Recent coyote sightings and attacks on pets have led many residents to wonder if there is a spike in coyote activity this year. But local and state officials say sightings are normal year-round and the only unusual occurrence of late is an incident that happened in New Canaan two weeks ago.

"This year we had two (coyotes) take down a deer on West Road," said New Canaan Animal Control Officer Mary Ann Kleinschmitt. The incident occurred on a homeowner's land near an Audubon property.

"More than likely the deer was injured and the two of them were within feet of the homeowner and she couldn't get out of her car," Kleinschmitt said. "She couldn't get out safely. Because of the large amount of food, then the coyotes started howling to let the rest of the clan know they had a food kill."

Kleinschmitt said the attack occurred around 6:45 a.m. on Feb. 24 near a coyote den on West Road.

"There were six sightings within 30 minutes that day and it was the same couple of animals," she said.

In total, Kleinschmitt has tallied 10 calls reporting coyote sightings since January, which she said is normal for a winter season.  In a year, she will typically get about 75 calls reporting sightings but some of those could be reporting the same animal.
When Kleinschmitt learned of the deer attack, she called the highway department to remove the deer. The coyotes had largely eaten the animal by the time the department arrived.

Kleinschmitt cautioned residents to be aware of coyotes, especially this time of year, because the young males are traveling more as they look for life partners and territories of their own.

The New Canaan incident occurred the day after a Westport puppy was killed by a coyote and the same day a Pomeranian-type dog was attacked and killed in Fairfield. The Fairfield attack came two weeks after a resident snapped photos of large coyotes in her yard. New Canaan residents in the northwestern area of town have also said they've seen more coyotes this year in their backyards, on home decks and eating out of bird feeders beside houses.

COYOTE SIGHTINGS ACROSS THE STATE

Despite the perceived spike in sightings, Wildlife Biologist Chris Vann of the state Department of Environmental Protection said there is "not any substantial difference" this year compared to those of the past five years.

"We haven't noticed anything that unique about this winter," he said. "We have very similar numbers (reported) to those in 2005 and 2007."

Vann keeps a log of complaints reported to the Hartford office and acknowledges that not every coyote sighting and attack is reported.  Over the last three months, he has fielded 60 calls which is only five calls more than the average he usually receives from December through February. For the year, he usually receives about 250 calls.

Vann said winter is an active time for coyotes as is the early spring when coyotes are looking for mates and establishing new territories. Late summer is also a busy time, he said, as the young coyotes begin to establish more independence.

"Many people may have never seen (coyotes)," Vann said. "They may have lived there 20 years and a coyote has never established a territory there. (Coyotes) may travel rights of way for power lines, open space trails, walking trails — so coyotes are certainly traveling their circuits and defending their territories."

"I don't have any strong evidence that there is an unusual push into new areas that perhaps have not had coyotes previously," he added. "I know the number of complaints over the last dozen years has increased and you could attribute that to many factors. One of them could be, yes, coyotes are very adaptable, capable of living on developed landscapes. They can live in and around populated areas, not just the edges of town open spaces. Coyotes can live in a small pocket of forested area and can survive on the outskirts of a neighborhood."

Vann said coyotes especially like coastal areas where there is an abundance of food sources and plenty of cover. Riverside in Greenwich has been an area that coyotes frequent often, he said.

PET ATTACKS AND HOW TO PREVENT THEM

As far as attacking cats and dogs, Vann said a coyote may attack a cat for food and even a small dog but mostly "a dog to a coyote is no different than another coyote."

"They don't want that animal around," Vann said. "They may visit yards and may challenge and attack a dog but it's not a predatory attack, it's just a turf war. ... We have a lot to learn but a lot of the behavior is territorial aggression, not predatory behavior."

As a result, Vann and Kleinschmitt both say dogs under 25 pounds should not be left unattended in the yard at night.

Fairfield Animal Control Officer Paul Miller said the same thing in a previous article on Fairfield Patch. He advised residents not to leave small dogs, cats or small children unattended outside and to remove food from their yard, such as bird seed or bowls of cat food and dog food.

"The days of leaving your dog outside by itself at night should not be done anymore," Fairfield Police Lt. James Perez said in the same article, adding that pet owners should walk their dogs on a leash at night and carry a flashlight. If they come across a coyote, they should shine the flashlight in the coyotes' eyes, make noise to scare the coyote, go inside immediately and call 911, Perez said. He said dog owners should not try to challenge a coyote.

Dog attacks are not unique to this year. Vann said there have been reports previously and Kleinschmitt said three dogs were killed by coyotes in 2009 in New Canaan.

Coyote attacks on humans aren't unprecedented either. Two girls, ages 3 and 6, were attacked by a coyote in separate incidents in Rye and Rye Brook, N.Y., last summer. One involved a rabid coyote.  Miller also has said a woman walking out of McDonald's in Connecticut with a bag of burgers a few years ago was bitten on the leg by a coyote, but that instance was partially due to McDonald's employees feeding the coyote, who came to view the area as both a food source and his territory, according to Miller. The McDonald's was in Branford.

In severe situations, where multiple pets have been attacked, threatened or approached by aggressive coyotes, Vann said the option is to trap it if within season or get a state permit to hire a professional nusiance wildlife trapper.

"We only issue a handful of permits a year for those but there are growing concerns," he said. The regular trapping season ends March 15 but the state can issue special permits outside that season if necessary.

To view information on the DEP's website about coyotes and tips on preventing conflicts with them, click here.