grace hewitt and emily lewis
55 minutes ago
DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) — Coyotes are at their peak breeding season from late January to March. That is, they become more active during this period.
Officials say now is the time to avoid harming pets, especially cats and dogs. 2 NEWS spoke to local experts about what to watch out for.
With coyote season at its peak, law enforcement and wildlife experts are offering advice on what to do if you encounter a coyote and how to protect your pets and children.
January through March is peak mating season for coyotes, when they become active during the day as well as at night, typically moving an hour before sunrise and sunset.
“When they enter nesting season, they're looking for a place to nest, but then they have more food sources,” said Jeff Turner, owner of Predator Precision. “As activity increases, so does the demand for food.”
Jeff Turner is the owner of Predator Precision, which focuses on livestock conservation and works to eliminate the coyote threat year-round. And this is the busiest time of the year.
Coyotes are apex predators, primarily preying on small animals such as cats and dogs.
Turner says the best precaution is to keep your pet inside the house and let it out together in the early morning and at night.
“Coyotes are going to use cover, and they’re not going to break cover until the very last point,” Turner said. “But they need more food, so as soon as they get the chance, they try to prey on people's pets, small dogs, cats, things like that.”
Now more than ever, it's important that our community knows that we exist. In most cases, a key indicator of a coyote is tracks in the mud. Security systems and trail systems are also captured on camera.
Turner said coyotes can be afraid of humans, but that's not always the case.
“A territorial coyote's predatory instinct is to chase small things. In general, coyotes are afraid of humans. Anything that creates pressure will scare coyotes,” Turner said. “That means people are coming out, screaming and making noise. It's generally possible to scare away coyotes, but there have been some isolated incidents of them chasing small children.”
Click here for more information about coyotes and what local law enforcement is advising residents to do.
