[dog friendly]

Originally Posted by red tail

what was the dog doing running without a leash ?

was not my dog, so I would not know

[Taltarzac725]

...looked a lot like one of these from this collection of coyotes killed in FL. "Bobby's coyote" is the closest.

http://www.suwanneeriverranch.com/CoyotePage.htm

Note the picture of the coyote's teeth.

[wesmin]

We may have had some in Sunset Point several trash bags have been torn up and spred around. I was walking and others stated they had seen one in the area.

[graciegirl]

coy·o·te

   /kaɪˈoʊti, ˈkaɪoʊt/ Show Spelled[kahy-oh-tee, kahy-oht] Show IPA
noun, plural -tes, ( especially collectively ) -te.

1. Also called prairie wolf. a buffy-gray, wolflike canid, Canis latrans, of North America, distinguished from the wolf by its relatively small size and its slender build, large ears, and narrow muzzle.

2. Slang . a contemptible person, especially an avaricious or dishonest one.

3. American Indian Legend . the coyote regarded as a culture hero and trickster by American Indian tribes of the West.

4. Slang . a person who smuggles Mexican nationals across the border into the U.S. for a fee.

5. Mature woman who enjoys the company of a younger man.

[buggyone]

A coyote will not come near a person. You may see one at dawn or dusk but they are not going to attack a person.

If your small dog or cat is outside by itself (leashed to a stake or out wandering) they are fair game for a coyote. Garbage bags are also a food source for the coyote.

There are plenty of living areas for a coyote in The Villages with all the preserve areas. It is called an eco-system for a good reason.

Enjoy the wildlife here and do not be scared of a coyote. I personally would be more frightened of the occasional Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes that reach about 6 feet in length.

[CarGuys]

5. Mature woman who enjoys the company of a younger man.[/QUOTE]

[Harry Gilbert]

Originally Posted by buggyone

A coyote will not come near a person. You may see one at dawn or dusk but they are not going to attack a person.

If your small dog or cat is outside by itself (leashed to a stake or out wandering) they are fair game for a coyote. Garbage bags are also a food source for the coyote.

There are plenty of living areas for a coyote in The Villages with all the preserve areas. It is called an eco-system for a good reason.

Enjoy the wildlife here and do not be scared of a coyote. I personally would be more frightened of the occasional Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnakes that reach about 6 feet in length.

A coyote will not NORMALLY come near a person. But with any animal wild or domestic the potential for abnormal behavior is there. That's why there are signs saying "Don't feed the wildlife".

Just stay aware of your surroundings and if you come across a unknown animal be wary and have an escape in mind if needed

[Barefoot]

Originally Posted by Harry Gilbert

A coyote will not NORMALLY come near a person. But with any animal wild or domestic the potential for abnormal behavior is there. That's why there are signs saying "Don't feed the wildlife". Just stay aware of your surroundings and if you come across a unknown animal be wary and have an escape in mind if needed

It is true that coyotes will normally avoid people, and there is lots of prey available in the "open space environmental" areas. But Harry is right. If they've been fed by people, or they have rabies, they can be quite aggressive. I used to have a horse farm for 25 years. I've know coyotes to take cats off decks, and to chase and injure dogs. No need to get in a panic, just be cautious. Especially if you back on a golf course or open space.

[Villages PL]

I saw a fox, during the day, on East Schwartz Blvd.. It was calmly walking down the middle of the road and at first I thought it was a dog. Also, my neighbor reported seeing large paw prints on her car. She thought it might have been a Florida panther. This was several years ago, before I moved.

[John_W]

Everytime I play golf at Mallory or Havana and I'm in one of the sand traps along Morse I'll see paw prints across the sand trap.

[buggyone]

In an area of over 100 square miles like The Villages - with a good percent of marshland, golf courses, and lakes - it is not surprising to have a wide variety of wildlife. Lots of natural prey for coyotes to eat plus the possibility of eating from garbage bags and maybe a little dog or cat who is straying around instead of being inside.

Hope to continue seeing lots of wild animals including eagles, hawks, owls - and all else except those Eastern Diamondback rattlesnakes.

[lovsthosebigdogs]

I was thinking of installing a doggy door for our dogs. Do I have to worry about that with all the 'scary wildlife' out there? Coyotes, snakes and alligators, oh my! My dogs are very big (Russian Wolfhounds -borzoi) but they can't take on alligators and killer snakes. There are limits. Do I need to rethink the doggy door with coyotes scaling 6 foot walls over my CYV?

[Dirigo]

The lovely Diane and I observed, through our telescope, an adult coyote in the eagle preserve area in broad daylight about a month ago. It was basking in the sun. Coyotes are nocturnal, so I don't know why this coyote was out in the open in the daylight. Turkey vultures found the coyote interesting and were circling around so the coyote ran off to the trees for cover. The coyote appeared to be very healthy and not at all injured or weak. It had a good looking coat.

Those of us living on the northern edge of Liberty Park lightly spray our garbage bags with ammonia to keep the coyotes from tearing into them on trash nights.

I have seen raccoon tracks by the pond at the intersection fo S. Buena Vista and Bailey Trail.

Being from rural Maine we are used to living among critters.

[buggyone]

A coyote would not jump the wall of a CYV so you would not have to worry about that. Personally, though, I feel the doggy doors are a security risk to the home although I imagine they are lockable.

Be sure to keep your borzoi on leashes and do not let them go into the marsh areas or near the water. Snakes and alligators live there.

They are really cool looking dogs. I saw someone with an Irish Wolfhound at Lake Sumter Landing and that was one huge dog.

[CarGuys]

Could they be a CoyDog? They kinda look alike right?

H