Apparently coyotes like my hometown, Wheaton, Illinois. There’s been 20 reported sightings in the first half of this month. The city of Wheaton implemented a coyote policy in 2010. This is what they tell you to do when you see a coyote:
Make eye contact and yell at the coyote(s)
Wave your arms to appear as large as possible
Use a noisemaker or a whistle
Throw things at the coyote
Clap your hands
Run toward the coyote to scare it
Act threatening
Spray a hose toward the coyote.
Interesting. My first instinct when encountering a coyote isn’t necessarily to throw things at it or better yet, “run toward the coyote”. My guess would be, well, walk away, go inside, don’t pick a fight with a wild animal, especially since I don’t usually carry any sort or weapon or firearms with me.
“Things” is a rather vague term for something to throw at a wild animal. Maybe this policy allows me to throw fluorescent bulbs or used cans of paint since Wheaton really has no policy for recycling those materials.
Maybe the town of Wheaton doesn’t know that fluorescent bulbs exist. Maybe Wheaton thinks that we still only use incandescent lights or candles. As for the used cans of paint, maybe the town officials scrap the paint out of the cans and used them as frosting on cupcakes.
As for coyotes, if I saw one I would invite it into my house and feed it dark chocolate peanut M&M’s.
Huh. I don’t think my city has a webpage to Report a Coyote Incident (http://wheaton.il.us/Departments/police/safety/coyotes/default.aspx?id=6177)
Sparx, you should use the form to submit your sightings anyways. I’m sure they would appreciate it. Coyotes are a global problem.
I’ve never seen a coyote around here. A few foxes (fox? is it it’s own plural?).
MY dog chased a deer across the yard a couple weeks ago.
… but no coyotes.
You know why you haven’t seen a coyote? Did you hear that coyotes have an invisibility cloak? This cloak makes it very hard to track coyotes, hence why it’s a global problem.