http://www.easterncoyoteresearch.com/livingwithcoyotes/
I think one of the really good suggestions from the article linked above is to carry a whistle if you’re going for a walk.
I’d just like some public officials to stand up acknowledge the trend and maybe tell us what the plans are to educate people or how they are talking to The Mass Environmental Police or other wildlife groups about monitoring the explosive growth in Coyote populations around here.
Here’s a couple of articles from The Gloucester Daily Times all within the past few months with the latest being just two days ago.
We never had reports like this 8 years ago. To stick our heads in the sand and not publicly educate people when these incidents are piling up is just plain bananas to me.
Good Morning Gloucester 
The following was sent by Councilor McGeary:
http://www.mspca.org/programs/wildlife-resources/species-information/coyote/co-existing-with-coyotes.html
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Very informative article with the common questions answered. Thanks.
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I got a kick out of some of the tips in the MSPCA document like “Keep children indoors” and “Use livestock donkeys and llamas.” Kim, I think you should be the trend-setter and bring more llamas to E. Gloucester.
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It killed me when I read that John–so annoying and ridiculous. “Children should be supervised at all times outdoors,” what a horrible way to grow up!! These tips seem like robotic jibberish to me and are not addressing the core problem in any realistic or meaningful way.
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Re we should get llamas and donkeys–my friend JoeAnn, at her farm on Eastern Point, keeps rescue donkeys. The coyotes are seen there, just as often as everywhere else, and in broad daylight.
Perhaps she doesn’t have enough donkeys? Or maybe the combination of donkeys, llamas, and guard dogs is needed?
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Both articles (Joey’s and Kim’s) are great for keeping perspective. Thanks for sharing. I hope folks read these.
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Excellent Research here Capt Joe communication prevents the rumors and wrong information for being passed along…Taking from your previous podcast (Googel-Googel) I have submitted some previous post…You are right awareness and actions to take in event are vital prior to any encounter not after it happens…Our counterparts are no different than humans who also go where the picking are easier and less effort, abundance of items to survive and in some cases intentional -unintentional offering which may draw them to us…
Traditions and History are the path to look back upon and move forward!
http://www.cliffdwellingsmuseum.com/anasazi/solving-the-mystery-of-anasazi-disappearance
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Please, let’s consider the long term effects both of sharing our towns with wildlife, and of attempting to change the wildlife populations. Predators are a natural and important part of our ecology, and without them we would be overrun with prey such as rodents. Humans eliminated the wolf from all of New England over 100 years ago, and coyotes are replacing at least some of their role here. It’s natural to have top predators in any ecosystem, and I would not want to live in any place that didn’t have predators. Human attempts to remove all animals we don’t enjoy the company of have not gone well for us in the past, and I don’t think we should continue that trend. Everything is linked together and when you take away an animal because you don’t like it, it, you affect untold numbers of other species already linked to that one.
Whether or not it would be effective to remove a predator from a town just because people fear it, it’s still not necessarily a good idea. A predator that mostly eats rodents is not a threat just because it is near our homes, and seeing an animal more often does not prove there are more of them. You need a population count to prove a population has explored. And if an animal virtually never attacks human, it’s not really fair to say it’s dangerous just because people are scared of them. Often, animals are coming closer to our homes because our homes are coming closer to their habitats. Red tailed hawks are also common predators on rodents that are seen frequently, and there is no movement to eliminate them (I hope). There is a lot we can learn from coyotes, as from other animals. I suggest respecting and observing them.
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