10 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | JUNE 2016 |
There have been a few reports of coyotes in
Sun Lakes recently and people have been asking,
"What do we do about it?" We have found some
safety tips for dealing with coyotes to keep your
family and pets safe:
Never feed coyotes! Do not become their food
source by leaving food out. Feeding endangers
your family and neighbors as it lures coyotes into
neighborhoods.
Avoid feeding pets outside. If you must, feed
them only for a set time during the day (for no more than one hour)
and remove the food bowl as soon as your pet has finished her meal.
• In dry conditions, water can be as alluring as food, so remove
water bowls set outside for pets and make watering cans
unavailable.
• If you compost, use enclosed bins and never compost meat or fish
scraps.
• Good housekeeping, such as regularly raking areas around bird
feeders, can also help discourage coyote activity near residences.
• Remove fallen fruit from the ground.
• Keep unattended cats and dogs indoors or in completely enclosed
runs, especially at night, and do not assume that a fence will keep a
coyote out of your back yard.
• Accompany your leashed pet outside. Make sure you turn on
lights if it is dark to check your back yard for
unexpected wildlife.
• If you have a small dog, and see a coyote, pick up
the dog as an extra precaution.
• Keep dogs on short leashes while walking
outside; the Division of Wildlife recommends a
leash no longer than 6 feet.
• Keep noisemakers on hand to scare away coyotes
that may enter your yard, such as whistles and
horns.
• Don't run away or turn your back on a coyote.
• Do not allow a coyote to get in between you and your pet.
• If walking and see a coyote, yell, clap hands, blow a whistle, swing
a stick, spray mace/bear spray and try to make yourself look larger
during the encounter.
We know that there is a natural food source for the coyotes within
our community with the rabbits, gophers, and mice that are around.
However, we don't want to encourage them any more than we have to.
By following these safety tips, the coyotes will hopefully move on to
find a different food source.
Sources: Lynda Ackert, 8 Coyote Safety Tips, http://www.active.com/outdoors/
articles/8-coyote-safety-tips. Wes Siler, How to Keep your Pets Safe from Coyotes, http://
indefinitelywild.gizmodo.com/how-to-keep-your-pets-safe-from-coyotes-1586728445.
The Humane Society, Preventing Coyote Conflicts, http://www.huntingtonbeachca.gov/
announcements/attachments/preventing-coyote-conflicts.pdf
COYOTE SAFETY TIPS
