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.

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?

Eagle preserve between Liberty Park and Sunset Pointe
 

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.

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.

CoyDog-
 

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

H

Big dogs in a CYV should be safe, no worries. Fire ants can also cause problems with dogs and we did have mounds of fire ants in the yard of our CYV. However the Pest Company came immediately and eliminated the problem.

Poor coyotes, they just can't catch a break. People try to exterminate them (good luck with that), they get blamed for every missing cat, blamed for every missing dog, blamed for torn-open trash bags, and, by some, probably blamed for global warming.

Now while it is indeed true that they'll kill and eat the occasional cat, cats are actually the chosen prey of the great horned owl. Kitty vanishes? Odds are it's a great horned owl, not a coyote. Same-o same-o with little dogs too.

Coyotes actually prefer to eat rats, mice, voles, rabbits, insects, anything that's little and can't bite back. Heck, they'll even eat watermelons.

Like it or not, they're here to stay. Just enjoy 'em...part of Nature's Grand Plan and all that. They are actually pretty cool critters.

Oh, and rabies? Much more of a problem with raccoons and bats.

Sorry, but I don't admire coyotes the way I admire wolves, bears and other wild predators. I have no sympathy for them.

A few years ago, my nephew and his wife were adopting a kitten from the SPCA in Costa Mesa, CA and they had to promise to make it an indoor cat because the coyotes could jump the 10 foot high masonry block wall around their yard.

Maybe CA coyotes are part kangaroo?

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I beg to differ on the coyotes not jumping walls. One quiet late night this past summer, mrs mulligan saw a coyote trotting along on top of the villa wall behind my house. We've seen them before, so there was no mistake about what it was.

Yikes, that is scary information. :ohdear: I had no idea coyotes were such jumpers. Obviously it is important that all animals be supervised when outside, even in a CYV.

Well, coyotes are very smart animals. They are not aggressive but you do not want to corner one or to make it feel threatened. I have never heard of a coyote jumping over a 10 foot fence but it seems likely.

If your Shih Tsu was in the courtyard, it would be a fluffy snack for the coyote. Keep the doggies and kitties inside where they belong unless you are walking them on a leash.

I live in Santiago and was walking my dog at about 9:00 pm when I saw a coyote coming from the turtle sanctuary and run across several yards towards to polo fields. This was a bit too close for me as you are only talking a street width away from us.

I am printing this thread and the posts of jumping coyotes out for a neighbor who leaves their barking dogs out in the CYV unattended. They do not seem to care the neighborhood has to listen to their darlings, maybe they will care they can be eaten :evil6:

...

It may have been Duffy's mom's ex.

Recently, I've seen a lone coyote at the Polo Club near the horse pastures.

Enclosed Lanai
 

As an owner of small pets, I have made a mental note to look for homes with enclosed lanais, for maximum safety of my pets.

Last night as I was retiring I looked out the bedroom window to see a coyote slinking along on the other side of the trademark "Villages" fence only 20 feet away from me. The moon was almost full last night and the sky was clear. He/she didn't hang around when he/she heard me calling to the lovely Diane to come take a look.

We did observe a coyote in broad daylight effotlessly leap over a section of "Villages" fence, so I guess they could jump a CYV wall? I dunno...

Lots of wildlife in TV in the open areas.

I hope Red Tail reads your post.

Hey, there are alligators in every lake down here, who has time to worry about coyotes? If you want a different view about these animals, read a beautiful novel by Barbara Kingsolver entitled "Prodigal Summer." Keep your dogs & cats on a leash and they will do more good than harm.

?? Hmm
 

I would welcome them at my new home.

Especially is they would come in at night and snack on the critters digging up my landscape.:cus:

Buffet and a desert bar is open in Tamarind Mr. and Mrs Wile E Coyote:icon_hungry:

Saw one last week go thru our backyard and onto Tarpon Boil (we live on the course) - went up #6 and out toward Buttonwood Dr.

:agree: I saw a cougar,....it had wandered into Katie Belle's one Saturday night when I was down there, it didn't hurt anyone but I could tell it was "on the prowl"

Cougar
 

Angie and Swimdog warned me about them. Glad you were not hurt!:1rotfl:

They like to dance !:laugh: