quite close to the Lynnhaven pool. A woman who walks her dog told me about it but this information was second or third hand. I can look into it more though as she pointed out the house where it happened to me. Lynnhaven has a web-site. It might be on there.

I do not see anything on the Lynnhaven web-site about the cat snatching off the lanai. I am reluctant to go to the house and ask the people there about this as this seems very insensitive. That sounds like a very traumatic event for them to lose a cat like that. I will keep my ears open though for any news.

Can you please tell me how to find the Lynnhaven website?

In an earlier post, I mentioned that I had sent a letter to Mr. Burgess with the VCCD. Today, he responded "the only places the District is setting out traps are in the District owned and maintained preserve areas. These traps are a cage style trap, bringing no harm to the animals."

I then followed up with Mr. Burgess asking him what then happens..are the animals relocated or destroyed? His response "By law, they are destroyed per the state certified trapper."

This may be a more humane method of trapping but the result is the same. These animals will be killed. But more distressing is the fact that the traps will be located in an area designated as a "Preserve" which means they are being hunted in an area designed to protect the animals and environment. What gives?

This is it. https://home.comcast.net/~askal/

That seems kind of strange as it would seem they are going after the wrong coyotes. The one or coyotes who supposedly are taking pets are using the golf courses to travel through the Villages. Maybe it is the same group of coyotes but it would be likely that the coyotes that hunt in the preserves stay in that area. The less successful coyotes probably wander more. I am not an expert on coyote behavior though.

This whole situation is just plain sad and ugly on so many levels.

And a "Preserve Trapper"??? :confused: Well, that's a new oxymoron.

Where oh where is Carl Hiaasen. He would never get writer's block in this place.

I had the delight of getting to meet Carl. But only for one brief and shining moment. (Sigh) But to my credit, at least I did not babble and flip my hair.

:thumbup: Sandtrap, well said.

I don't understand the need to start trapping coyotes in Preserve areas.
It's sad to lose a pet, so please keep them safe AND ON A LEASH!
Loonlovers: I emailed Mr. Burgess with the same result.
I responded back to Mr. B with exactly your concern, that the Preserve areas are designed to protect animals and the environment.

I also just spoke with Dave Burgess at 352-753-4508 and he claimed he was just the person whose name got attached to the order. He said his boss, Sam Wartenbee, was in charge. I suggested that Mr. Wartenbee, myself, a couple of other interested parties, and a reporter from The Daily Sun sit down for a conversation that could be in the paper regarding coyote trapping in a wildlife preserve.

Dave told me he would relay that on to Mr. Wartenbee and he will get back to me. Anyone interested in talking with them? PM me.

Easy, skippy. I hope common sense prevails with you; I'm sure you wouldn't want a destruction of property charge because of your love of a dangerous, predatory, rogue animal. You'll be the first person the Police will want to talk to if the owners of the traps press the issue.

No worries, mate. Common sense prevails.