Home › News › Environment
Coyote trapped, another found dead in Estero
U.S. 41 and Corkscrew Road
RELATED STORIES
- Development bringing coyotes closer to humans
- Coyote might be behind cat disappearance in Collier
- Education may be answer for Estero’s battle against dangerous wildlife
- Dogwalker beats down coyote at Lighthouse Bay in Estero
- Coyotes now blamed for killing goats in Bonita
- Coyote bit Estero woman in latest attack, report says
- Fifth coyote attack proves predators still lurking in Estero
- Wildlife officers will now respond to coyote attacks
- FWC confirms presence of coyotes following dog attacks
- Traps set for coyotes after latest attack in Estero
- Coyote attacks another dog again in south Lee
- Dog-snatching coyotes attack again
- Coyote blamed for snatching dog in Estero
More Environment
- FWC reopens Holey Land and Rotenberger wildlife management areas
- Some against shortened rural growth plan review
- Top five ways to conserve water during the holidays
Tell us about it
- What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
- Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
- Upload photos & videos
- More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.
STORY TOOLS
Share and Enjoy [?]
Three people whose dogs died during encounters with coyotes roaming the Estero area say they are sad events led to the ultimate demise of the animals, but are pleased that action is being taken in an attempt to protect humans and pets.
A female coyote was trapped and another coyote was found dead during the weekend, said Gary Morse, a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) spokesman. The agency was notified of the trapping and death late Monday.
Karin Anderson, who had the first encounter with the coyotes on March 6, said Tuesday morning she appreciates something finally being done about the coyote problem in Estero.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’m pleased they did something about it. I’m pleased we have confirmation it was coyotes. It’s sad it had to come to this, but it’s for the safety of everyone really.”
Joyce Hyer, whose husband, Heydon “Donie” Hyer, suffered injuries when their Pekinese Chugger was attacked and killed, said she was thankful for action being taken in an attempt to control the coyotes.
“Of course Donie and I both are very tender hearted and very animal oriented,” Joyce Hyer said. “A lot of our charity goes to animal organizations, but I’m certainly not against the coyotes being done away with. I would like to have another dog and I would like to go back to feeling safe.”
But, that may not be possible.
“I guarantee you, there are more out there,” said Martin Main, a leading coyote researcher who works at a University of Florida campus based in Immokalee.
Donie Hyer believes the one that attacked Chugger was a female because of its size — it was smaller than the approximate 35 pounds a typical male coyote weighs.
When informed about the two coyotes, he said, ‘I am delighted there are at least two gone, but I’m sure it’s not nearly solving the problem.’”
The main culprits may still be out there.
The female coyote was not nursing, said FWC officer Joanne Adams.
In earlier interviews, Main said he believed the coyotes attacking small dogs in The Brooks area were a mated pair seeking food for the female’s pregnancy and subsequent birth of pups.
One woman who lives in The Brooks area reported seeing four pups near her home in a preserve area.
If the captured female is the mother, the pups will probably die in a day or two, Main said Tuesday after learning of the capture and death of another coyote. At a meeting last week for residents of the Brooks, Main said if the father is dead, the mother could potentially raise the pups on her own.
If the pups can be found, Main said, a zoo or other similar type facility possibly could be contacted to keep them alive and use them for educational purposes.
The dead coyote was found in the 9200 block of Hollowpines in the Shadow Wood neighborhood of The Brooks.
“It was not shot, but may have been hit by a car,” Adams said. “A resident picked it up and threw it into the woods.”
A necropsy will not be performed on the carcass.
“It was too decomposed” and “vultures had gotten to it,” Morse said. The sex of the dead coyote could not be determined.
FWC officials and Main have said in earlier interviews that any coyote caught by the private trappers will be euthanized.
More than 20 sightings have been reported in The Brooks area since April 12, 2007, with three more reported in the past several days, Adams said.
The three reported attacks on small pets occurred during the nighttime hours when coyotes typically are more actively searching for food.
The first reported attack on a dog came when Anderson was walking two pugs. Anderson said the coyote grabbed Bella, the one she was babysitting. Its remains were never found.
Lance Franklin and Julie Fortney’s malti-poo, Oliver, was attacked on May 10. His carcass also has not been found. A fourth person, Susan Love, saved her dog and another dog she was sitting during an attack attempt on May 19.
Anderson and Franklin escaped injury when the coyotes attacked, but Hyer was not as lucky.
He broke two toes, had 16 stitches in one hand and numerous other cuts and scratches requiring medical treatment. Even though he doesn’t believe the coyote scratched or bit him, he had to undergo rabies booster shots.
“He’s making progress. He’s still wearing a boot on his foot. The stitches have been taken out. I think he’s made a really good recovery,” Joyce Hyer said of her 71-year-old husband.
Donie Hyer didn’t have to take the usual battery of rabies shots.
“He had rabies shots as a child,” Joyce Hyer said. “He was trying to catch a squirrel when he was about 8 years old and his dad, being a doctor, insisted he get the shots. He (recently) only had to get boosters. He only had to get three.”
Even though the Hyers and Fortney have yet to replace their dogs, they wanted to thank the community for the outpouring of support.
“We have had so many phone calls from people throughout The Brooks, saying ‘we are so sorry about your dog,’ ” Joyce Hyer said.
Fortney also had similar comments.
“(We) have received cards in the mail from people we don’t even know,” Fortney said. “We just really want to thank everyone who has opened up their hearts to us and are praying for us. It really brings a tear to my eye that there are so many kind people out there who really care.”
E-mail Valli Finney at vallimfinney@yahoo.com
---
Coyote Facts:
-- They are found in all 67 Florida counties
-- Coyotes usually shy away from people
-- If you spot a coyote, pick up small animals and children so they don’t seem like prey to the coyote
-- Do not leave food items or garbage out overnight when the animals are most active
-- Coyotes generally breed beginning in March and have litters of pups in May or June
-- Pups stay in the den for about eight weeks and first venture out to being hunting with their parents when the pups are about 10 weeks old
-- They stay with their parents for about a year before finding their own areas in which to live
-- Coyotes typically have a range of about 10 to 15 square miles
-- Attacks on humans are very rare
Source: Information provided by Martin Main, a leading coyote researcher at the University of Florida.
Comments
This site does not necessarily agree with comments posted below. Comments are the sole responsibility of the person posting them. Break our rules, and we will ban you. No exceptions, no second chances. Read our privacy policy & user agreement.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
#1 Posted by captred7 on June 3, 2008 at 9:44 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
#2 Posted by CELTLUV on June 3, 2008 at 10:03 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
#3 Posted by captred7 on June 3, 2008 at 10:29 a.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
#4 Posted by captred7 on June 3, 2008 at 10:39 a.m.
Yeah, but I doubt that pug and small children are a natural part of their diets.
Where I keep my horse up north - coyotes are common, but they avoid the farm, horses, people and dogs like the plague. So their behavior here is unnatural and they definitely should be tested for rabies.
#5 Posted by RitaPearl5197 on June 3, 2008 at 11:23 a.m. (Suggest removal)
so when they are caught what happens to them? Are they killed or freed to the golden gate estates area??
#6 Posted by Hendry on June 3, 2008 at 11:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
You can just imagine what choices the first settlers in Florida faced.
With urbanization encroaching on animal habitat, such attacks are bound to happen.
Its such a sad tragedy about the dogs killed and the man who was bitten. I am sure they are all devastated. My heart goes out to them.
On the coyotes behalf, they probably would have preferred a deer than having to resort to small dogs. I am sure they were desperate and frightened
Sad story when thinking about the pups who will probably not survive without their mama.
Sad to think about the owners without their dogs.
These are the realities of the struggle to find balance.
#7 Posted by MarthaSimons on June 3, 2008 at 11:35 a.m. (Suggest removal)
What deer? What rabbits? What wild turkeys. Even the bees and butterflies are disappearing. We are not good at having God given dominion over our land here in SW Florida...real estate and commercial developers seem to have dominion!
#8 Posted by thunderlightening on June 3, 2008 at 12:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Sharon--I live in Estero and see deer, rabbits, and turkeys in my backyard often. In fact, I have purchased a pellet gun to chase off the deer and hogs b/c they are eating my landscaped plants!
#9 Posted by Midwesterner on June 3, 2008 at 12:50 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Just happened to find a dead coyote in Estero? More than likely some homeowner set out poison. Dangerous.
#10 Posted by enufenuf on June 3, 2008 at 1:23 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Lordy lordy lordy I love it.
"(Insert something living here) is not part of the natural ecosystem and should be removed."
Exactly how long does something have to be in an "ecosystem" to be considered native?
Exactly what line of demarcation separates one "ecosystem" from the next "ecosystem" and how does one reconize it?
Nature has no balance. It never has and never will. This holds true for all things animate and inanimate.
Too many people take the short look at Nature and try to draw lines here and there saying this is "natural" and that is "unnatural".
Things that affect Nature on Earth are not even limited to its own atmosphere. The Moon, the Sun, and Earth's current position in its evolution (orbital path) around the Sun all affect it. And that's just a few things off the top of my head.
Are those things considered "Unnatural"?
Man can effect changes, either intended or unintended, to the enviroment but he can not destroy the enviroment. Some of the changes Man does effect can cause the end of some if not all Life on Earth. To include his own.
When things affect Man adversely he must take action or be over run. This is the same thing the Coyotes are doing now.
The only differences are that the Coyote does not have to overcome a bloated bureaucracy to get something done in a timely manner and, apparently, the Coyote has more laws protecting it than there are to protect Man.
#11 Posted by Neal on June 3, 2008 at 2:03 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Neal: to be considered native, flauna and flora in Florida (don't say that too fast) would have to have been here before the Europeans came over. That is the definition that is generally accepted by ecologists and others who have expertise in Florida's natural history.
RitaPearl, FYI, testing any animal for rabies involves removing its brain. Obviously this kills the animal. Normally unless the animal has attacked a human, animals are NOT tested for rabies. The dead coyote would be too decomposed and the trapped one may well be put down. FYI, these animals in Florida are habituated to human development and do not have the same behaviors as they do in other areas of the country.
#12 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on June 3, 2008 at 3:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
PS. Neal. so are you a biologist? Ecologist? Not all who work in natural history are part of bureaucracy, btw.
#13 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on June 3, 2008 at 3:36 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Neal,
Man is still at the top of the food chain, right?
;-)
#14 Posted by Optipess on June 3, 2008 at 4:14 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Optipess.....not answering for Neal, but I thought the top of the chain was the cockroach.
Kafka was right, you know.
#15 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on June 3, 2008 at 4:20 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It's Bush's fault.
#16 Posted by cousinjed on June 3, 2008 at 5:24 p.m. (Suggest removal)
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
#17 Posted by Bullbat on June 3, 2008 at 7:15 p.m.
(This comment was removed by the site staff.)
#18 Posted by elnuestros on June 3, 2008 at 8:06 p.m.
el, yep, sure did. However for long term survivorship, my money is on the the cockroach I used to have a fossil of one. Wonder if they will collect fossils of us? LOL
I like rats. (first cousins?)
#19 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on June 3, 2008 at 8:22 p.m. (Suggest removal)
It looks like Moonbats are doing pretty well too.
#20 Posted by cupcake on June 4, 2008 at 8:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Its Obama's fault.
#21 Posted by techie on June 4, 2008 at 9:53 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Cupcake, I am sure they will be barking a lot in the near future, too. Earplugs anyone?
#22 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on June 4, 2008 at 11:08 a.m. (Suggest removal)
My fault, all my fault. No, wait, it is your fault.
#23 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on June 4, 2008 at 3:48 p.m. (Suggest removal)
RockfordGrad:
Since you seem determined to make false allegations accusing ecoterror and I of violating the terms of use by submitting multiple identities, I'm sure you'll have no trouble explaining to the webmaster your evidence.
Maybe your false accusations are consistent with the terms of agreement the paper holds with all who post here. Maybe they aren't. We'll find out.
#24 Posted by elnuestros on June 4, 2008 at 5:32 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Coyotes
Coyotes are a direct relative of the dog family much like the wolf and are commonly found in North America. These creatures which are approximately two feet tall come in many different colors but can be identified by their yipping bark, and by the sharp points that their nose and tails have. These creatures weigh between twenty and fifty pounds and cause serious problems for home owners. Besides the obvious risk to family pets, some coyotes have lost their fear of man and have been known to attack young children.
Like the raccoon the coyote is by nature a nocturnal creature that prefers to hunt for food or scraps in the dead of night.
If you encounter a coyote it is advisable to make a great deal of noise to startle the creature into running away.
Kenneth Udut, NeighborHelp Referrals' Affordable Trapping
#25 Posted by simplify3 on June 4, 2008 at 7:06 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Thanks Kenneth for getting back to the topic. Your information is appreciated.
#26 Posted by BlueTonguedVole on June 4, 2008 at 9:30 p.m. (Suggest removal)
BlueTonguedVole: Thanks for the information about how something is considered "native". As a side note I just want to say again that it is still just an arbitrary line used only for reference. And, no ,I am not a biologist or ecologist. Does being a Certified Master Naturalist count? I am that there thing.
Optiness: I say that man is of the most importance of all creatures existing I can not honestly say he is the top of the food chain. Right this moment we each have bacteria, viruses, and a myriad of other life that feeds on us at any given moment. Being top of the food chain would imply that nothing consumes us, in whole or part, during our life.
JunkYardDog: No I am not that Neal. Honestly. I live in Lee County. In my days as a Yonker my folks got divorced and my Pops lived in Naples with the "other woman" who he later married and she became my Stepmohter (not evil).
#27 Posted by Neal on June 5, 2008 at 1:16 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Post your comment
(Requires free registration.)