Urban Coyotes

[somecyguy]

I live on the outskirts of Cedar Rapids in a wooded area and we hear them nearly every night. The entire neighborhood knows not to let their dog outside unattended at night, due to to some close calls. One of my neighbors claims he spotted a bobcat on his security camera. I know they are around, but I'm a little skeptical of that one.

 

[12191987]

I live in Urbandale and my yard backs up to a green space/wooded area near 80-35. There have been coyotes reported in the area, but they haven't been much of an issue.

Recently, I've spotted a few crossing my yard during the daytime, which is a bit unusual. In the past, I would only see them early in the morning. Should that be a cause for concern? I don't have pets, but I do have young children who play in the back yard.

How young?

We’ve got a ton of them in my area. They’re getting bolder about where they venture, including well into purely urban settings. We have one beach area where people get pets snatched midday while they’re nearby. I’ve not heard of any attacks on children.

My understanding (corroborated by direct experience) is they’re pretty leery of messing with humans in general.

If your kids are too big to be carried off they’re probably safe? Certainly elementary age and above will be fine during the day. At least if it is just individual coyotes. Not sure what a pack might do.

 

[BoxsterCy]

Could use more coyote and fox in the Twin Cities right now, freakin' rabbits are EVERYWHERE. I went for a short walk around the neighborhood this summer and saw a dozen, some were BIG bunnies. And the deer to. Owls and hawks can't keep the rabbits in check so we could use some canine family help.

Been a few years since I saw a coyote in the hood but they have denned in Theo Wirth Park near me. When I see a fox, rarely, they are mangy and creepy looking sick dudes. Did have a attack on a little foo foo dog in backyard near me but the dog was not taken/killed. Dumb owners yard backs onto the big park and they left their mini dog out after dark.

Did get a nice image of one in 2023 by U of M campus along Miss River bluffs. One healthy looking dude.

 

[12191987]

A neighbor up the street had a small dog that was taken a few years ago. they left their dog outside unattended at night for long durations so I wasn't surprised to hear that it had happened.

Damn.

Neighbors of mine have lost outdoor cats (which I personally think are a bad idea in a city).

I like to take my small dog off leash on local trails, but have stopped the last few years after a few encounters (sans doggie). We don’t let her in the backyard by herself at night anymore, though it is probably safe.

 

[CYdTracked]

It's a result of the growth of the metro area that have been gradually turning farm land and areas they used to live for a long time into commercial and residential developments. My camera has picked up a lone coyote or fox crossing the driveway in the middle of the night sometimes but we also have a big retention pond right down the street with a bunch of geese so they are probably looking for a late night meal.

Probably not wise to leave small pets outside when they are roaming. Coyotes usually leave humans alone if they are not provoked, probably would keep an eye on really young kids though.

 

[HFCS]

Could use more coyote and fox in the Twin Cities right now, freakin' rabbits are EVERYWHERE. I went for a short walk around the neighborhood this summer and saw a dozen, some were BIG bunnies. And the deer to. Owls and hawks can't keep the rabbits in check so could so some canine family help. Been a few years since I saw a coyote in the hood but they have denned in Theo Wirth Park near me. When I see a fox, rarely, they are manly nad creeping looking sikc *****.

Did get a nice image of one in 2023 by U of M campus along Miss River bluffs..

View attachment 153113

That's an incredible photo. They can be very beautiful and cute sometimes. I could be wrong but the hair looks far more thick and fluffy than typical coyotes in SoCal, that one looks much more like my husky than the ones around me.

 

[CyCity]

I've seen a million rabbits this summer.

Yeah the bobcats in my neighborhood need to step up their work.

 

[ScottyP]

How young?

We’ve got a ton of them in my area. They’re getting bolder about where they venture, including well into purely urban settings. We have one beach area where people get pets snatched midday while they’re nearby. I’ve not heard of any attacks on children.

My understanding (corroborated by direct experience) is they’re pretty leery of messing with humans in general.

If your kids are too big to be carried off they’re probably safe? Certainly elementary age and above will be fine during the day. At least if it is just individual coyotes. Not sure what a pack might do.

2 year old and 4 year old. Obviously not letting them be outside at night.

The 4 year old has a tendency go outside without an adult to play and the younger one will sometimes follow outside. My 4 year old was recently diagnosed with autism due to eloping concerns (going outside without permission, playing too close to the street. etc.)

 

[pourcyne]

I heard yesterday from a neighbor that a mountain lion has recently been spotted here in the Laplands.

What do you call an urban myth when it's out in the country?

As for coyotes, yes, we have tons. They have chased the dog, stalked baby pigs in the pasture (super clever strategy, too, working in pairs and running the momma ragged until she slipped up and lost track of one...), and we once saw one catch a chicken in the yard in broad daylight.

 

[awd4cy]

I live on the outskirts of Cedar Rapids in a wooded area and we hear them nearly every night. The entire neighborhood knows not to let their dog outside unattended at night, due to to some close calls. One of my neighbors claims he spotted a bobcat on his security camera. I know they are around, but I'm a little skeptical of that one.

I saw one in my yard at 8:30 in the morning. They are around. I am out in the country though.

 

[BoxsterCy]

That's an incredible photo. They can be very beautiful and cute sometimes. I could be wrong but the hair looks far more thick and fluffy than typical coyotes in SoCal, that one looks much more like my husky than the ones around me.

Yeah, this was in March so it still had a winter coat, made it look bigger. The coyotes I saw in AZ in April did look a LOT scrawnier. Right after I was "chasing" it , it was moving back and along the bluff, I ran into a researcher grad student from the university that was doing his thesis on urban coyotes. Got a photo last year, not as good an image, and it was the female who was collared with a tracker from the universities Coyote and Fox Urban Research Project.

 

[isucyfan]

This guy did this absolute boss move in my driveway recently.

New video · Sunday, Mar 30

Tap to view!

photos.app.goo.gl

 

[12191987]

2 year old and 4 year old. Obviously not letting them be outside at night.

The 4 year old has a tendency go outside without an adult to play and the younger one will sometimes follow outside. My 4 year old was recently diagnosed with autism due to eloping concerns (going outside without permission, playing too close to the street. etc.)

My unsolicited advice would to be super cautious with kids that young and secure the doors if need be.

 

[Tailg8er]

This guy did this absolute boss move in my driveway recently.

New video · Sunday, Mar 30

Tap to view!

photos.app.goo.gl

Ha! Did you think it was a neighbor's dog who left it before seeing the footage?

 

[isucyfan]

Ha! Did you think it was a neighbor's dog who left it before seeing the footage?

I was actually watching him eat a rabbit when he later did this deed, so I was filming him when this happened.

 

[CascadeClone]

Their howling will initially sound like sirens in the distance. I usually would hear them in the early morning (~5am)

Our little cheweenie will howl along with the warning sirens when they are testing them. Freaking hilarious.

 

[ianoconnor]

Their howling will initially sound like sirens in the distance. I usually would hear them in the early morning (~5am)

The sirens typically set them off around us - we'll hear police/fire and then the coyotes respond with howling.

 

[RedDog]

I'm familiar with urban cougars around WDM, never seen an urban coyote.

 

[cstrunk]

My property is similar to OP's and also with packs living and vocalizing sometimes loudly and nearby. I've never seen one though. Haven't heard them since last year so they must have moved to a different area for now. Lots of rabbits here now too.

 

[jsb]

I have kind of a wooded, dry creek bed behind my townhouse and when I drove into my driveway the other night at 1:00am, I saw what I thought was a fox (it was definitely orange) but maybe could have been a coyote. I'm sure we have them because there are no rabbits or squirrels around this year. A few years ago we had a bobcat with a bunch of babies. I didn't see it though. The bobcat thing is kind of crazy to me because my grandma in SE Minnesota would always say that they were so rare to see and now I've got them in Des Moines.