Wednesday, April 27, 2022

Wednesday Vignette: Learning to live together

Spring brings color, wonder and joy into our lives but, in my area, it's also known to bring an increase in coyote activity.  Coyotes breed in January through March and their pups are generally born in April and May.  With more mouths to feed, adult coyotes become more visible, aggressive and territorial.

This coyote was photographed from inside my living room in late April last year

Along with thefts of catalytic converters, notice of coyote sightings are among the most prevalent topics on community social media posts.  Last week, in an effort to get ahead of what's become a very emotional issue, our city sent a large, glossy, 4-page bulletin to all residents in an effort to educate them about how to deal with coyotes safely and effectively.

In addition to the print bulletin, the city is holding a 2-hour forum for local residents on wildlife management, with an emphasis on coyotes

Coincidentally (or not), a local beach city paper also published a story on coyotes on their front page this week

I saw my first coyotes up close when I was in graduate school, living in Santa Monica.  A neighbor and I walked in the early morning before she left for work but on one occasion she wasn't feeling well so I took off by myself.  Strolling through a neighborhood of expensive homes several blocks from my apartment, I noticed a woman in a skirt and heels running down the opposite side of the street with her dog on a leash.  A minute or two later, I noticed three dogs off-leash.  My first thought was that it was interesting that they all looked alike.  A second later, I realized that the "dogs" headed my way were coyotes.  I didn't run but I turned the corner and walked briskly in another direction.

When my husband and I moved to a different, densely-populated beach city several years later, I heard stories of coyote sightings but I never actually saw one.  When we were in the process of buying our current house in a semi-rural area, I asked the real estate agent representing the seller if there were coyotes in the area.  He downplayed the concern.  I didn't see any coyotes for the first 5 years here but I did hear them at night sometimes.  Then I began spotting them now and again during the daylight hours, and neighbors began complaining about their "extended" hunting schedules.  I recall seeing a young coyote trotting down the street while being dive-bombed by a pair of crows.  That incident had a comical element, as did an episode in 2018 we caught on our home security cameras.

In March 2018, our newspaper disappeared from our driveway.  Curious, my husband checked the security camera in an effort to discover if it just wasn't delivered, or if someone carried it off.  It turns out that the "someone" in this case was a coyote.  You can see him carrying the paper wrapped in red plastic in the upper middle section of the photo above.

He carried the paper halfway around the house before dropping it on the dirt path alongside the hedge behind our back garden border

 

Not long afterwards, neighbors reported that their dog was snatched right in front of them.  Then our next door neighbor lost her Pomeranian to a coyote that apparently jumped over her backyard fence.  My cats had never been allowed to roam on their own but I did give them a little supervised time outside each morning.  That came to an abrupt end in 2020.

I was preparing to exit via our back door with Pipig on my heels when I nearly walked into a coyote on a collision course.  It was hard to tell which one of us was more startled.  I slammed the door and the coyote went running.

 

Pipig has been confined to the house and her screened "catio" ever since.  I even had my husband reinforce the bottom section of the catio to provide additional protection.

She's an elderly cat now and less inclined to try sneaking out but I'm still careful about tracking her, especially when other people are in the house

The city prohibits feeding coyotes, which seems obvious but I remember one elderly neighbor who'd made a practice of doing that in the mistaken belief that it would keep the coyotes from eating the stray cats she cared for.  The city's bulletin provides a range of other recommendations to deter coyotes.


I thought it was a great idea on the city's part to provide a page to educate kids about dealing with coyotes too

 

Some of the key recommendations include:

  • Removing all outside sources of food, including rotting fruit
  • Introducing motion-activated lights or sprinklers
  • "Hazing" coyotes by yelling and waving arms, using noisemakers, water hoses, and rocks or sticks if necessary until they run off

I'm not especially worried about the coyote "threat" myself but I'm concerned every time I see someone's pet cat or dog running loose through the neighborhood.  Coyotes and other local predators (raccoons, possums and foxes) have been here longer than humans have.  We need to respect their way of life while protecting the domestic animals we share our lives with by taking appropriate precautions.

Rodents and wild rabbits are the coyote's natural prey but I admit to feeling a twinge of concern when I see baby rabbits like this one

For other Wednesday Vignettes, visit Anna at Flutter & Hum.


All material © 2012-2022 by Kris Peterson for Late to the Garden Party

24 comments:

  1. Even here it seems that the coyotes are getting a bit more brazen - there was one that was lounging on our hilltop a few months ago. It's the first time we've seen this - normally they just saunter by heading into the wooded areas. Needless to say, it spooked me enough to keep me out of the backyard that day.

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    1. In a very real sense, the coyotes here have been "rewarded" for venturing closer and closer to housing communities because the human population has made it easy for them to find food without the relative hassle of hunting far and wide for it. The common sense precautions recommended by the city would accomplish a lot if people heeded them. And "hazing" does work should you ever encounter a coyote. Don't run, wave your arms to make yourself look bigger, yell, and throw things!

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  2. This was an interesting read, Kris. You have quite a bit to contend with at your place with the rabbits, peacocks and coyotes! At least the latter should keep the bunny numbers in check? How funny that your newspaper thief was caught on camera - bet your husband wasn't expecting that when he reviewed the footage!

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    1. The first 2 years after the bunnies mysteriously showed up here, the coyotes were very effective in making them "disappear" in early spring. They don't seem to be doing as good a job anymore - we saw them off and on all last year. As to the paper theft, when my husband told me I wasn't going to believe what happened to the paper, I quipped: "don't tell me a coyote took it?" That I was right on the mark surprised him even more!

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  3. And Pipig is adorable. I'm glad she has the safety of her 'catio'.

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    1. She prefers to hang out on the catio when it's warm but when it's cooler, she's happier in the house. In what passes for winter here, she also insists on a heating pad!

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  4. Great post! We have coyotes here, too, although I've never seen one in my garden. I've seen them (rarely) during hikes. Red foxes are a little more common. My cat stays indoors, and my dog is always supervised when he's outside. I guess I'm OK with coyotes and foxes in the yard (in fact we don't have enough) because when they visit they keep the rabbit population down (a much bigger problem in my garden than the predators).

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    1. There are supposedly red foxes here too but I've never seen one. Coyotes and raccoons are our most common predators but I think they're falling down on the job of managing our growing rabbit population ;)

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  5. I'm glad the city is taking a proactive stance. Education is key and it is best if we learn to get along with our wild neighbors, as you said, they were here before we were. Now for me to put that into practice as our deer population increases! Eliza

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    1. I have no clue how to manage deer beyond fencing, Eliza. As least that's one pest we don't have here. Good luck!

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    2. Thanks, I'm going to need it!

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  6. Goodness, it's a zoo out there: peacocks rabbits and now a coyotes. Never a dull moment. I wonder, does Pipig sense the 'visitors' and get agitated at all?

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    1. In the past, Pipig has reacted to the raccoons and critters she considers "prey" (not that she ever catches anything other than the lizards that foolishly enter her "catio") but she seems to be paying less attention now, at least during the daylight hours. She still positions herself on the back of the living room couch looking out the windows on our south side most nights as if she's on watch duty, though ;)

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    2. Precious darling! Can't get the lioness out of the house cat.

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    3. I'm just thankful that she no longer eats the lizards after she makes a show of bringing them inside!

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  7. Your post gives me cause for concern. I've heard they've been spotted here, but I've not seen one. But given that the animal population is on the increase, I'm sure they will eventually be a problem here too. I can't even imagine running into one in my garden, let alone my dog who will fight with anything.
    Our current issue is rats. At first I thought they came over from the neighbors behind me and it was my problem. But now I realize they are in every yard, but most people are not aware of it. I'm at war with them, realizing I'll not likely win. But if I can keep them from finding any place to live in my yard, that that is a win. In fact, I'm on my way outside now to close off another area under my front porch where I've discovered them.
    I'm glad Pipig is an inside cat for both your sakes. I can't even imagine what it would be like to witness one running off with your beloved pet. I hope your community takes some kind of action. They are far more dangerous than deer, raccoons, possums, fox, or rats. Good luck and let us know how this ends up.

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    1. Coyotes have been here for time immemorial, Cindy, long before our peninsula was covered with homes and human activity encouraged the coyotes to take what people so casually, if unconsciously, provided for them to eat. Their natural prey is rodents and feral rabbits so they could be helpful with the rat problem your area is facing, although I understand you'd like to keep them away from your home (and your dog, especially if it's a small dog). Were you to encounter one, the best thing to do is to wave your arms (to increase the perception of your size), shout, and throw things at them if necessary. They're more afraid of you than you need to be of them and will likely remain so as long as your neighbors don't do foolish things like feeding them. While I was surprised by the coyote near my back door, I note that he ran off as soon as he noticed me.

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  8. I'm with you in that we need to respect and coexist with other animals around us, but when my neighbor sent me a photo of two raccoons he photographed in our driveway yesterday, I admit wondering how this will affect the power balance in the garden. The months ahead will tell, I'm sure. I admire your city for getting ahead of the game and educating people - that's a great move!

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    1. Dang it - forgot to change the setting again!

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    2. Raccoons were the bane of my garden for years, although they don't seem to be visiting often or at least digging up things as they once did (and I hope I'm not jinxing myself by saying that!). They love water so, if you have a fountain or a pond, that may draw them in. If you have soil with lots of grubs, that's also a draw. Their digging seems to be related to their relentless search for grubs and perhaps I've finally succeeded in reducing my grub population.

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  9. Interesting post, Kris. There are more sightings around my neighborhood in recent years.

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    1. I hope you don't experience a problem, Susie. Coyotes engender more fear than other wild animals, as least here where there aren't issues with bears and cougars. A report of a coyote's attack on a toddler in Huntington Beach (Orange County) has intensified concerns here.

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  10. Coyotes are a fact of life around here, I wish I could remember the details of the trip one took on our light rail line. It was quite the news story at the time.

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    1. Wow, that was one bold coyote! I found an article on the incident online - complete with a photo of the coyote curled up in a seat. It looks like it happened in February 2009.

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