Coyotes catching a game in Chicago?

[Pearce Pastures]

Check the link for the video. I have had a few friends wonder why I am getting an LGD because of the coyotes because they are picturing little, scrawny fox-sized animals. Not so much. And these were young ones. The ones near my property are heftier and are gutsy. Last night, I heard them again, jumped up to start getting my boots on and then heard a rifle shot, yelp, and all was quiet---they were are my neighbors and he has had enough too

By Marcus Riley, NBCChicago.com

November 27, 2012, 5:53 am NBCNews.com

Two wild coyotes were spotted hanging around Chicagos Wrigley Field late Saturday night.
Will Byington was photographing a live band at the Cubby Bear entertainment complex when the doormen
reported that a couple of coyotes were outside the stadium.
Byington, armed with his camera, and a couple of employees headed outside to investigate.
"The scary thing is that they didn't seem afraid. You'd think they'd be cowering, but they didn't seem vicious,"
Byington said.

Some people were laughing, and started following them, but they didn't seem concerned. They seemed to be
checking out the neighborhood and enjoying it, he added.

Byington said the coyotes looked to be fairly young and guesses that they were looking for food.
At least judging by their fascination with the McDonald's on the other side of Clark Street. He said the coyotes
hung out for a couple of minutes before walking through the players parking lot and toward a nearby firehouse.


"First time I've ever seen it," said Byington, who lives in Wrigleyville. "You hear stories about them venturing out
and spotted around parks and whatnot, but they were right in the street with cars zooming by and honking. It didn't
seem to phase them."
Research suggests the coyote population in suburban Chicago is growing.

Earlier this month, an Antioch Chihuahua survived an attack by two coyotes. Earlier this year, a 16-pound dog was
attacked in a fenced in yard in Wheaton but survived.
An attack a week before that, was fatal. And a coyote also made it all the way down to a Loop Metra station last
year.

NBCWashington.com: Fairfax warns residents about coyotes
A recent Ohio State University study estimated that there may be somewhere between several hundred and a
couple thousand coyotes living in Chicago, with some of the animals living in city parks and others among
apartment and commercial buildings and in industrial parks.

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...otes-pay-visit-to-chicagos-wrigley-field?lite

 

[Southern by choice]

Yeah, I saw the article this morning too. Next thing is you'll hear all the bleeding hearts wanting to "save" the coyotes!

 

[lilhill]

And those guys look quite healthy. Must be finding plenty to eat in the city.

 

[Straw Hat Kikos]

And those guys look quite healthy. Must be finding plenty to eat in the city.

Actually that would make sense. Raccoons, opossums, coyotes, etc all have longer life expectancies in the city vs in the wild because they have nearly no predators and they have much more food and it's easier to find then in the wild.

 

[Stacykins]

When I lived in Milwaukee, I worked a night security job with the university I was attending. I'd always see possums, raccoons, and one very predictable fox. She'd be in the main campus green area around 11pm, sniffing around for things to nibble on. She was very sleek, fat, and fluffy. I saw her kits once, too, when she brought them by.

City animals, if they can learn to avoid cars and hide during the busiest times, do very well for themselves.

 

[schusa]

I hunt Yotes, and from what I have read they estimate there are about 5000 in the city limits of Chicago, its really no different than the Monster Bucks that are found in Urban areas, unfortunately they frown on hunting in the city.

 

[julieq]

My brother, who lives in Northern California, where it's illegal to shoot most any critter, said a cougar was spotted sitting and watching a children's soft ball game near where he lives, in broad daylight! In areas where no one shoots at them, they tend to become too bold for my taste.

Here either we shoot at them, or the neighbors do. Fortunately in one direction down the road we have beef cattle out on graze, in the other direction we have a boer goat herd, and none of us want to feed expensive livestock to the local predators! :/

 

[promiseacres]

Wow.... we're getting 2 more mini donkeys next weekend... that is WAY too close for comfort!

 

[OneFineAcre]

Let's address Southern's comment about bleeding hearts wanting to save the coyote.

Coyotes are not native to N.C. but we are becoming over run with them. You can shoot a Coyote 365 days a year, no closed season.

Well the WRC put in a new rule to allow people to shoot them at night. Well, the bleeding hearts stepped in. The issue is that we have red wolves which were supposedly native, re-introduced in the Alligator River Wildllife refuge and they've spread to several counties.

Well Red Wolves aren't alot bigger than coyotes and the fear is that someone will accidently shoot a wolf. They have actually found a couple of them shot.

But, biologist say the biggest threat to the red wolf's viablity is....... cross breeding with coyotes.

 

[Meat Goats]

Crazy huh?