Are Coyotes a Problem Where You Live?
A number of Palos-area resident said they've seen the wild animals over the years and some think they're a nascence.
Joe Doody was out walking his dog Saturday when he spotted a coyote running on on 74th Avenue. The 28-year-old Palos Heights resident saw another on Sunday near the intersection of 121st and Richards and then two on Monday near the Chicago Christian High School.
Doody sees the wild animals as a problem.
"They’re out of control, he said. "They’re everywhere now.”
Coyote sightings are fairly common and residents who live near Forest Preserves or spend time in wooded area have spotted them for years.
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Palos Patch Facebook friends told us their coyote stories:
Mervate Mohammad: yup, I saw one crossing over from the subdivision on 109 to the other side of Roberts into the creek by the church.
Scott Kelly Always see them on 131st, Harlem, 135th st., on my front lawn on 129th, If you look hard enough you can see them every day.
Nabrina Nimbus Rosales: I've seen them in Bedford Park by the Swanson Center right behind the police station & also along the train tracks on 99th & Central.
Sarah Rasul: Yeah, I saw one on Old Oak Trail at 6am one day, walking through the yards. He looked thin.
Nabrina Nimbus Rosales: Oh wait, I used to jog along the trail that is in Willow Springs by the Metra stop until I crossed paths w one there too! It was calm, I stopped and let it cross into the woods by the viaduct. It was only a few feet away from me, I for sure thought it would attack me. Thankfully it did not.
Sarah Rasul We HEAR them fighting in the field on Route 83 between the offices and colonial heights.
Tim Moore Yes. We live at 131st and 76th Ave right be the forest preserve. All kinds of creatures are in there and they often come out, too!
Jeff Carpenter a year ago Feb. I had one in my back yard in Old Palos; I see them periodically when I run in the forest preserves. Foxes occasionally on my street also. Anything to keep down the rabbit/chipmunk population. I don't fear them, but I respect them, coyotes esp. They won't typically attack humans unless harried or in a "trapped" situation. I'm more wary of pitbulls.
May Clark We're in Palos Hills and see coyotes every day in the yard, walking down the street...and often in groups of 2 or 3.
Suzy Frederickson I live on 73rd ct in old Palos and big as life about 8am on Sunday there was one strolling down the middle of the street. I have bigger dogs but I keep my cat inside all the time because of them. We also have Foxes that live on the next street east of us.
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While spotting one of these four-legged friends is a common occurrence, attacks are rare, according to information provided by the Cook County Animal and Rabies Control agency. In the Palos area, the county and a few private animal control companies handle instances were trapping might be needed.
Is that enough? Should county or local authorities do more? Are coyotes are big enough threat to warrant more action?
Take our Patch Poll and tell us what you think in the comments!
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Bill Darlington
6:12 am on Thursday, November 8, 2012
I live at 131 Forestview and the Coyotes walk the streets like they own them. Something needs to be done!
david dorrance
7:34 am on Thursday, November 8, 2012
127th and 86th ave area you see Coyotes everyday and you can hear them nightly, they have been a close as 10 feet from me while walking my dog
bob busch
9:01 am on Thursday, November 8, 2012
What else is new ? I live next to the FPD for at least 10 years they have been around.
I have lost one cat to them and another was badly mauled but survived.
The encounter that bothered me the most was when my daughter and her friends were in my yard kicking a soccer ball around it bounced into a bush in my yard low and behold about a 40 lb coyote sprinted from the bush and ran right past the girls.
I got even when my buddy gave us a mutt puppy which was half Shepard and half coyote.My daughter named her Peaches. She was almost pure white with long legs a long coat and a real fluffy tail.She detested her wild cousins and none of them
ever came close after we got her.
Jim
10:18 am on Thursday, November 8, 2012
I live on 131st East of Harlem. During the summer while walking my dog I spotted a coyote coming out of the woods at an angle toward us. (I see the same one every few days in the street or in the grass.) I tried to shag him off by yelling and waving my arms but this guy seemed to be more interested in my dog a bichon/poodle mix. I could not scare him off! He finally came up on us at the curb across the street so I grabbed a bottle from a recycle bin (it was garbage day) and banged it on the curb. That finally sent him back up toward the woods but he stayed there and watched us until a neighbor drove up and got out of the car and chased him back into the woods.
The neighbor told us this was probably the same coyote that killed a small dog from around the corner. Another neighbor's dog was killed a few years back as well on the other side of the block.
I called animal control, they told me to call the PH police, the police told me to call the Forest Preserve District, the Forest Preserve District told me to call a guy who works in trapping coyotes...but only on my property...Seems no one wants to be bothered until somone is injured. But bring up the idea that you're going to protect yourself against them and everyone was quick to give their two cents worth on what I couldn't do...For a change, let's hear what THEY intend to do before someone gets hurt...
bob busch
11:28 am on Thursday, November 8, 2012
A relative of mine found one stalking his little dog right in their front yard.
Usually the damn things just run away.If one has gotten so bold as to stalk
your dog in daytime it should be considered a problem animal and caught.
After that it should be removed from populated areas.
It is just a matter of time before a little kid or infant is killed.
Bill
1:01 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012
I like the presence of the coyotes. Yes, their presence may be a challenge for owners of small cats and dogs, especially unattended pets.. I have never heard of a coyote hurting a person. They do keep in check the small animal/reptile population: snakes, mice, skunks, possums, muskrats, geese, etc.
bob busch
3:16 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012
Dear Bill
Coyotes do keep the pet population in check. I cannot remember the last time I saw a pheasant,bunnies are also scarce
Wikipedia alone has referenced over one hundred attacks on humans
As the coyote population expands they are loosing their fear of humans.
The man in Palos Heights describes one that should be removed to somewhere
else.Culling a population of animals is not always detrimental to the species.
Bill
12:51 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
Bob:
May I suggest you read another Palos Patch article: Coyotes in Palos (Part 2): Steps to Avoid Encounters. It is very well written.
These animals are predators. No, they don't selectively remove some prey, and not others you would like to see remain - pheasants and bunnies.. IMO, the benefits outweigh the negatives. Has anyone ever had their lawn torn up by a hungry skunk looking for grubs? I was in upstate NY where there were so many skunks they were fearless of humans running at my feet. Skunks have been known to have a high rabies incidence.
I would rather live prudently with one predator, than an over population of its prey and their communicable diseases.
As far as attacks on people, have yet to read one story about a coyote/human attack in Palos. If you know of one, please post it. Wonder how many dog bites there are in Palos every year? But no one is calling for the removal of their population.
Ken
3:16 pm on Thursday, November 8, 2012
We have seen them all over the golf courses this year....they dont seem to have any fear of my 5 iron.
Missy
8:50 am on Friday, November 9, 2012
From what I read its unlikely for a coyote to attack humans but I still feel with the population growing less and less wild rabbits aand such its a matter of time this changes. Also I read relocation doesn't work as they try to find their way back. As I love animals even rescue dogs I feel we might as unpopular as my opinion might be have to consider thinning the herd. People usaully don't react till there is incident. These coyotes are brave not skittish like a fox as the pack grows so will their attitude. Concerns me children walking small/medium dogs could attract dangers
bob busch
9:35 am on Friday, November 9, 2012
Coyotes are super smart.I owned a coyote Shepard mix .She was the smartest dog i ever saw and just drop dead looking we loved her dearly and miss her very much.
But she had a wild streak in her that sometimes gave us reason to be concerned.
She absolutely despised her wild cousins and kept them far away from the house.
We have not one but a pack of them in the woods near us we live and let live
but they are getting bigger and bolder as their wild game is consumed I have no
doubt but they would attach a human if they got hungry enough.
bob busch
2:04 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
It is not a valid comparison between coyotes and domesticated dogs
especially if the dog is a pet. Once my pet dog and a buddy of mine were playing with a ball.It bounced off the wall both him and the dog collided resulting in eight
stitches to my buddy.because the dog hit him in the head it was necessary to
place the dog in observation for a week. It is a good law.Living right next to the woods
i would say some of the wild dogs i have scene are worst than the coyotes.
Will a human in Palos be attacked ?,eventually.It will probably be a kid
walking to school or a jogger on a path or a bike rider.I grew up in a place called
called skunk hollow and am sure an adult skunk can handle a coyote.
Bill
3:51 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
The issue isn't a comparison between a coyote and a dog. The issue is human safety. Are you inferring human safety by canine attack is not to be considered because the animal is called 'a pet'? There are local law firms that specialize in dog attacks!
If an adult 'skunk' can handle a coyote, then why do I only smell the spray of a skunk when I am outside of the Palos Park area? I can't remember the last time I have witnessed skunk activity in the Palos Park area.
You speculate that someone will eventually be hurt - so wouldn't it follow:
"No one has been injured by a coyote in the Palos area. ". Correct?
bob busch
5:27 pm on Friday, November 9, 2012
Dear Bill
The threat of law suite exists in canine bites that is one reason we have laws
regulating pets.However who would one sue in the case of coyote attack?
There is a reason places are called skunk hollow.I grew up in Palos Hills
part of which is low land It was full of the critters.I have never scene a skunk in Palos Park in over 40 years.
To say no one has been injured in the Palos area depends on how you
define injured.If you mean bitten,not that I know of, yet. I know some people who have been traumatized by them to the point they will not get out of their cars
in their own driveways at night unless an outside light is on. Others like the man in Palos Heights are wary walking their dogs down public streets in broad daylight.
My cat had as much right to be in our backyard as the coyote who killed him
but poor Brownie was domesticated and gentle unlike the beast that ate him.
Bill
6:00 am on Saturday, November 10, 2012
Bob:
I am sorry for the loss of your cat. The only 'right' Brownie may have had was the right to be hunanely treated. Was your yard unfenced? Did you leave Brownie unattended?
Let's talk about the 'rights' of nature. It is of survival of the strongest. It is of predator and prey. It is all around us. I deal with it in business every day. Natural law will trump any 'rights' man can create. Look at the results of Hurricane Sandy. Many who thought they had the 'right' to live in peace died. The laws of man are not the laws of nature.
For those who live in fear, how about educating them and sharing the information in the link at the top of this page:
http://www.urbancoyoteresearch.com/Relationship_to_other_Humans.htm
The fear we both should have is: fear of ignorance.