[tomwed]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

Not many racoons in this area of Florida. Feral cats but the coyotes seem to have gotten a lot of those.

So the feral cats go for the garbage and the coyotes ignore the garbage and go for the feral cats? I find it surprising. Even bears go after garbage, not that there should be something new to worry about.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by tomwed

So the feral cats go for the garbage and the coyotes ignore the garbage and go for the feral cats? I find it surprising. Even bears go after garbage, not that there should be something new to worry about.

Maybe it is different in other neighborhoods but we have had hardly any problems with garbage torn open. I do find a chicken bone on the ground every so often after garbage days so it must happen sometimes in the area but is cleaned up before I am out-and-about.

The chicken bones are probably much more of a threat to the dogs out being walked than the coyotes.

[Sandtrap328]

"Trapping nuisance coyotes-- those that have lost their fear of people-- might be a really good solution with traps set in areas near homes but away from where a loose dog might get snagged. "

_____________

I know if I was walking around The Villages and saw a coyote trap, I would throw something in it to spring the trap before a coyote got trapped. Leave the wildlife alone! Walk your dogs on a short leash, carry a loud air horn or can of wasp spray to use if you see something going to attack you. Carrying a pistol is ridiculous. I also know if I would see someone shoot at something, I would be calling 911 right away.

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by Sandtrap328

"Trapping nuisance coyotes-- those that have lost their fear of people-- might be a really good solution with traps set in areas near homes but away from where a loose dog might get snagged. "

_____________

I know if I was walking around The Villages and saw a coyote trap, I would throw something in it to spring the trap before a coyote got trapped. Leave the wildlife alone! Walk your dogs on a short leash, carry a loud air horn or can of wasp spray to use if you see something going to attack you. Carrying a pistol is ridiculous. I also know if I would see someone shoot at something, I would be calling 911 right away.

I doubt if a trapper would put it where you could see it as she would not want some person walking near it.

I too find carrying a gun to shoot a coyote kind of strange but these people seem willing to live with whatever consequences come their way and with the gun culture in Florida and elsewhere they could be celebrated for such an act rather than jailed.

Balancing a dog's life against that of a coyote though I am going to go with that of the dog every time.

[Hopeful2]

Originally Posted by Sandtrap328

"Trapping nuisance coyotes-- those that have lost their fear of people-- might be a really good solution with traps set in areas near homes but away from where a loose dog might get snagged. "

_____________

I know if I was walking around The Villages and saw a coyote trap, I would throw something in it to spring the trap before a coyote got trapped. Leave the wildlife alone! Walk your dogs on a short leash, carry a loud air horn or can of wasp spray to use if you see something going to attack you. Carrying a pistol is ridiculous. I also know if I would see someone shoot at something, I would be calling 911 right away.

I doubt you are a dog owner. If a beloved pet, on a short leash, was attacked by another animal, you would feel a whole lot differently. It happened to two different dogs I owned (years apart). Awful does not even begin to describe it. I am so thankful that each survived the attack.

I do not believe that using a pistol in a residential area is the answer. However, I fully support trapping of animals that can and do cause harm.

[tomwed]

Originally Posted by Taltarzac725

Maybe it is different in other neighborhoods but we have had hardly any problems with garbage torn open. I do find a chicken bone on the ground every so often after garbage days so it must happen sometimes in the area but is cleaned up before I am out-and-about.

The chicken bones are probably much more of a threat to the dogs out being walked than the coyotes.

I guess garbagemen are the people to ask. But I think if there were scavengers including coyotes of any significant amount we wouldn't be putting out the garbage in plastic bags the night before.

[Sandtrap328]

Originally Posted by Hopeful2

I doubt you are a dog owner. If a beloved pet, on a short leash, was attacked by another animal, you would feel a whole lot differently. It happened to two different dogs I owned (years apart). Awful does not even begin to describe it. I am so thankful that each survived the attack.

I do not believe that using a pistol in a residential area is the answer. However, I fully support trapping of animals that can and do cause harm.

Sorry for your experience, of course. Just curious, though, what kind of animals attacked your two dogs?

[HimandMe]

Are coyotes known to go after small children or are they left alone?

[Taltarzac725]

Originally Posted by HimandMe

Are coyotes known to go after small children or are they left alone?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote_attacks_on_humans

It has happened but is extremely rare.

[mwatt000]

You don't see too many small children in TV do you?

[Wing-nut2]

The Villages need to hire a trapper.

[John_W]

I've always heard that if you go down Rolling Acres Rd to Micro-Racetrack Rd at night, you'll see cayotes for sure or at least see their eyes in your headlights. That's probably why they usually show up on the eastern side of TV such as Hemingway. You have all that open ground due to the powerlines and they just head west to find some garbage or small prey. Just yesterday on top of our villa wall was a good size bird, a hawk or something, and he was eating something big for quite a while. It looked like it might of been a rabbit.

[Justus]

Originally Posted by Wing-nut2

The Villages need to hire a trapper.

I agree. Not only will coyotes attack humans, especially small humans, they are stealthy and lightning fast, and will snap the neck of small prey and be gone before you are able to respond.

In the rural neighborhood where we once lived, they were prevalent and would travel in packs. A neighbor watched helplessly as his cat was carried off by the nape of the neck. They are difficult to see at pre-dawn or twilight and will enter a garage or yard through an open gate. While they don't usually come out in broad daylight, I myself was with a foursome on a golf course green, approached by a coyote, possibly looking for food.

If you look at the entire Wikipedia page, you will see hundreds of news stories of coyote attacks on humans. They are beautiful animals, but their presence is not to be taken lightly. They will go wherever they can find easy prey.

[dbussone]

Originally Posted by Wing-nut2

The Villages need to hire a trapper.

For small children?

[cbv0211]

Coyotes in Hemingway are not new -- they've been here for years. I've seen them on the golf courses in early evening and at the retention pond on the corner of Canal and Odell in the early morning. I've never felt threatened by one and they were very skittish. I'm not a dog owner but is it possible to walk your dog when it is not dark out?