Coyotes in Prairieville?

[charliepapa]

I just rec'd this e-mail from a neighbor:

Just wanted to let you know, a coworker of Xxxx's lives off Swamp Road (on the Airline end). Apparently there is a large pack of coyotes that lives in the field back there (at least 15). Xxxx actually saw one of them last week by the sewer treatment plant in the middle of the day. it ran across the road by the lake behind a house and into the woody area. There is growing concern among the neighbors on Swamp Road with pets and small children. Xxxxx won't even go in her own backyard at night. My reason for passing this along is, we have a lot of small children, small animals in our neighborhood. I've seen signs for missing cats etc. Coyotes may be the culprit. Everyone needs to be aware.

Anybody here seen coyotes around there? I'm all for shooting them, but I'm not sure if there's any place over there that would be 500' from a house.

 

[Zip7]

I've never been anyplace in Louisiana that did not have Coyotes. I live in the middle of Covington, and my neighbor has caught two bobcats in a live trap. I trip over rabbits every time I go outside, and while I have not heard any coyotes right at my house, I would be surprised if none ever passed through.

 

[smith625]

I live in Port Vincent which is right down the road and i have seen them on my place.

 

[oleheat]

Basically, Coyotes are everywhere.

 

[themcfarland]

yotes will not go after children, that nuts... they will however take care of the Ferrel cats ....

 

[jrfount]

I live in Port Vincent which is right down the road and i have seen them on my place.

Got them in French Settlement too. When they get to howling it scares my wife but I've never had any problems with them.

 

[charliepapa]

yotes will not go after children, that nuts... they will however take care of the Ferrel cats ....

Dang. There are actually a couple of feral *children* that could stand to be eradicated...

 

[gbundersea]

yotes will not go after children...

Unfortunately, that's not true. Coyote attacks on humans are rare, but they do occur. A 19 year old Canadian singer was killed last year by 2 coyotes while hiking. Here's a page listing coyote attacks on humans, with links to original sources.

 

[oleheat]

I'll say this. If I lived in an area where the coyote population was thick enough to harm pets, I would think twice about assuming they will not harm children. DOGS harm children all the time.
I believe if a group of coyotes were searching for food, they would not hesitate to go after a child.

 

[CrkdLtr]

Sounds like someone needs to break out the Gammo Pellet Rifle.

 

[gbundersea]

Sounds like someone needs to break out the Gammo Pellet Rifle.

Or suppressed .22. Paging Teddy...!

 

[Akajun]

Or suppressed .22. Paging Teddy...!

Not that long ago, I used to see coyote's on Park Blvd by City Park in Baton Rouge by the railroad tracks. A mom and her pups. Now if are pups, there is also a male running around somewhere.

 

[themcfarland]

Greg, I appreciate the correction... I lived for 30 years with yotes within yards of the houses I lived in and never felt they would attack me.. Now I should say with all the game we have here, I would never think they would go after a child, but I have personally trapped several that would not have came to the trap if it wasnt for the ferel cat I used as bait

With that being said, the attacks you likely hear about I would bet were feral dogs and blamed on yotes..

I have hunted and trapped them from the earliest of age, 8 or 9 . when I lived in illinois and indiana and never had one do anything but hold his head and trot away..

If they are attacking humans, I would also say there were circumstances not normal... whether it be distemper or rabies, something... not normal.. That is my thought, after hunting and trapping them for 20 years.. always using snares and a 22 lr.. cept one I got with 12 gauge while deer hunting.. also up north..

 

[kajuntriton]

NOT SAFE for ANY ANIMAL! BUT you can buy some common kitchen sponges, cut them into about 4x4 squares dip them into CRISCO or ANY other LARD, leave them around the coyote sightings, they will eat the sponges and MAGICALLY disapear!

 

[headshot]

I live off of Churchpoint in Gonzales. I hear a pack of yotes howling every time the train blows the horn. It sounds like 8 or 10 of them.

The other night I think they caught something in my back yard. About 1am they started going crazy, right outside my window. A pack of yotes screaming, close to you, is a freaky sound.

I grabbed my AR and a light, ran outside and didn't see 1.

I think they are very afraid of humans

 

[SigArmed1]

I can hear them almost nightly from my house (near St. John Church on 73) and last year one attacked my dachshund and pretty much left her for dead. I had let her out just before bed that night and when she didn't return, I went looking for her. Found her barely alive in a pool of blood near a dead animal. I assume that she wandered up on it/them while they were eating and that was all it took. A neighbor actually shot a big one near the same area not too long ago.

 

[gbundersea]

If they are attacking humans, I would also say there were circumstances not normal...

I too was completely surprised when I heard about coyote attacks on humans. I do think it has a lot to do with urban encroachment, etc. helping to change their behavior. Read through some of the original source articles on that website I posted above; they're pretty eye-opening, and not sensationalized. The attacks didn't seem to be from diseased animals either, but rather from healthy coyotes whose only abnormality was that they'd overcome their natural fear of humans. The attack on the 19 year old was particularly shocking - it was definitely 2 coyotes, as there were eyewitnesses, including LE who shot one of them. People in the area also said this was not the first coyote attack on that particular trail.

Overall, coyote attacks on humans are indeed very rare, as are wild animal attacks in general. However, they do happen. Just my opinion, but in an area where coyotes are known to be present, I'd be very careful leaving children outside unattended.

 

[charliepapa]

I can hear them almost nightly from my house (near St. John Church on 73) and last year one attacked my dachshund and pretty much left her for dead. I had let her out just before bed that night and when she didn't return, I went looking for her. Found her barely alive in a pool of blood near a dead animal. I assume that she wandered up on it/them while they were eating and that was all it took. A neighbor actually shot a big one near the same area not too long ago.

Anyplace over there 500' away from a house?

 

[smith625]

Got them in French Settlement too. When they get to howling it scares my wife but I've never had any problems with them.

Me either, there pretty much nocturnal at this point.

 

[LACamper]

About 2 weeks ago on my way home from work I had to hit the brakes to avoid one. I was on Hwy 51 in Laplace near the Shoneys. I've seen them in the area before but not usually that much before sunset. I guess the rain threw them off?