Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/01/21/read-the-fine-print-on-this-co.html
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Good stuff.
We’ve had coyote problems cropping up in the Dallas suburbs for the past few years and it’s a common topic of conversation. I’ve come to the point where I think this is a problem cause by our recent shift towards kindness to these critters.
Not too long ago, if a coyote was brave enough to approach humans or the places where we live, they were shot on sight. This in turn reduced the reproductive rate of the bolder coyotes and increased the reproductive rate of timid ones. Since we no longer kill the bold ones on sight, we are now facing a more aggressive and bolder coyote. I hate to say it, but I think the solution is to go back to killing them on sight.
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Fortunately, the music of Bill Lava starts to play when coyotes are nearby. So there’s that.
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Beware of driving through “tunnels” in coyote territory
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That made me chuckle. 
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A city government cleverly using a sense of humor to enhance the relay of sensible rules…i wonder if it’s real…or a one-off.
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Whoever made that sign was pretty wily.
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Coyotes are alright.
I’ve heard of them playing with peoples dogs.
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That’s so they can lure the dog to where it can be killed and eaten by the pack. A friend managed to save her dog from a coyote pup luring it to where the parents were waiting - she could see the parents watching from behind some bushes but her terrier couldn’t.
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Playing with their food? How rude.
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I often wonder if there should be warning signs about people worried about coyotes.
A local park had a lovely coyote that made the rounds each day. Signs made by a local went up and busybodies came by to warn parents of the danger. When the coyote came around sunset, about when the park would close, the crows would make a particular racket. I’d take my daughter and we’d sit and watch it. This was despite the warnings of people, one in particular, that I was placing my kid in mortal danger just being at the park and not being next them every second. We got to use an old spotting scope I normally use for birding, and it was a lovely thing to watch for a time. We were shocked to see how many gophers and what I am guessing were rodents that the coyote ate, after looking for left over food. It never approached people, even when baited.
One evening in tears, this person said they called the police and intonated I was the reason. I just said, “Ok” and then pointed out all the dangers I was working on with my preschooler. I noted kids were zooming around the parking lot unattended and she thought that was normal and safe. A horn honked as somebody nearly missed a kid sitting on a skateboard. That person stopped talking to me after that. The police never showed up. Shortly after what day it came through the grapevine that the coyote was caught, and relocated or euthanized.
Teaching my kid to be calm, and to sit and observe is super important to my spouse and I. It was a perfect chance to teach my eldest to respect nature and not approach it, because wild animals are wild and unpredictable-and so are people.
This sign was perfect, though I am tempted to make my own addition to any of the community provided warning signs that pop up in the same vein.
Am I wrong to be more worried about the people than I am the wildlife?
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“… and will take what they can get.”
Huh - maybe I’m part coyote.
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Learned behaviour always outstrips any changes in behaviour due to genetics. Coyotes who learn that humans are not scary pass that knowledge on to their children, and the population in an area becomes more and more bold with each new generation.
A quick google spits back lots of papers on what works and what doesn’t work vis a vis urban coyote management. It looks like once a local population of coyotes becomes bold enough to be a problem (not running away from humans, peering into houses, etc), then the only thing that works is removal (killing or relocation) of the worst offenders. If they haven’t gotten too bold, then reducing the easy availability of edible garbage, on the one hand, and educating the public to be aggressive towards them (instead of ignoring them or saying “oh how cool”), on the other hand, can be enough to prevent them from becoming more and more bold over time. More info in this study (pdf).
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why? what do they do thats a problem?
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