Thank you so much Sandra for sending your photo.
Note to readers interested in submitting a locally spotted coyote: Please don’t be concerned about the quality of the image. I think it is very helpful to collect documentation while we are learning as a community how to address the growing coyote problem. Please provide location and time of day.
Send photos to: kimsmithdesigns@hotmail.com. Thank you!
Hi Kim,
Saw your coyote post on Good Morning Gloucester, with note to send photos.
We woke one morning early in December to see this coyote not 50 feet away,under our neighbors’ apple tree, having breakfast! South St., Rockport. We are newcomers to the area, had heard about and heard coyotes at night, but this was something we did not expect to see during the day. Not the greatest picture, but at least documented!
Thanks.
Good Morning Gloucester 
Hi All…. just to continue with the documentation theme. I was on a walk in Raven’s wood a few days after the last snowstorm and happened upon the remains on a small deer. It was clear from the amount of tracks and disturbance in the snow that this had been a long struggle. From the amount of coyote tracks converging in on the kill site, it appeared to be the work of between 6 to 8 different coyotes. …Now coyotes killing deer is not new…but with a pack of this size …that requires a lot of food over the course of a year…probably more deer than in all of Gloucester…..and that is just one pack in Gloucester.
LikeLike
Great info–thanks so much John for submitting!
LikeLike
Are you adept at tracking canids? Do you know a coyote track from a domestic dog track? What did the remains of the deer look like? How do you know it was a deer? Did you just find a bunch of dog tracks around blood and hair, or was there a large skeleton left behind? Coyotes don’t generally kill deer, and most of their food consists of rabbits, mice, nuts, fruit etc.
LikeLike
we have a couple of packs over here – Eastern Point, where we are adjacent to Seine Field. we often hear them howling during the night, frequently very close to our house.
LikeLike
Thank you barpolan–good to know. I have only ever seen solitary coyotes and imagine both Seine Field and Ravenswood would provide great places for a coyote to build a den.
LikeLike
A few packs? Probably just one since they are highly territorial animals. What exactly is your methodology when it comes to determining how many “packs” are on Eastern Point?
LikeLike
Well all this coyote talk has got me thinking ~ as it should. Fifteen years ago our gardens ( in Maryland) were full of rabbits, then we noticed the squirrels were in abundance, then the fox appeared. Now ~ no rabbits, an appropriate number of squirrels, only a few fox sightings. The deer population has remained about the same. Happily I have noticed an increase in the bird population ~ in variety as well as population. I suppose the fox left after they depleted the natural food supply. Wondering if the rabbits will come back ~ now that our gardens are even more plentiful. As I ponder all that ~ I am sorry to read that the coyote/wolves are distressing and endangering Gloucester way of life. Going out on a limb here ~ In Maryland, when the deer population becomes a hazard to the people population we have a way of reaching a safe balance for both populations. So, I’m wondering what the outcome has been from the meetings and discussions in Gloucester ~ my Gloucester where my walks have taken me with no fear.
LikeLike
We recently have a plethora of rabbits, but very few foxes, primarily it is thought, because the coyotes have out-competed the fox for habitat (fox are better at curtailing the rabbit population).
I believe coyote hunting season is from October through March however, because it is so heavily populated around here, I don’t know if that is recommended.
LikeLike
Agreed ~ it apprears the coyote are comfortable in the neighborhood and hunting is not an option. Hopefully your observations and postings will bring forth a solution.
LikeLike
More than likely would be a trap and relocate by game and fish…Not sure ?
LikeLike
(Kim -GMG)- Hope this provides some helpful information? I sure hope people do not get too spun up about the coyotes there are many reasons this may be happening as I had stated before…When we moved to New Mexico I lived in the Nation Forest (which at that time has just about everything and awareness when out and about is your biggest safety factor) with a Native America man and his family – He taught many lessons, I carry today and the biggest is the respect of wildlife. They pray before hunting, while hunting and after the kill. We went elk hunting and a big buck came upon us and walked by and away. I was surprised but there customs was to let the fist pass…I think that would be different if there were no other food sources. The animal is respected and very little of it is not used for food, clothing, or some form of tool. Coyote attacks on humans are” EXTREMELY RARE” even more so if it is a lone coyote. If two or more then you need to be extra careful because then you may have a pack mentality and potentially more subject to attack. I do know a bad attack in rural Colorado Longmont (Niwot), farmland and it was a pack of 3 coyotes Colorado Game and Fish has put down two of them and still looking for third one…this was by far the worst that I know of it was during early morning darkness. He says he has been walking to work since his vehicle broke down. Wildlife officials say they found two of the three animals and put them down. The experts say their aggressive behavior meant it was likely they would attack someone again. The pack mentality or lost their fear of humans I would suspect. I ran into all kinds of coyotes during my walks including a across a desert area they would stop check you out but if you were to walk toward them then they would take off in the other direction. I respect each person’s feelings and concerns but respect in this case is a two way street…
Quoted below from this link:
Coyote Conflicts
http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/6971.html
While most coyotes avoid interacting with people, some coyotes in suburbia become emboldened and appear to have lost their fear of people. This can result in a dangerous situation. A coyote that does not flee from people should be considered dangerous. Coyotes in residential areas can be attracted to garbage, pet food, and other human-created sources of food. Coyotes can associate people with these food attractants. In addition, in some cases human behavior has changed to be non-threatening to coyotes (running into your home after seeing a coyote is behaving like prey). In short, people may unintentionally attract coyotes with food and people may behave like prey. Add to the mix people intentionally feeding coyotes and the potential for a coyote attack becomes very real. Children are at greatest risk of being injured by coyotes. If a coyote has been observed repeatedly near an area where children frequent, be watchful for coyotes and do not let a coyote approach anyone. Follow the steps outlined above.
Potential does exist for coyote attacks in New York. However, a little perspective may be in order. On average, 650 people are hospitalized and one person killed by dogs each year in New York State. Nationwide, only a handful of coyote attacks occur yearly. Nevertheless, these conflicts are bad for people, pets, and coyotes.
LikeLike
Thanks Dave ~ good post and link. This morning, as I was thinking about my post, I googled “coyote population in Maryland”. Currently coyote sightings are in western Maryland and the coyote are on the move. Grateful to have the forewarning.
LikeLike
I agree with Mary re good link-very rational and more accurate than most.
LikeLike
A very good leader here Kim and exhanges of communication, pcitures, and of course (Mom’s & Dad’s are mentors and teachers) is the foundation for my follow-up Thank You! 🙂
LikeLike
Mary, Kim started this and GMG and all the other’s spreading the word deserve all the credit. I am just following up with concerns I see with my past experiences carry in one hand and share with the other! I am not expert just a jack of all trades and master of few 🙂 Most welcome – the is a circle of balance that is forgotten many times – even with some creatures some folks do not like each offer their own ways of keeping things in balance this includes the ocean. I have seen major impacts where we have ventured trying to natures job natural balance (Coyote’s) in this case we must treat them as they are and they have a purpose – weather is one we can never control…:-)
That’s what makes (GMG) and a good cup of coffee – and let not leave out the foods profiled for our survival and pleasure 🙂
LikeLike
Most welcome Mary sorry took a while the school shooting out west – trying to help?
LikeLike