Joey forwarded the following information and links from an editorial that was recently posted on “North Shore Nature News.” We’ll post the first several paragraphs from the editorial, and the comment from Jim Schmidt that Joey found particularly interesting. In fairness to the author, the See More, directs the reader back to the original editorial.
“In Nancy Gurney’s classic children’s book, “The King, the Mice and the Cheese,” a king brings in cats to get rid of the mice eating his cheese. He then brings in dogs to get rid of the cats. Lions to get rid of the dogs. Elephants to get rid of the lions. And, finally, mice to get rid of the elephants.We find ourselves in similar straights with the eastern coyote.
Wolves once occupied the top of the area’s food chain. But we hunted them into near extinction. So, with no wolves in the area, coyotes began to enter the commonwealth in the 1950s as the food chain’s top dog. DNA evidence shows the coyotes mated with what was left of the wolves and with dogs. The cross breeding created the eastern coyote, a larger version of what wildlife experts now call the western coyote.
The coyote is bolder and more adaptable than the shier, more reclusive wolf. So, instead of confining itself to rural areas, as the wolf once did, the coyotes occupy rural, suburban and urban habitats. Add the fact that Massachusetts loses an estimated 40 acres a day of rural land to development and it’s inevitable the human and the coyote worlds will collide.” – See more at: Ipswich Wicked Local
Comment from Jim Schmidt:
“I have 54 years of first hand and face to face experience with coyotes. I retired as a fulltime USDA government coyote specialist recently. I have dealt with coyotes in New York, South Carolina, Kansas, Texas, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona. Many remarks in this editorial are very incorrect. Coyote are dangerous wild predators. They are smart, problem solving, professional killers. They kill and eat everything too.
They DO NOT have to be rabid to be dangerous. Look up the “Biting Coyote of Green Valley, Arizona” as an example. This unprovoked coyote attacked and bit 8 adult people. The media and local medical professionals claimed it “must be Rabid” and it was not. How do I know? I was the one that removed him. Coyotes have a very low history of rabies too. I know first hand that coyotes will attack any size animal if it wishes. Three coyotes attacked and killed a large Rottweiler dog while the owner was walking it and another large dog. They killed and ate it-I was there again.
How do they kill a horse you ask? They will run it until it over heats and stops and often lies down and they take them. I have seen it again. They stand at the rear of a cow or horse giving birth and attack and kill the newborn when it hits the ground. Goats, sheep, chickens, cats, apples, water melons, garden hoses, and much more are at risk all the time…basically nothing is safe from the clever coyote. This dangerous animal will never be on welfare as it can take care of itself better than anything I know of or experienced.
I encourage you to learn the truth about coyotes not fantasies. They are a marvel of nature and they are in your state and community now. This is a professional dangerous killer for sure.” Jim Schmidt – See more at: Ipswich Wicked Local
Good Morning Gloucester 
Great article….what is the best way to protect ourselves and our dogs when a coyote approaches?
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Great post! So refreshing to read a balanced, intelligent article. People get crazy and deny that coyotes are dangerous, when that clearly is not the case. No one is saying round them up and shoot them!
To me it is like the vaccine argument – clearly everyone wants their children to be as healthy as possible. Why does it have to be that people who don’t vaccinate are insane? I vaccinate but understand those who are hesitant. It is the truth that not all current vaccinations are effective and/or safe…so why don’t we all get on one team and insist on safer vaccines? Use what we have in the meantime, but make it a priority to find healthier options. On the same note: Why don’t we all get on the same team and find a way to coexist safely with the coyotes, so they are not hurt but we don’t have to be afraid walking our dogs, or just plain walking? Wildlife should be protected, but so should people and pets!
Here is a site I was looking at earlier to find a way to keep my pup safe in our yard. (Check out the coyote roller… not cheap, but may keep a pet safe in a fenced yard..a ridiculously high fence, that is!)
http://www.adoptapet.com/blog/keep-your-pets-safe-from-coyotes/
Thanks for letting me vent..feel much better now. 😀
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A google on Jim Schmidt and it is page after page of Jim Schmidt pointing out how dangerous coyotes are and how he personally captured the vicious coyote.
My take: whenever you try and learn more about a scientific position, cast a large net and find the consensus. Listen to all sides of the controversy but if one side has one person and the other side has the consensus scientific opinion of experts in the field, there might only be one side.
Jenny McCarthy/Wakefield and vaccines, Paul Connett/Fluoride Action, fluoride,, do not get caught up listening to only a handful of rabid people. Like the fluoride and vaccine debate I am sure there are tons of articles connected with Jim Schmidt that could drown me in pablum.
That is why this is my only post.
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Interesting stuff Kim!
In our lifetime from Wiki:
Two fatal coyote attacks have been confirmed by experts: TWO
In August, 1981, a coyote attacked three-year-old Kelly Keen in the driveway of her Glendale, California home and ran off with her. She was rescued by her father and rushed to the hospital, but died in surgery due to blood loss and a broken neck.[2][4]
In October 2009, Taylor Mitchell, a 19-year-old Canadian folk singer on break from a concert tour, died from injuries and blood loss sustained in an attack by two eastern coyotes in Cape Breton Highlands National Park in Nova Scotia, Canada.[5]
Are they dangerous? Yes. Do they hunt and kill animals? Of course they do, they don’t shop at Market Basket to eat. Is the population on the island growing? We don’t know for sure yet. Nor do we know if they can, they tend to self regulate based on the food available. They should however, and will, always exist in Cape Ann, it’s part of this areas natural ecosystem.
Here’s a video of some guys “controlling” the population for the sake of more deer to hunt. At 7:22, you get a good idea of how it would work.
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I need to correct something since comparing Jim Schmidt to Jenny McCarty as an anti-vaxxer is an insult to Jenny.
Jim Schmidt is worse than that. His business is two fold. He is the company president manufacturing custom ammunition to kill coyotes. He also runs contests in Arizona which are pretty much how many coyotes can you shoot in a 24 hour period. Everything he says is the antithesis of consensus opinion of wildlife management. His business thrives on knocking the system out of kilter, killing coyotes so they reproduce faster which makes for more targets and more money for him.
The dude is not a “fulltime USDA government coyote specialist”. Schmidt is a full time asshole. He also seems to know how to google his name and coyote because he comments on every threads like this every chance he can get. He will probably be commenting momentarily since it looks like his name and asshole go together like peanut butter and jelly.
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Nice work Paul!
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I’ve lived on this island for my entire 55 years and for 53 of those years I’ve lived in E. Gloucester. Approx. 10 years ago I saw my first coyote in the seine fields on Farrington Avenue. Over the last 2-3 years I’ve seen more coyotes than I can count. They are EVERYWHERE in E. Gloucester, usually in packs of 3-6. Just last week every day that I drove down into the Eastern Point area I could spot one or more. They are multiplying quickly. As beautiful as they are, it won’t be long before one is attacking a child playing in a backyard. I love animals of all kinds and I have respect for them too, but I’m afraid to think that they have over populated the area……
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This Schmidt dude sounds like a nut job, for sure. Of course wildlife can be dangerous. From my understanding the coyotes keep their own populations in check. If they become too many and food is scarce, some will leave the area looking for new territory. Of course they are everywhere, so there’s that. But I think the number one thing to do about coyotes is to NOT be afraid. In fact, if you see them honk your horn, yell, wave your arms–whatever is appropriate for the situation (don’t approach). Reminding THEM to be afraid is key. Soon the snow will melt and they’ll be able to become somewhat invisible again. There should be a public awareness of course. Keep your pets indoors or on a lease. Keep an eye on your 3 year old (duh). Teach your children to be aware of the wildness. This is life in a wild place. I think folks in Montana, Wyoming, or Alaska would think we’re being a little silly about our fear of the coyote.
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We undoubtedly have the western coyote in Missouri. In all 28 years at our current residence, coyotes have been part of our neighborhood. We leave them alone, but really they are mostly afraid of us. They see us and they leave. We had an “outdoor” cat (A stray who joined us and couldn’t be kept inside continuously. Kim, I want to believe he ate only cat food and the occasional mole!) He died of old age with no assist by a coyote. In my whole life, I have never heard of anyone in our area being attacked by a coyote, nor have I heard of pets being attacked. We have the second largest state cattle herd (4.25 million). Never heard of cattle being attacked or calves being devoured at birth. Frankly, I fear an angry momma cow more than I do coyotes. They are wild animals, and shouldn’t be approached. I think funkyfreshgloucester is right about being assertive if they threaten. And then get the hell out. For heaven’s sake do not feed them or make them comfortable with people. To end this rant, I’ll report that today a man near his house in Wisconsin was accidentally shot and killed by a group hunting coyotes. I have to wonder if they were using Schmidt’s special ammo.
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You are lucky!! We have many cats (and some dogs!) go missing every year. A year or two ago someone sponke on gmg about their cat getting attacked by a coyote – on their back deck! In daylight! Downtown! I have seen my share of the leftover fur etc :(!!! on trails and even neighborhood streets here in rockport…mostly bunnies but not all…makes me so sad as there are so many missing pet posters around our neighborhood! We had a movement activated camera just off our back yard on a path in sparse woods and it caught a coyote in low laying hunt mode while we were playing with our pup..we thankfully went inside just after the pic was time stamped. You can be sure we are far more careful these days.
A friend in Gloucester and her very large dog were chased by a coyote (who was not deterred by her “acting big and yelling”) down Washington street near O’Maley school last year. Someone driving by saw the whole thing and pulled over and yelled “get in!!” and drove them home.
This is why I say it is so important to remain balanced about this situation. Acknowledging we need to take precautions does not mean buying that guys ammo or whatever It just means let’s be smart and balanced about this and take the proper precautions before anyone is hurt.
And there may have been only two fatalities, but on that website I note above, it mentions 52 us coyote attacks within a 10 year period.
Signing off of the coyote subject!!
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I can’t seem to shut up, sorry. I wonder if your state conservation department has (or would set up) a trap, neuter and release program if the numbers get too high.
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Sickening…..
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Kim very good post and those above above acting on wisdom and not emotion only! – There will always be pro and con here. When we first moved west had to readapt and fit in with new environment which included many times of rattlesnakes, coyotes, other wildlife did not have in MA. The big one was the rattlesnake. There was a very large diamondback that had a home by the creek and family there before us. Anyway, little brother and his friend were playing by the sage brush which was the rattlesnake’s home and was rattling to warn them to stay away our dog who was Sheppard heard it and got tried protecting them got to close and was bit inside his mouth the snake was faster striking him.
Needless to say came close to losing our dog got anti-venom shot with a serious swollen face was out of it for a few days came back. Snake was caught and relocated – Not sure if he/she came back as we moved from this location deep in Carson National Forest…thanks to the Hong Kong flu and winter approaching too cold for converted bus came across country in to live in Moved into town and old adobe house with woodstoves for heat – no running water had the creek across the street and a double seat outhouse no reading in here winter time too drafty. Never once in my many encounters have the rattlesnake only defend themselves most time folks are bitten when reaching in places they cannot see, step on one, bother them…or corner them…I.E. Watch from a distance and back up give them room and they are on their way. Coyotes are generally fearful of humans until they lost that fear then or if extremely hungry they may do things they would normally not do. I always think of it like what if you were lost in the woods – or have an emergency out on the water – you do whatever it takes to survive! The item I sent on coyotes (Riverside CA – tries to strike that balance be humans and coyotes!
The key here is the natural circle of life in wildlife and balance…I was taught many lessons by native friends both out west and back east – This causes me to see things in a different light…If I am attacked I will defend myself and protect my dog or pets, family members!! Through awareness and education we have the power to avoid bad encounters most times! In many cases we may be our own worst enemy!
A little quote I like partial only!
“ Whatever we are circling around and around trying to connect. As a traditional Navajo belief maintains, everything, absolutely everything is connected. The breeze moving on the wing of a bird, brings scents to a wolf that invokes him to take a path, etc…The circle is never broken. Each stone touches the one next to it, to make the circle. If any of the stones are disturbed the entire circle is broken. When the circle is broken, harmony is out of balance. Connectedness is lost, and we feel the effects in our hearts.” -Glenn Simmons
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I will say this: We are learning more about the coyote than most of us thought we would–and that’s a good thing. Thanks Kim!
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Thank you Chris, but we should thank Joey because it was his post. He forwarded it to me to post as he is away on vacation. I appreciate everyone’s comments and realize it is a very emotional issue for many. I hope to find the time to comment re, just super busy right now.
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Thanks Dave, your message expresses my sentiments exactly.
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Thanks Bob…The rattlesnake I talked of was relocated by a native hunter we lived with – their tradition of all life is precious and prayers before hunting, after the food is taken, and burial for the animal spirit and items not used. So my spelling is bad above multi-tasking and rushing to type it up!
His book:
Hunting sacred, everything listens Book by Larry Littlebird – In Larry Littlebird’s childhood of rich oral tradition, he learned from his Pueblo elders how to value life and how to listen. In Hunting Sacred: Everything Listens, Littlebird reaches out to the “listener” in each of us.
Spirit Keeper – wisdom
HAMAATSA Is an indigenous continuum and story gathering place
http://www.hamaatsa.org/
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