# Downtown Coyotes, All About Chicago's Street Predators - Any Where You Live?



## SeaBreeze (Nov 24, 2014)

Here's an article about the street lives of coyotes in downtown Chicago.  We have them in our area too, and will occasionally see them in the streets, along with foxes, but they mostly stay in the grassy fields. I had a couple of close encounters with them in the past, luckily never an actual attack of me or my dog.   Any in your area?  http://news.nationalgeographic.com/...-animals-science-chicago-cities-urban-nation/


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## QuickSilver (Nov 24, 2014)

I've seen coyotes here... not downtown, but on the outskirts of Chicago.  There's a pack of them in a Cemetery in a pretty populated area.  I've seen them dashing across the street and under the Cemetery fence.   I thought they were ratty looking dogs, but one stopped and turned to look right at me as I sat in my car at a streetlight..  No mistaking that upturned nose and snout..    I also have a home in a very rural area in Illinois.  Coyotes are all over.. they make a racket ... especially the females calling to their pups.  eerie sounding!


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## Grumpy Ol' Man (Nov 24, 2014)

http://researchnews.osu.edu/archive/urbcoyot.htm

Stan, pictured in the above link... and mentioned by name in the OP's link... is my wife's first cousin.  He's one of the most reknowned authorities on coyotes.  He spent quite a bit of time in Nova Scotia, where coyotes have killed more than one human.  Stan says Nova Scotia has a large population of black bears.  More people have been killed there by coyotes than by the bears.  The bears eat berries and pretty well stay to themselves... unless someone purposely agitates them.  Coyotes, OTOH, are predators and will kill anything that walks or crawls.


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## AprilT (Nov 24, 2014)

Scary.  I used to enjoy watching the animal planet when they featured those close encounter shows, I recall them featuring stories on coyotes coming closer and closer into populated areas, but Chicago, WOW, on the show, I think it was mostly areas like California.  Very interesting how easily the hunters become the hunted especially scary if children are left out playing by their lone selves and some animal stalks them.   

You know I have to











The news story for the one in a Chicago suburb.


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 24, 2014)

We hear them especially at night all the time where I live.  There's quite a few of them around, once they get howling, it sounds like a lot.  They have been right behind my back chain link fence, once staring down my cat...needless to say, I ran out and scared it away.

They've been a problem near my house too, mostly stay in the green areas nearby, but kids and pets have been attacked.  They're not fearful of humans at all, and when I see one, and my dog is with me, I put him on lead and keep him close to me. 

 Here's one that was watching me as I walked alone on a path behind my house.  the picture's not good, but he's sitting to the right of that big tree, toward the back.  Some are big like Huskies, well fed.  

 I saw one carrying a fat prairie dog one day.  On another day there were three of them, surrounding a small group of deer, I thought I might witness an attack close up.  One male deer charged toward them, and they backed off a bit, but stayed close and watching.


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## Lee (Nov 25, 2014)

They go between my house and the neighbor's house during the winter. My two cats sense and see them which results in a rude awakening.


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## QuickSilver (Nov 25, 2014)

Yet people leave their dogs outside tethered to leashes.  We call them "Lunch on a Leash" here.  I personally have heard a neighbors tethered dog being eaten alive by a pack of Coyotes.. the screaming was heart breaking.. finally the neighbor came out and fired one shot.. the dog was put out of it's misery and the coyotes scattered.  Why would people do that?  Dogs have no chance of defending themselves or getting away tied to chains..   Coyotes also are fond of very small doggies and kitties.. Part of why MY cats NEVER leave the house.... ever..


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## Don M. (Nov 25, 2014)

It's not only coyotes that are taking up residence in some areas of our cities....but in some places, wild dogs are becoming a real problem.   Perhaps the best example is Detroit, where half the population has left that city, and abandoned entire neighborhoods....leaving behind many pet dogs.  These dogs which have survived are forming into packs, and reverting back to their natural instincts.  They pose a real danger to some of the remaining people in that area.  Coyotes can be dangerous, but they usually are wary of humans, whereas dogs can seem friendly...right up to the point where they attack.


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## SeaBreeze (Nov 25, 2014)

I let my cat out for a couple of hours every day, usually in short spurts, he goes out and comes back in.  Thankfully, he's a good boy and usually stays in our yard, we even take him camping with us off-lead, and he's pretty reliable staying by our truck and hanging out with us and our dog at camp.  I never let my cat out at night, that's really asking for trouble.  I would never even leave my dog outside all day, even with a shelter...and in no way would it be chained like that, absolutely cruel and abusive to those animals.


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## oakapple (Nov 28, 2014)

I had no idea about these coyotes [only seen  cartoon coyotes!] We don't have them here. We have 'urban' foxes who have been known to attack babies in houses though.In the cities.What a worry for you pet owners.


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## Jackie22 (Nov 29, 2014)

There are many Coyotes here, I see them early in the mornings and hear them howling at night, I stay on guard when I let the dog out.


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## QuickSilver (Nov 29, 2014)

Hubby took one of our dogs out at dusk.. he heard the howling of a pack getting louder and louder.. as he picked up the dog and ran, a pack of about 7 ran through the cornfield just  a few feet away..   They obviously weren't hunting as they would not be as noisy, but it's pretty scary to see them. 

They look like dogs, BUT once you look at the face you can tell they are NOT.  Look at those teeth!













Of course, this is a stuffed one, but thats how they hunker up and attack.  Not a good idea to turn your cat out at night or leave your dog tied in the yard.. especially in rural areas... but now even in the city.


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## Don M. (Nov 29, 2014)

When we first moved to the countryside, there were quite a few coyotes roaming the area.  Within a couple of years, about 25 families moved into this 800 acres of forest, and several of them began raising chickens, etc.  It wasn't long before people began "thinning" out the coyote population, and now, we rarely hear one howling in the area.  One time, during deer season, I was hunkered down in a brush pile, when a big coyote came walking right towards me.  He got about 50 feet away before he realized that something wasn't right, and he humped up, bared his teeth and at that moment, I pulled the trigger.  That .270 Winchester hollow point round threw him back about 10 feet, and ended his career.  Predators aren't much of a problem in the country, as the farmers, etc., usually take care of the problem.


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## crochet lady (Nov 30, 2014)

Haven't actually seen these, but they do eat the chickens my neighbor has. In fact, the whole flock of chickens have been eaten except about 2 of them.


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## Don M. (Nov 30, 2014)

crochet lady said:


> Haven't actually seen these, but they do eat the chickens my neighbor has. In fact, the whole flock of chickens have been eaten except about 2 of them.



Yup, if there are any coyotes or foxes in an area, they will go right after chickens.  We used to have a bunch of cute little red foxes hanging around, but the chicken people have taken care of them, and I haven't seen one in years.


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## Debby (Nov 30, 2014)

]......Yet people leave their dogs outside tethered to leashes.  We call them "Lunch on a Leash" here.  I personally have heard a neighbors tethered dog being eaten alive by a pack of Coyotes.. the screaming was heart breaking.. finally the neighbor came out and fired one shot.. the dog was put out of it's misery and the coyotes scattered.  Why would people do that?  Dogs have no chance of defending themselves or getting away tied to chains.......[/QUOTE]



While I feel very bad for any dog that dies like this, I can't help but wonder if those coyotes are taking revenge for the decades of fox and coyote penning that their species has been subjected to by vicious humans.  Apparently this is a sport that is still legal in 19 states, even while dog fighting is totally illegal!  The contradiction is mind numbing isn't it?  At least with dog fighting it's one on one, instead of packs on one coyote and he has no one to defend him. Does anyone find the coyotes or foxes screams heartbreaking?
http://www.wildlifeextra.com/go/news/fox-pen.html#cr

(and yes, the 'revenge' aspect was tongue in cheek because let's face it, those coyotes are only doing what wild animals do which is hunt.)


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