What Do You Do If Coyotes are in Your Neighborhood?

The Pennsylvania Game Commission says coyotes have become more common with spottings in many municipalities across the state, including one last year within the city of Pittsburgh.

On the Pine-Richland Patch Facebook page, several readers said they spotted coyotes in the Heights of North Park and Treesdale neighborhoods as well as near Route 8 in Richland Township.

On Wednesday, Beth Martin was surprised this week to see a coyote roaming in the vicinity of Quaker Heights in Leet Township.

“I was coming down the hill and it ran from the wooded bank on the right to the left,” said Martin, who owns a St. Bernard, and hoped to warn other residents, particularly pet owners. 

Leet Township Police Chief William Wanto said it's the first coyote sighting in the area this year, but not at all unusual to hear, particularly in the vicinity of Camp Meeting Road.

Wanto said he’s talked to plenty of hunters who say they've run into coyotes in the nearby woods.

“Last year we had several sightings, mostly in the Walker Park area,” he said.

Tom Fazi, the state game commission’s information and education supervisor for the Southwest region, said he's not aware of any recently reported sightings, but said wild coyotes generally tend to avoid people.

He added coyotes are scavengers that feed on small prey and will typically stay away from pets, as long as people confine their pets to their homes.

“It’s much easier for that coyote to kill and eat a groundhog or rabbit, than to take on a St. Bernard,” Fazi said. 

To avoid encounters with coyotes, the Pennsylvania Game Commission offers these tips: 

• Pet Offense: Don't allow your dog or cat to roam unattended. Pets kept outdoors, should be fenced-in.
• Keep It Clean: Never place garbage bags outside without placing them in protective containers. If you feed pets outside, clean up the leftovers when your pet is finished eating. Don't throw table-scraps, or fish and game entrails in the field behind the house.
• Keep It Clear: Reduce or eliminate vegetative cover, such as weedy patches and fallen trees, that coyotes could use to approach your property undetected. 
• Get Out Of Here: It's never comforting to see coyotes hunting or looking for food near homes. Yell at the animal or shine a light on it immediately. Making them feel uncomfortable is the best way to prevent them from becoming habituated to humans.
• Say Something: If you see a coyote near someone's home or in a suburban setting, let your neighbors know about it. Together, you can keep a closer eye on the neighborhood.

Have you seen coyotes in the area? Where? Tell us in the comment section below.

Like us on Facebook | Follow us on Twitter

Check out some of today's other top stories here.