Not even big dogs are safe. This 45-pound Siberian Husky was slain by a pack of six coyotes. (Photo: NBC Los Angeles)
Coyotes are marauding through the streets of Southern California, killing pets and, at least in one case, biting children.
The Whittier City Council is considering a measure that would allow a part-time wildlife manager to take on the problem armed with — wait for it — a horn and air gun that fires “water-filled pellets.”
“It’s a negative noise interaction, so when they hear the noise they associate it with something bad and will move on,” said Rod Hill, the Whittier Director of Administrative Services, in an interview with local news. “So every time they see a person, they will have a tendency to move away from the people.”
Maybe that’ll work for adults. But what about children and pets? What will cow these heartless killing machines from hunting our furry friends and loved ones?
At least one resident said that the time for scare tactics is over.
“I think they’re too aggressive already,” said Joanne Frisco-Stathoulis. “We try scaring them off ourselves and instead of running they look at us like, ‘Yeah, lady? I’m not going anywhere; you’re gonna go somewhere.'”
Another resident recounted the slaughter of her 6-pound Maltese. “All I heard was a yelp and she was gone,” said Faye Hill.
SEE ALSO: Killing Coyotes 101 – Daytime and Night Hunting Problem Coyotes
It’s not just little dogs and cats. One owner lost his 45-pound Siberian Husky after it was attacked by a pack of six coyotes. Can you imagine watching your best friend get mauled to death?
This story gets me so jacked up because I’m a huge pet lover. No coyote is going to attack my dog. Period. If I were I resident of Whittier I’d be demanding that the new wildlife manager carry a real firearm with the instruction: shoot to kill!
Were he not to step up to the plate then I may be tempted to deliver vigilante justice. I mean, I hate to say it but what if these coyotes attack another child. Then, we’ll see if “water pellets” and “negative noise interactions” are still an option.
It shouldn’t even have to get to that point. Haven’t we learned the consequences of failing to act? Really, how many more pets need to die before the city recognizes that lethal intervention is the only surefire way to stop a predator dead in its tracks.
Reminds me of a parallel conversation on school safety. But I digress. Kill those coyotes!
Let me just add that I’d never call for the wanton destruction of any animal and that I do not have a problem with coyotes per se. In the wild, when they’re hunting rabbits and squirrels and other small game, they’re fine. I draw the line, however, when they start taking over the streets and murdering Lassie.
Thank you, my error.
You must be from Southern California as I think the comment far more important than a misspelled word.
Good luck, I moved back to America after 40+ years in your part of the woods.
The stupid people that make moron statements like they were here before us are mentally challenged. Just because a species has been in existence for more than your life does not give it dominance. If you could check you would find that there are many many more coyotes now than there ever were. Now that they have almost no natural population control and a much larger supply of food ( pets,people,garbage,and all of the abundant wild life in the human protected ares) coyotes are intelligent and know that you and your pets are easier to catch than wild animals.
The problem is that the coyotes in California have more intelligence than the people running California. There scare tactics will only work for a very short time before the coyotes have it figured out and have figured out how to work around it.
If you’re going to comment on people’s intelligence, then learn to spell in the only language most of you people speak. It’s spelled THEIR .
Get you a dead chicken, feathers and all if you can get one. Inject it with anti-freeze. Pen all the dogs up that are around. Hang it on a tree limb about head high about dark. If it’s gone the next morning you probably got one or two of them.
Desperate times call for desperate measures. Keep your mouth shut and don’t tell anyone PETA would want you jailed. Don’t ask me how I know this.
It is not the coyotes that come out of the hills for a tasty snack of little dog or cat, it is the coyote packs that live in the city – in parks, dug in under the freeway bridge, on property near rail road tracks, near storm drains, unused sheds/garages, in the city/county/state yards, back alleys. We are under siege 24/7 by urban coyotes. They are seen in the middle of the day, they wait for restaurants to use the dumpsters and they love to eat altered male animals(just like we do).
The city council claims they were here first, but packs of coyotes were run out of town 150-200 years ago and have been allowed back. We have dog containment laws and rabies vaccination laws, the city should enforce these laws against coyotes – those that do not have a current color rabies tag should be shot on site.
I have been trying to get someone out to my home in South Lake Tahoe since May because of the coyotes that have taken over our neighborhood. My 12 pound miniature Aussie was attacked by 3 coyotes and she was not even 10 feet from my side. She is always beside me and before I knew it, she was gone. I will never be able to get those screams coming from her out of my head. Fortunately, after 2 surgeries, 85 staples and a wonderful Veterinary staff, she’s still alive. However- the coyotes are still stalking my pups and our neighbors every day. I am terrified to go outside and I constantly worry about my pup as well as the children- I’ve expressed this to the authorities… these animals are a danger to our environment. I’ve reached out to everyone I can think of with each contact expressing little or no concern about the coyotes… my next and only thought is to reach out to the media. I am truly a lover of animals- but the coyotes will eventually cause more harm because they are becoming more and more aggressive.
Do we want a repeat of the jogger who was attacked in 2001? Or how about the child who was attacked by a coyote in 1997?
The day my pup was attacked, it seemed like hours and I could barely breathe, but with my my neighbors help, I got Lo back from the coyotes that day. I’ll never forget when I was running up to the house, the alpha coyote came back for her- he was right in front of me but some sort of noise that I didn’t even know existed inside of me came out and I ran right past the damn thing to make sure my pup was safe and get her to the vet.
We shouldn’t have to live our daily lives in this sort of fear.
In Florida, we do Predator Control for the cattle farmers. Coyotes kill new born calves, fawns and turkeys. A reduction in the coyote population reduces the number of cattle lost, keeps a health heard of deer and turkeys for hunting seasons to come. Coyotes and feral hogs are open season year round in Florida and Texas. Seems California should stop hugging coyotes and start killing them.
I am a big pet lover too, and live out in rural West Texas. I have seen some coyotes around since we have chickens and goats, but we don’t have a coyote problem. We have two Great Pyrenees and a Mastiff. They do a great job of making coyotes and other predators avoid our place like the plague. Not all solutions need to be lethal, but if you are living in an urban-wilderness interface zone you should probably go for two guardian canines.
Another suggestion that I would have is for animal control in urban-suburban areas to use the plastic bullets in 7.62mm X 51mm, they are lethal to most small animals at 50 ft., and they don’t travel more than about 200ft., but sensibly be armed with a shotgun for backup.
Kalifornia, the land of ‘ FRUITS & NUTS !” need we say more ? give it back to mehico already.
Do they eat illegals ?
Not to mention, coyotes are the biggest carriers of canine distemper.
i think the person to ask about coyote control should be talking to ex-vice president joe biden. he would probably tell you to urinate on the coyote or shout swear words at them and that will have a good effect. the worst think that you could do would be to call the coyote “Nancy Pelosi” i am sure that would cause the coyote to go into a catatonic state and forever be afraid of all humans, pets and property.
We need to get David Hogg on this. He can organize all the highly experienced 14 year old professionals to set up c
oyote urinating areas marked male and female and then catch them while they trying to decide which one to use. If that does not work they can bait traps with detergent pods.
“Maundering”? As in “talking in a foolish manner”? Really? Coyotes do that? Huh?
For my entire law enforcement career in Southern California, I routinely eradicated coyotes in and around our property with .22CB caps, or, Aguila Colibri rounds. Sound is a much smaller signature than a standard air rifle, and the rounds cannot be heard from across a standard residential street. Lots of the critters went into garbage bags and dumpsters in the area. Pretty soon, the coyote sightings became minimal until we sold and thankfully retreated from my native state. I remain stupefied that so many Golden State natives, seem oblivious and clueless to the very real dangers of the political coyotes that dwell within the State Capitol in Sacramento, those ‘hotels, are far more of a very real contagion,than any real coyote could ever be.
You killed coyotes with a .22CB? really? did you use 12,000 or 15,000 rounds?
You would ask that question A .22 cal will take down an animal that size with out an issue . Head shot and it is talking to Jesus that is for sure. Hell most contract hits are done using a 22 cal ammo no mess and it goes in the head an bonces around do a good job of stop even a large man place correctly. All you really need is a .22 cal air rifle and you can take a coyote down if you can get close to it meaning with in 40 feet. But a 22lr round it will put one down a 100 yr and if suppressed you will never know what happened. More and more wild animals are becoming comfortable being around humans and that is not a good thing . So the best way to deal with Predators is harshly and quickly before another domestic animal or god for bid a child gets hurt. These Animals are nothing more the dangerous to anyone that comes in contact with one and even though it might run away this time it might run away the next time and being able to protect oneself from them is vitally important. I live in a suburb an when I walk my dogs I always have a firearm on my side just in case I need to use it and I will. Even though you don’t see the wild animals they are there and I have come across then several time but did not have to use force to deal with the situation.
Really,at what distances,are these caught in traps?Having killed well over 3000 coyotes,i would question shooting any coyote with a Colibri,or cb even in a trap,A cb would work on a head shot at very close range.
Fortunately I live in W. TX. I have a carry permit. My dogs are either in a fenced yard or the house. They have a doggy door into the house. An attack on my pets by human or animal criminals will result in severe repercussions.
At least try this type of scare tactics. I read about a farmer who actually fed a pack of Wolves so they would stop attacking his farm animals.
It worked.
Everything in the world is Hungry.
This is the best reply I’ve read. Why kill animals just because they are hungry? They can’t help being hungry. We live in Pompano Beach Florida and I feed parrots, morning doves, woodpeckers, cardinals, possums, a raccoon and 3 community cats in our backyard. It is a residential area and everyone and all things get along fine, so long as they are full of good food.
It sounds like you put your valuables out on your front lawn so that thieves don’t have to steal them.
I like the .32 acp with Glasser Safety Slugs, not very loud and with laser right on at across the yard shots!
In the first place coyotes are solitary animals, these animals would probably be a coyote/dog mix.
With feral dogs running loose it’s becoming a problem of them cross breeding with coyotes across the country.
They have become a big problem because dogs run in packs so it’s what these animals are doing now that it’s in their genome.
Coyote are definitely pack animals not solitary.
I see coyotes all the time and they are not afraid anymore. you call the police and they tell you to call animal control. when you call you get a recording that they are closed. then you call the next day and animal control tells you to call fish and game because they are a wild animal. anyway by the time anyone would respond the damn coyote is long gone. california is so screwed up and makes no sense at all.
If a child is eaten by a coyote in California, the clowns living there will hold a rally, blame the NRA and George Bush, declare the coyote an endangered species and establish sanctuary cities for them.
There is one typical leftist solution that has yet to be suggested: that is, when all else fails, try throwing money at it.
Citizens lacking water-pellet guns can drive off coyotes by urinating on them (unless they mistake the dispenser as a tiny snack). Unfair to women?? Not at all…women can urinate from a head stand to get the proper Arc. Don’t forget the rape whistle, too!
It won’t work. Coyotes are wiley after all.
Why don’t they put up a sign: “Coyote free zone” ?
That should solve the problem!
And the road runs to the edge of a cliff!
I lived, NE of San diego, near Temecula. Everynihht I vould hear the coyotes singing their songs, echoing thru yhe desert hills. One night, not far away I dog a yappy dog barking. Sounds like he was running and barking. Then I heard a yip, then another, coming from the sound of the dog. I heard the dog bark once more. Then such a noise as you’ve never heard. The yipping became howling, and screaming. A sound so horrible, it made my flesh crawl. I never heard the dog again for the rest of the night. Should I have gone out shot at them, or tried to defend the dog? I was just staying in CA for a short time and no chance to pass the extensive and ever expensive rules. Its only gonna get worse
Here are a couple of thoughts; Coyotes may be the solution to the feral cat problem that is decimating the wild bird populations., Import a couple of wolf packs and the coyotes will soon be gone.
Train your Pit Bull to kill Coyotes, they like killing people, maybe this would decrease the people killing
Your thinly veiled sarcasm has been noted.
Then import Mountain lions to get rid of the wolves etc etc etc.
Best get a .22 loaded with 60 grain Aquila bullets. They are short range and devastating on impact.
Recycling is the answer .start using all the protesting signs after the protests are over . Throw those signs at those mangy coyotes . That’s with be effective I’m sure and in California the supply is unlimited . End of problem
I live in Nevada which is getting populated with many eastern and California urbanites. They are now screaming to kill all the coyotes. Why? Because they are a danger to Fido. First coyotes are very difficult to eradicate because they are smart and usually other coyotes will just take over their territory. Another thing is coyotes keep the rabbit and rat population under control. We’d be up to our asses in these critters if it wasn’t for the coyote. Simple precautions such as being with Fido instead of leaving him unintended in the back yard and usually a air horn will scare coyotes away. I’ve hunted coyotes on many occasion and it takes a lot of effort to kill just one. Coyote populations are controlled with the amount of food in the area and populations do not expand unless the food expands.
OK, put out food and water for your neighborhood coyotes, talk softly to them and nurture their ability to associate with humans. turn them into dogs, have cesar milan come out and train them. The Coyotes around here like the geese which many people complain about because they tend to leave a lot of droppings which apparently many people haven’t the sense to avoid stepping on. So we have ferel cats, possums, skunks, geese, annoying neighbors who play loud music, and coyotes. If possible I would get rid of the neighbors and invite the coyotes to live with me.
Superg, you’ve got it all wrong. The toddler will be blamed for tempting the predator who needs to be protected, fed and allowed to flourish in its natural environment.
This is as dumb as it gets.
Very similar to an e-mail I received a few years ago telling of a Texas wildlife agent speaking to a group of ranchers about the coyotes killing their sheep and calves–the solution was to capture and castrate the males thus shrinking the population OVER YEARS—-duuuuuuuuuuuh
An elderly good Ol’ rancher stood up and said it so eloquently——
Son you dont seem to understand the problem——
Them coyotes aint fucking our animals —THEY ARE EATING THEM!!!!!!!
Now that is freakin hilarious!!!
For the longest time I have seen the difference between people on opposite sides of the never ending debate over the 2nd amendment as fundamentally a difference between rural folks and those who live in big cities or suburbs. The reason I figured these 2 groups’ perception of this debate is so different they may as well not even speak the same language is because people who live in suburbs and big cities have no idea what it’s like to live in an environment where your position at the top of the literal/physical food chain can NOT be taken for granted! When you do live in the same habitat as natural predators that you are not capable of defeating in physical “hand-to-claw/tooth” combat and the nearest help is too far away to reach you in time, it is basic common sense (on an instinct to survive level) that you should reclaim your position atop the food chain by arming yourself. Since you need your position on the physical food chain to be completely indisputable, this is the most legitimate justification for civilians to own high caliber & high capacity weapons of war!
But these people’s completely irrational response to the introduction of natural predators into their own habitat directly contradicts the way I had always rationalized the polarization of this issue in this country… This is just very confusing to me.
I live in a small town, there are predators, both two & four legged. Everyone needs to be able to defend themselves, family, property & animals. As I am to old to do it without weapons I go armed at all times. If I come to a place where weapons are not allowed I simply walk on by and take my money elsewhere. Works for me.
Catch them and send them to the local jail. Then, put them in lockup with the child molesters!
You can’t put them in the local jail in CA because they are undocumented. What we need is a couple sanctuary homes to protect them all.
I don’t understand. Why aren’t the guns doing their job? They just sit there while pets and children are being harmed. Must be a manufacturer’s defect. (I love sarcasm)
All this is not a problem if the neighborhoods would just adopt a coyote as their pets- soon you would be feeding them (em- birth control) giving them sweet sounding names- “fluffy killer” — “where’s kitty”- that kind a stuff. Problem solved- not a shot fired- and you no longer have to yell at “Mrs Stevens” for feeding the yotes.
It’s not just CA! Libtards in Ann Arbor MI have a deer problem, with increasing deer-car collisions, even deaths. Their solution: trap some does and perform surgical oophorectomies….they’re also considering “birth control solutions,” but I don’t know if that means abortions
The Doe would have to choose to have an abortion.
You can’t cure stupid, and the bat shit crazy people of California just keep adding data to support this assumption.
Why anyone would tolerate living there is beyond me, and this is from someone that lives in the People’s Republic of Illinois.
Yes you can fix stupid. Every county of every state in the US has an SPCA with a free or low cost spay and neuter program. All you have to do is get the stupid people to the vet to get them fixed so they stop polluting the gene pool.
As a younger man – was hired by ranchers in south Texas to hunt coyotes. Learned a lot from them. One that coyotes are cleaver, smart and resourceful. If you fail on your first attempt – they do learn from it. So lots of luck with the horns an air rifles. Found the best cure is 22-250 with a well placed shot. Forget the baits, traps and other gadgets – they do learn and fast
The solution comes from the organization,P.E.T.A ( People Eating Tasty Animals ). Get a French chef to come up with a recipe for Coyote Milanese or some such dish, have him prepare it on The Today Show, and liberals will creat a demand for Coyote tenderloins, coyote briskest, or whatever else would be deemed trendy. Rachael Ray could whip up a recipe for 30 minute Chile con Coyote, or coyote parmigiana. Soon the over populated coyote problem will disappear and liberal desire will create a new industry. Farm raised, organic coyotes, fed nothing but vegetables and tofu. If the Japanese consider horse meat a delicacy, why can’t we do the same for coyotes??
LOL, sign me up
Growing up on a ranch people would ask if I ever ate rattle snakes, well of course I have and I don’t recommend it. Traveling in the third world presents lots of strange dining opportunities, example, Parrots, pretty good, Iguana, very good, mountain lion, tastes like turkey, horse meat, stringy, ok, and on and on. Lots of cultures eat dogs and cats in a pinch, the Brits like Eels, China has a dog festival. My thought was, lets spread the rumor around the hunting communities that Coyotes are good to eat and the bag limit is one, problem solved.
First, It’s California, so who gives a damn?
Second, As for the rabit and squirrel guy at the top. Just how MANY coyotes do you think climb trees? None, so the squirrels are still safe, thank God!
As for rabbits, put all there is in a pen, and then add ALL the coyotes, my guess is less than 10% would get one rabbit!
WHY do you think they came to town to start with? One is Lack of wild food, the second is because California is to stupid to just shoot the damn things!
Shoot a thousand or two, and your problem is solved. “THEN THEY WILL FEAR YOU!”
UNTIL THEN AND ONLY THEN YOUR JUST WASTING TIME, LIKE YOU DO WITH EVERYTHING ELSE!
He said rats, not squirrels.
Exactly how do you propose to round up “all there is” of the rabbit population and put them into a pen with, presumably, all of the coyote population?
You’re an idiot.
It seems he’s a whole lot smarter than you are. You must be a Californicating Liberal who doesn’t quite understand sarcasm.
Thanks. I’m sure your correct that he’s a libtard CA asshole.
It IS CA though. If the yotes eat the libtards, and libtard kids…then I really see NO down side to it..??
Leave them be. It’s just natural selection..the yotes are simply smarter than the libtards are..so they SHOULD win! 😉
LOL it’s California! You had your chance to vote those gun scared advocates out and residents let it happen. Little by little our rights are eroded. Now go get your water pistol before they’re banned too. We are morphing into a society called idiocracy, just ban pets. Then there will be no need to protect them.
Coyotes are natural eating machines. But so are dogs. They are scavengers (so are dogs) and they breed (so do dogs).
They are also easily domesticated but you don’t want one for a pet. Basically in the wild, coyotes see cats as rabbits. There isn’t much difference to the coyote. And the coyote has to eat.
Like dogs, when they run in a pack, they are dangerous. And yes, they’ll attack a 45 lb husky since its not part of their pack.
OTOH, most coyotes don’t like interacting with people. Its possible they might go after a young child, well dogs see small children as other dogs anyway.
Its hard to say. I’ve seen them move in a pack out West and just look at me, and move on. I’ve seen them get aggressive when in a pack.
Now how to control them? Simple: stop effing moving into their environment! We are invading their territory not the other way around.
So yeah they will dig through your trash, hunt your house cat and small dogs, and they’ll eat anything else to stay alive. Its in their nature to survive no different than you or me. I mean absent money and a grocery store, you’re going to be hunting and gathering for your meals. Coyotes don’t have money and they don’t go shopping in the local grocery for rabbit stew, berries, and the like. They do that in the wild.
So when you move into their territory where they get their food, yeah you’re in their way.
You are a blithering moron. Read what you posted and then figure out why.
Well if all the snowflake libs of Cally would step up, get a gun and kill down the population the problem would cease to exist. Look a illegals you don’t eliminate the predator they keep multiplying
You’re speaking to deaf ears. I think I’d rather have coyotes than Liberals.
Same here, and as for California? 49 states is fine with me. Extend the wall up to B.C.
Get smart! get a CCW and kill the Coyotes and say it was self-defence !!!!
Really Larry??? ….Read Much?…..It’s California…..you’re the one who needs to “Get Smart!”……it’s next to impossible to get a concealed carry permit in California…..any other bright ideas?
WELL JERRY MC-EINSTEIN—YOU SHOULD PRACTICE WHAT YOU PREACH
CALIF HAS HUNDREDS OF COUNTY’S AND ITS THE COUNTY SHERIFF THAT ALLOCATED CCW.
IT JUST DEPENDS ON YOUR COUNTY AS TO WEATHER OR NOT YOU GET A CCW. IF YOU LIVE IN A COUNTY WHERE THE SHERIFF WONT GIVE OUT A CCW THEN MOVE TO ONE THAT WILL OR VOTE HIM OR HER OUT.TAKE BACK THE STATE FROM THESE GUN GRABBING ILLEGAL LOVING NUT-JOBS LIKE JERRY MOONBEAM BROWN AND THE LIKES OF HIM.
I WILL CAUTION YOU–EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN GET A CCW IN SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY ITS NOT GOOD IN MANY OTHER COUNTYS.
Good luck getting a CCW in Southern California, discharging a firearm in the city will get you thrown in jail.
Unless you are illegal. Then you get a lawyer, a house, food stamps, welfare, and the right to get away with murder.
Does anyone else see all the parallels in this story to other CA issues? They want to protect all the warm blooded things even when warned of impending dangerous behavior. They don’t give a shit about threats until its at their very own front door. Even when the threats are overwhelming, government still does not want to use the force necessary to stop the threats. Peoples loved ones are being killed in increasing numbers; yet, in spite of those losses: the government action offered to solve the issue are laughable.
This is what you get in a Sanctuary State.
I read a recent article reporting on a study at Cal State Fullerton which examines the stomach contents of various killed or euthanized coyotes. They are ultimately do a microscopic examination of everything they find, as well as genetic testing of some remains. AS it turns out–so far–only about 8 % of a coyote’s diet is cats (they did not test for dog because of the confusion of canine DNAs), and the rest pretty much anything and everything, mostly garbage, including plastic, and small animals. People feeding them has little if anything to do with it. These dogs are smart, aggressive, and very adaptable. If you try to kill them off, studies indicate, they simply breed larger litters.
The studies that claim coyotes have larger litters never follow up to determine pup survivability. Anyone whose ever participated in 4H will tell you just because an animal has a larger litter doesn’t mean most or all will survive.
What? someones having trouble with “the song dog of North America” some kindly neighbor likely started feeding them. Coyotes are one of the most interesting animals I’ve ever hunted, but once they’ve found a good source of food (house cats) they aren’t likely to go away until the cats are gone or they are killed, they are a critical component in any natural eco-system keeping rodents snakes etc. in check, but once they make the switch to garbage and house cats they are pretty much useless in that regard. Live capturing and relocating just means they will look for a new human population with tasty house cats and poodles. Attacks on humans are not that rare, I’ve heard of several, one in particular sticks in my mind, a young mother in SoCal was at O’neil park about thirty years ago and making lunch for her family her infant child in a basanet started screaming, she turned and saw a large Coyote standing on the child’s chest biting its face, she was, with great difficulty able to fight the animal off, she and the child were taken to a local hospital for treatment.The solution to the problem is simple “stop feeding, start shooting” those persons that don’t like this should encounter a rabid Coyote.
You really want liberals to get tough and face reality? I’m sorry, that is only going to happen AFTER a child gets snatched and eaten. The toddler will be playing out back and left alone, then she’ll be gone. The excuse will be “I only looked away for a second”. Then the liberals will demand that coyotes be shot on sight, and then the problem will be reduced due to population control. It will never go away though. Coyotes and homeless flock to California, as the weather is nice and the pickings are good.
Happened in Australia… “A dingo ate my baby”